Summer is reunion time for many of us. Whether you’re meeting up at a casual retreat or a fancy reception hall, there’s no better way to take a stroll down memory lane than with a reunion slideshow.

To help you get started, check out our complete how-to guide, featuring tips, tools, downloadable goodies and inspiring sample videos. You’ll be amazed by how quick and easy it is to create a reunion show everyone will remember.

1) Plan, Prep and Get Inspired Is your slideshow for a family reunion or genealogy tour? Class reunion? Military homecoming or unit reunion? Whatever the occasion, a good reunion show must begin with a plan. Many people find it helpful to “storyboard” their shows. This is just a simple tool for getting your plans on paper. Just sketch or list out the sequence of events in your show, and you’ll be less likely to omit things or go off on tangents. Download a free printable storyboard PDF here.

Once the planning is done, it’s time to prep the content.

1) Locate your photos 2) Throw in a few ‘artifacts’ if you have them (e.g. documents, letters, souvenirs) 3) Scan printed items 4) Retouch /optimize 5) Sort them into order Start this process early! It takes a little time—but the rest will be a breeze.

There’s nothing like seeing other people’s work to spark your own creativity. To see what other people are doing with their reunion slideshows, check out the following videos:

A Marine’s Homecoming: This slideshow is about a Marine coming home from deployment in Afghanistan, reunited with his wife and family. The show was created using ProShow 4.5’s wizard, built-in effects & various StylePack effects. Photos by Miss Fliss Photography.

The Wade Family: Created in ProShow Producer by Cyndy McAtee, this is a rich and beautifully-presented story about a family’s ancestral history. Many effects used in the show can be found in StylePack Vintage.

2) Get the Right Tools for the Job
If you’re going to make a slideshow for your reunion, it goes without saying that it should be worthwhile. Don’t underestimate your show’s ability to influence people’s overall impression of the reunion (or story). Sharing and reliving memories is a powerful thing!

Use a slideshow tool that will help you tell your story well. With ProShow, not only do your shows look amazing, but it literally takes just seconds to get from start to finish, using the automated wizard and built-in effects. You will save hours, if not days! To create fast, easy reunion slideshows, get ProShow 4.5. Upgrade or download a free trial.

		3) Create Your Show Now for the fun part! Creating your show is (surprisingly) the easiest step of the process because ProShow does all the work for you. The following steps are based on using ProShow 4.5. If you don’t have 4.5, now’s the perfect time to upgrade! Begin by clicking the option to create a new show using the Wizard.

Add your photos + any video clips or text you want to use.
If you need to rearrange the order after the content is added, just click and drag the item to move it into the preferred order. When done, click Next.

		Now, add some music. Add as many songs as you want. The wizard builds your show to match the length of your soundtrack. Tip: To estimate the ideal length of your soundtrack, multiply the amount of content in your show (whether photo, video or text) by 6-8 seconds. Divide by 60 to convert to minutes.

		Pick a theme. The theme determines which effects get used in your show, and ultimately the look and feel. For reunion shows, we recommend options like: Portrait Classic, Photo Frame Dissolve, Storyteller and Picture Pages. Feel free to try other built-in themes, customize or create your own theme using only the effects you want.

Now, it’s time to wrap up final details and build the show!
You’ll be asked to name your show, tune the energy level (optional), and select a widescreen 16:9 or standard 4:3 format. When done, click Create and watch ProShow build the show before your eyes. Moments later, a preview will play.

And you’re done! From here, you can use ProShow to publish or fine-tune your show. You can customize to your heart’s content once the wizard has created your show. Feel free to tweak the timing for a slide, add or edit captions, apply different effects and more. It’s up to you.

4) Effects Packs Add Extra Punch
ProShow 4.5 comes with a great selection of built-in effects, but if you want to really take your reunion show to another level, check out our Effects Packs. Each StylePack or Transition Pack instantly and effortlessly turns photos, videos and titles into beautiful, professional effects & layouts. For a list of recommended effects to use in your reunion show, check out this article.

And..we’ve created a FREE slide style and transition for you to use your next reunion slideshow (or any show for that matter)! Click here to see a sample and download to use in your next slideshow.

		Tip: StylePack Vintage is perfect for creating family history, military homecoming, and pre-80s class reunion slideshows. Its diverse collection of instant effects give shows a polished retro look that everyone will love.

5) Share Your Reunion Show on Any Screen
Once you’ve finished your slideshow, it’s time to share it. ProShow can output to over 40 formats, including options for burning to DVD, sharing online or making an HD video that you can project on the big screen at the event. For tips on projecting your reunion show at an event, check out this helpful article.

Well…now what’s next?
You’ve got the know-how to make a terrific reunion slideshow.
Now, it’s time to make it happen! Here’s a review of the process:

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