Snapchat filters for funerals becoming more popular ALFR

A somber mood enveloped Stephenie Buchanan's family after her brother Tarrence's funeral.

Following the service in May, family and friends gathered in a hall to celebrate the life of the deceased 37-year-old. Buchanan grabbed a microphone, with a surprise for the packed room.

"I asked everybody if they had Snapchat," Buchanan, 33, said in a phone interview three months after the funeral. "I told them to go ahead and take a picture, and then scroll across."

Those who had Snapchat loaded the app, snapped a photo and swiped until they saw the words "T's World" on the top and "We love you Tarrence, rest in Heaven" on the bottom, superimposed over the picture. Snapchat calls the effect a geofilter, typically silly or cartoony digital images and words that highlight your location.

Buchanan created a custom one for her brother's funeral.