A memorial portrait is one of the most personal tributes a family can create — an artist-enhanced portrait of your loved one, enlarged to canvas and designed to represent who they were. Funeral Portraits has been creating custom memorial portraits since 2003. Our award-winning graphic artists work with any photo you provide to produce a gallery-quality portrait suitable for display at the service and in the home for years to come.
A memorial portrait does something a standard photograph cannot: it transforms a moment captured in time into a composed, dignified tribute. Our artists remove distracting backgrounds, correct exposure and color, retouch imperfections, and place your loved one within a meaningful background scene — a quiet natural landscape, a religious motif, a patriotic theme — that reflects who they were.
The result is not simply a larger print of the original photo. It is a new work, composed with care, that communicates respect and attention. Visitors at a service notice the difference immediately. A high-quality memorial portrait signals that the family took the time to honor their loved one properly, and it creates a visual focal point that helps people feel connected to the memory of the person being honored.
Memorial portraits also have a long life beyond the service. Families frequently hang them in their homes, display them in offices, and include them in family memory collections. Durable canvas with archival inks does not fade, yellow, or deteriorate the way photo paper does over time. The portrait can be passed down through generations as a family artifact.
Standard photo enlargement services — drugstores, online printers, big-box retailers — will reproduce your photo at any size, but they will reproduce it exactly as it is, flaws and all. If the original photo has a cluttered background, uneven lighting, or a dated look, the enlargement will have those same issues at a larger scale. For a memorial service, where every detail communicates care for the person who has passed, that kind of result falls short.
A memorial portrait from Funeral Portraits is fundamentally different. We do not simply enlarge — we enhance. Our artists evaluate the source photo and apply the corrections and improvements that make the portrait suitable for display. Backgrounds are replaced entirely. Skin tones are balanced and warmed. Sharpness is improved. Old or damaged photos are restored. The finished portrait reflects the person at their best, within a setting that honors who they were.
Our artists have worked with every type of source photo — professional studio portraits, casual snapshots, group photos, low-resolution images cropped from larger scenes, and vintage photographs that are decades old. The source photo provides the likeness; we provide the artistry that transforms it.
The background is what transforms an enhanced portrait into a memorial portrait — it sets the emotional and aesthetic tone of the piece. Our library contains more than 150 exclusive background themes, organized by category to help families find the right fit quickly.
Popular choices include soft floral designs featuring roses, lilies, and wildflowers; outdoor landscape scenes ranging from autumn forests to ocean sunsets; religious imagery from multiple faith traditions; patriotic and military backgrounds for veterans and service members; and understated neutral gradients that suit any decor. For people with strong hobby or passion associations — fishing, golf, gardening, music — we offer themed backgrounds that incorporate those elements.
Every background theme is shown as a preview thumbnail on our order page, so you can see exactly how the portrait will look before you order. Choosing a background often becomes a family activity — different family members may suggest options that reflect different facets of the person's personality, and the discussion itself becomes part of the memorial process.
Memorial portraits are printed on archival-quality canvas gallery wraps in five sizes: 11" × 14", 16" × 20", 20" × 24", 20" × 30", and 24" × 36". For most funeral and memorial services, the 16" × 20" provides an excellent balance of visual presence and practical portability — it fits any standard easel and can be hung directly on a wall with a single nail after the service.
Eight frame styles are available for families who prefer a framed look: dark walnut, mocha brown, black, cherry, silver, white, and two additional specialty finishes. Frames ship pre-assembled around the stretched canvas — ready to display out of the box. View all sizes and pricing on our prices page.
Memorial arrangements are rarely made far in advance, and Funeral Portraits is built for urgency. Orders placed before noon Eastern time ship the same business day via overnight air delivery. Most families receive their portrait the following morning — even if the order was placed the evening before.
For arrangements planned within 24 to 48 hours, our production team prioritizes memorial portrait orders to meet your timeline. If your service is imminent, contact us before or immediately after placing your order so we can flag it for priority processing.
All orders include digital proof review before printing. Proofs are typically emailed within a few hours of order submission. Approving the proof promptly ensures the fastest possible production and shipping schedule. If you have questions at any point, our support team is reachable through our contact page.
Yes. Our artists are experienced with restoration work on vintage prints, faded photographs, and damaged images. We will assess the source material and tell you honestly what is achievable before any printing takes place.
Additional copies of the same enhanced file are available at a reduced per-print rate. Contact our team when placing your order or after you receive the proof to add additional copies.
Overnight shipping via our carrier partners is generally reliable, but delivery guarantees are subject to carrier terms and address factors. For the most urgent situations, contact us directly and we will give you a specific recommendation based on your location and timeline.
Related: Funeral Portraits • Memorial Pictures • Pictures for Memorials • How It Works • Pricing
