One Party
$74$49one-time
For a single celebration
Unlimited photos, videos & guests
Original quality (no compression)
Film roll mode with shot limit & revealNEW
QR code template designs
3 months upload from party date
6 months storage + ZIP download
Anniversary slideshow guide
How to Make an Anniversary Slideshow
that tells their whole story
Photo counts for a 1st to a 50th, a decade-by-decade order, old prints from the family and songs from the year they married.
20 uploads free, no card. Example couple: Linda & Paul, married 1976.
9:41
AMSMom & Dad's 50th (secret)9 people
Sunday 7:12 PM
A
Aunt CarolFound the shoebox. Wedding day, 1976!
A
+14
+14M
Add them to this link, not the chat, so nothing gets squashedMarkI have the lake trip ones from the 80s
Linda & Paul's 50th: family albumpix.wedding · Tap to add your photos
Message
9:41
Live6sec per photo
Linda & Paul's 50thAdded by Emma, the granddaughter
58 / 212
Add a photo of the two of themLinda & Paul's 50thNo app, no account
01The short answer
What goes into a good anniversary slideshow?
Plan about 10 photos per minute. That is 40 photos for a 1st anniversary and 70 to 80 for a 50th, told decade by decade from the wedding to today. Collect prints from family three weeks ahead, scan them at 600 dpi, set 2 or 3 songs from the couple's own years and test it on the party screen.
40 to 80
photos, from a 1st to a 50th
6 sec
per photo, about 10 a minute
4 to 8 min
total runtime at the party
2 to 3
songs, since a charting song runs about 3 min
Sources: Memories Renewed puts the average at 10 to 12 pictures a minute; Chartmetric found the average Spotify charting song in 2024 ran about 3 minutes. Checked 29 September 2026.
02Length guide
How many photos for a 1st, 10th, 25th, 40th or 50th anniversary?
More years means more chapters, not faster photos. Keep every photo at 6 seconds and let the runtime grow with the marriage.
Paper
1st
40
photos, 4 min
Tin
10th
40 to 50
photos, 4 to 5 min
Silver
25th
50 to 60
photos, 5 to 6 min
Ruby
40th
60 to 70
photos, 6 to 7 min
Gold
50th
70 to 80
photos, 7 to 8 min
| Milestone | Length | Photos | Songs | Story focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st anniversary (paper) | 4 min | 40 | 1 to 2 | Proposal, wedding day, first home, the first trips as a married couple |
| 10th anniversary (tin) | 4 to 5 min | 40 to 50 | 2 | Wedding, first home, kids or career moves, ten years of trips |
| 25th anniversary (silver) | 5 to 6 min | 50 to 60 | 2 | Wedding, the young family, the school years, today |
| 40th anniversary (ruby) | 6 to 7 min | 60 to 70 | 2 to 3 | Four decades, one chapter each, grandkids near the end |
| 50th anniversary (gold) | 7 to 8 min | 70 to 80 | 2 to 3 | Five decades, then a then and now pair to close |
Swipe for every milestone
Ranges assume 6 seconds per photo, the slow end of the 5 to 6 seconds in our slideshow photo guide. Traditional gift names from Hallmark. Checked 29 September 2026.
03Story order
Tell it decade by decade, wedding to today
Chronological order is the easiest for guests to follow and the easiest for you to build. Give each decade a title card and 10 to 14 photos.
Here is the plan for our example couple, Linda & Paul, married in 1976. The photos are examples styled by era.
- Chapter 11976
The wedding
Engagement photo, the wedding album, the invitation, the first car
10 slides 
Chapter 21980sA young family
First home, babies, birthdays, the camping trips everyone still talks about
14 slides
Chapter 31990sThe busy years
School plays, holidays, friends who became family, the bad haircuts
12 slides
Chapter 42000sThe kids leave home
Graduations, a child’s wedding, the first trips back as a couple
12 slides- Chapter 52010s
Grandparents
Grandkids, retirement, the big birthdays, the dance floor at family weddings
12 slides 
Chapter 62020sRight now
Recent trips, everyday moments, a then and now pair to close the story
10 slides
Slides per chapter, example 50th70 slides at 6 sec = 7 minutes
1976: 101980s: 141990s: 122000s: 122010s: 122020s: 10
04Gathering the photos
How do you collect old photos from family without spoiling the surprise?
The best photos live in other people’s shoeboxes. Ask everyone in one place, give them one link, and set a deadline.
- 3 weeks beforeStart a secret family chat and share one upload link. Tell people exactly what you want: the wedding, the 80s, the grandkids.
- 2 weeks beforeAsk the older relatives by phone. Offer to scan their prints at their kitchen table so nothing leaves the house.
- 10 days beforeClose collection, download everything, and sort it into decade folders. Build with what you have.
A group chat squashes photos and buries them. A shared album keeps the originals with each sender's name, and sub-albums keep old prints apart from party photos. Start a free family album
9:41
AMSMom & Dad's 50th (secret)9 people
Sunday 7:12 PM
A
Aunt CarolFound the shoebox. Wedding day, 1976!
A+14
+14M
Add them to this link, not the chat, so nothing gets squashedMarkI have the lake trip ones from the 80s
Linda & Paul's 50th: family albumpix.wedding · Tap to add your photos
Message
9:41
Family albumLinda & Paul's 50th
184 photos · 11 guestsSMJA
Example albumAllOld printsParty night
NewNew
Add your photosScans and phone photos welcome
05Old prints
How to scan old photos for a slideshow
Pick the method by how many prints you have. A shoebox fits a phone app; whole albums are worth mailing out.
| Method | Cost | Quality | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone scan app (Google PhotoScan) | Free | Good on a TV screen | A shoebox of prints at a relative’s table | Glare removal asks you to move the phone over each print |
| Home flatbed scanner at 600 dpi | Free if you own or borrow one | Sharp enough to crop and zoom | Small, faded or damaged prints | Slow, only a few prints per pass |
| Mail-in, per photo (ScanMyPhotos) | 20¢ at 300 dpi, 50¢ at 600 dpi | Professional scanners | A few hundred prints | $25 minimum order, and the prints ship out |
| Mail-in, prepaid box (ScanMyPhotos) | Box price changes with promotions | Professional scanners | Whole albums, about 1,800 prints per box | Only worth it for a big collection |
| Library or print shop scanner | Ask locally | Varies by machine | No scanner at home | Opening hours and a queue |
Swipe for every scanning method
Prices from ScanMyPhotos pay per photo and ScanMyPhotos prepaid box; glare removal from Google Photos Help. Checked 29 September 2026.
Mobile Fun, 3:27
Watch old prints scanned with a phone
Mobile Fun scans old photographs with an Android phone and a free app. Handy for a quick pass through a relative's albums.
Watch on YouTube06Six steps in order
How to make an anniversary slideshow, step by step
Gather and sort before you open any editor. Most of the time goes into steps 1 to 3.
- 01
Collect photos from family
Three weeks out, send one link to siblings, aunts and old friends. Ask for prints, phone photos and short clips.
- 02
Scan the old prints
Use a free phone scan app for a shoebox, or a flatbed at 600 dpi for small or faded prints.
- 03
Sort by decade and cut
Make one folder per decade, then cut to your milestone number. Keep the photos where faces are clear.
- 04
Pick 2 or 3 of their songs
Start with their wedding song or a hit from their wedding year. Each song carries one or two decades.
- 05
Build it at 6 seconds a photo
Add a title card per decade, one soft cross-fade, and captions big enough to read from the back of the room.
- 06
Test it on the party screen
Export MP4 at 1080p, play it start to finish at the venue, and keep a copy on a USB stick.
Swipe for all six steps
Microsoft Clipchamp, 3:22
Watch an anniversary montage built from a template
Clipchamp walks through an anniversary video montage from a free template: photos, text and music. Pause it and follow along with your own decade folders.
Watch on YouTube07Music for couples
Anniversary slideshow songs by the decade they married
Their first dance song comes first if you know it. After that, hits from the year they married pull the older guests right back.
Photos per song at 6 seconds each
3 min song
30 photos
3.5 min song
35 photos
4 min song
40 photos
8 min, 2 to 3 songs
80 photos
Close to the 25 to 35 pictures per 3 to 4 minute song that Memories Renewed suggests. Checked 29 September 2026.
1960s weddings
Married in the 60s: 60th and up in 2026- Stand by Me, Ben E. King1961
- Can't Help Falling in Love, Elvis Presley1961
- My Girl, The Temptations1964
- What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong1967
1970s weddings
Married in 1976: a 50th in 2026- You Are So Beautiful, Joe Cocker1974
- Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton1977
- Always and Forever, Heatwave1977
- Still, Commodores1979
1980s weddings
Married in 1986: a 40th in 2026- Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie1981
- Through the Years, Kenny Rogers1981
- Up Where We Belong, Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes1982
- I Just Called to Say I Love You, Stevie Wonder1984
1990s weddings
Married in the 90s: a 30th is close- (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, Bryan Adams1991
- From This Moment On, Shania Twain1998
- Amazed, Lonestar1999
2000s weddings
Married in 2001: a 25th in 2026- Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flatts2004
- Better Together, Jack Johnson2005
- Make You Feel My Love, Adele2008
2010s weddings
Married in 2016: a 10th in 2026- A Thousand Years, Christina Perri2011
- All of Me, John Legend2013
- Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran2014
- Perfect, Ed Sheeran2017
Swipe for every decade
Playing it on YouTube or social media later? Commercial songs can get muted there. At a private party the file plays fine. More in how to make a slideshow with music.
08Picking an app
Which app should you use for an anniversary slideshow?
Any of these builds the tribute video. The live slideshow is a different thing: it shows what guests upload during the party.
| App | Works on | Cost | Best at | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iMovie | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Free | Exact seconds per photo and several songs in a row | Apple devices only |
| Canva | Browser, phone | Free plan, paid Pro | Title cards per decade from templates | Timing each slide by hand gets slow at 70 photos |
| CapCut | Phone, desktop, browser | Free plan, paid Standard and Pro | Cutting photos to the beat of a song | Some templates and effects are Pro only |
| Animoto | Browser | Free to build, paid to share | A designed look with little effort | Downloads and share links need the Basic plan or higher |
| Pix live slideshow | Any browser on a TV or laptop | Big Party, $59 one time | Showing guest photos from the party live, with names | No music, it plays uploads and does not edit a video |
Swipe to compare every app
Sources: App Store (iMovie), Canva pricing, CapCut help, Animoto help. Paid prices change by region, so check at checkout. Checked 29 September 2026.
9:41
6sec per photo
Linda & Paul, 1976Chapter 1: the wedding
Always and Forever, Heatwave4 / 70
9:41
Live6sec per photo
Linda & Paul's 50thAdded by Mark
31 / 212
09At the party
How to play it at a surprise anniversary party
Play the tribute video once, with everyone watching. Then let a live slideshow of the night run on the screen while people dance.
Play it when everyone is seated
After the meal and before the toasts works best. People are sitting, facing the same way, and not yet on the dance floor.
Test sound from the back
Run the first minute at the venue with the real speakers. Older guests miss quiet songs in a loud room.
Bring it three ways
An MP4 on a USB stick, a copy in the cloud, and one on your phone with the right adapter for the TV.
Dim the lights, seat the couple
Put the couple front and center where they can see the screen. Their faces are the part everyone else watches.
With Pix, guests scan a QR code on the table and their photos show up on the screen with their names. It plays uploads with no music, so run your edited video first. Try it with 20 free uploads
The newest chapter
The party photos belong in the story too. Guests just upload them.
Fifty years of prints came from the family. Tonight’s photos are on forty phones. A QR code on each table puts them all in one album, no app and no account.
Point your camera
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
9:41
UPLOADING
Saving your moment
9:41
THE ALBUM
Linda & Paul's 50th
Example album
212 photos · 46 guests
AllMomentsMine
★
Add photosShare your moments
PARTY PRICING
One album for the prints and the party. One payment, no subscription.
Start with 20 uploads free, no card. Big Party adds the live slideshow, guest names and up to 6 sub-albums.
Big Party
$89$59one-time
For a crowd, a screen and a dance floor
Everything in One Party
Live slideshow at the party
Audio guestbook & guest names
Photo missions + slideshow leaderboardNEW
Up to 6 sub-albums
6 months upload, 1 year storage
One-time payment, no subscription
Party Series
$133$89one-time
For big guest lists and repeat events
Everything in Big Party
AI selfie search for guestsNEW
Multiple admins
Custom domain for your album
Priority support
1 year upload, 2 years storage
One payment. Yours to keep. No subscription. No renewals. No surprise charges.
Secure checkout. Polar, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
Money-back guarantee: if your guests never upload a single photo, you get 100% back. See how it works
One payment. No subscription. No renewals.
Start your free album10Before the big night
Six anniversary slideshow mistakes and the final check
Most of these show up the night before, when there is no time to fix them. Run the check a week out.
- One song for eight minutesUse two or three songs so the mood moves with the decades.
- Only the wedding and the presentThe middle decades carry the story. Give each one its own chapter.
- Captions that flash pastStay at 6 seconds a photo and use big type. Many guests will be reading from across the room.
- Waiting for the last relativeSet a hard collection date ten days out and build with what you have.
- Crooked, glare-covered scansScan flat, crop the borders, and redo any print with a shine across a face.
- First play at the partyWatch it once at the venue on the real screen before guests arrive.
9:41
Linda & Paul's 50th
Edited the day beforeSlideshow final check
Played start to finish on the party TVSongs fade out, no hard stopEvery decade has a title cardNames and years spelled rightMP4 on USB and in the cloudQR card printed for the tables
Backed up on a USB stick and in the cloudWHILE THE WHOLE FAMILY IS IN ONE ROOM
Scan. Upload.
Fifty years, one album.
You will be hugging aunts and giving a toast. Guests will be the ones taking the photos. Watch a guest scan the QR code and add photos from the phone browser in seconds, no app and no account.
Linda & Paul's 50thScan to share your photos
9:41
ANNIVERSARY ALBUM
Linda & Paul's 50th
Example album
AllOld printsMine
Add your photosNo app needed
Linda & Paul, 1976
From Aunt Carol
Collect the old prints and the party photos in one album
Share one link with the family before the party and a QR code on the tables during it. Everything lands in one album you can download as a ZIP.
From the grandkids
Point your camera
Scan to join the album
No app, no account
9:41
UPLOADING
Saving your moment
9:41
THE ALBUM
Linda & Paul's 50th
Example album
212 photos · 46 guests
AllMomentsMine
★
Add photosShare your moments
SCAN TO TRY
pix.wedding/
your-wedding
Common Questions
Anniversary Slideshow: Common Questions
Quick answers on photo counts, songs, scanning and playing it at the party.
Plan about 10 photos per minute at 6 seconds each. That is about 40 photos for a 1st or 10th anniversary, 50 to 60 for a 25th, 60 to 70 for a 40th and 70 to 80 for a 50th. Split them by decade so every chapter of the marriage gets a turn.
Four to eight minutes for most parties: about 4 minutes for a 1st anniversary and 7 to 8 minutes for a 50th. Past 8 minutes, people start talking over it. If you have more photos, run them on a loop during dinner instead.
Start with their first dance song, then hits from their wedding year. For a couple married in 1976, try "Always and Forever" by Heatwave (1977), "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton (1977) or "Still" by the Commodores (1979). Two or three songs cover 7 to 8 minutes.
Start a separate family chat without the couple and share one upload link there, three weeks before the party. Ask older relatives by phone and offer to scan their prints in person. Set a collection deadline ten days before the party.
Scan prints at 600 dpi if you want to crop or zoom into faces, which most slideshows do. 300 dpi is fine for full photos shown as they are. For a quick batch, a free phone scan app like Google PhotoScan removes glare and is good enough for a TV.
iMovie is free on iPhone, iPad and Mac and lets you set exact seconds per photo and line up several songs. On Android or Windows, CapCut and Canva both have free plans. Check watermark and download rules before you build.
Yes, with a live slideshow. Put a QR code on each table; guests upload from the phone browser with no app and no account, and their photos appear on the screen with their names. Pix includes this on the Big Party plan, $59 one time. It has no music, so play your edited video separately.
Open on the wedding photo or the invitation, then close on a recent photo taken in the same pose or place. The then and now pair gets the biggest reaction in the room and gives the video a clear ending.
11Keep reading
Related guides
More on slideshows, anniversary parties and collecting photos from family.
50th Anniversary Party Ideas How Many Photos for a Slideshow How to Make a Birthday Slideshow How Many Photos for a Funeral Slideshow How to Make a Slideshow With Music How to Make a Retirement Slideshow How to Make a Graduation Slideshow How to Collect Photos From a Group How to Plan a Surprise Party
Sources, checked 29 September 2026
- Memories Renewed: pictures per minute and per song
- Chartmetric: average charting song length
- Hallmark: anniversary gifts by year
- Google Photos Help: PhotoScan
- ScanMyPhotos: pay per photo
- ScanMyPhotos: prepaid box
- App Store: iMovie
- Canva pricing
- CapCut help: Pro pricing
- Animoto: plans for sharing and downloads
Linda & Paul and the family names in the mockups are illustrative examples. Photos are from our own library, styled by era.
More free photo guides and tools
Free guides for collecting and sharing the photos from any family celebration.
QR Sticker Designer
Design custom print-ready stickers.
Photo Sharing QR
The best way to collect guest photos.
Hashtag Generator
Create unique wedding hashtags.
How to Collect Guest Photos
5 methods ranked by participation rate and ease.
Share Wedding Photos with Guests
Compare every sharing platform by ease and participation.
Best Way to Get Guest Photos
The single method with the highest participation rate.
How to Make a Shared Wedding Album
Step-by-step setup for every platform.
Alternative to Disposable Cameras
Better, cheaper options than disposable cameras.