Funeral livestream tips

Most families now livestream the service for at least one person who could not be there. A grandchild abroad, a friend in a hospital, an elderly relative who cannot travel. Done with a little thought, a livestream is a gift. Done without thought, it is a wobbly view of the back of a head.

Decide who is hosting

Most funeral homes and many churches now offer livestreaming as a paid add-on, usually $200 to $500. The advantage is they handle camera, audio, and the link. The disadvantage is that some platforms ask remote viewers to sign in or register, which is a barrier for the elderly. If you go DIY, a family member with a tripod and a phone is enough.

The simple DIY setup

• Phone or tablet on a tripod, set at the back center aisle
• A small lavalier microphone clipped to the celebrant or taped to the lectern. Built-in phone mics lose voices in large rooms.
• A second phone, on a powered outlet, as backup. Phones die.
• A wired or strong Wi-Fi connection at the venue. Check the day before.
• A laminated card with the stream link, taped to the back of the program, so anyone in the room can also share it.

The link, the etiquette, and the message

Send the stream link by email and text the day before, with the start time in their local time zone. In the email, write a short note: If you cannot be here in person, this link will be live ten minutes before the service. Camera will be on the lectern. You can leave the stream on and we will see you on the other side. The note matters; it tells the remote viewer they are not intruding.

Speaking to remote viewers

Ask the celebrant to greet the remote viewers in the first sixty seconds, by name if possible. To everyone joining us from Australia, from Maine, from the hospital, you are with us today. Thank you for being here. That one sentence makes the difference between feeling like an outsider and feeling like family.

What to capture

• The full opening, with the welcoming line above
• The eulogies, in close enough framing to see faces
• The music, even if it sounds thin (it always does)
• The committal at the graveside, if there is one (battery and signal permitting)
• The recessional and the line of family leaving

Saving the recording

The single most-requested file the week after a service is the recording. Make sure whoever is running the stream knows to save the file at the end. Upload it to the memorial page so the people who could not attend, and the people who could but want to relive it, can come back to it. Stillwith memorial pages embed YouTube and Vimeo links directly; most funeral home stream providers can also send you an unlisted link.

One last thing

Right after the service, post a short note on the memorial page: The recording will be up by tomorrow. Thank you for being with us, however you were with us. That gives the remote viewers somewhere to land. For more on how memorial pages serve the wider family, see Stillwith vs the funeral home website. For the rest of the week, see our funeral planning checklist.

When you are ready, Stillwith helps you draft yours.