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Free Printable

Class Reunion Then & Now Photo Layout

Senior pic on the left, current photo on the right. The most-shared photo of the night.

The then-and-now wall is the single highest-engagement display at any class reunion. Classmates stop at it three times — when they arrive, when they walk past it later, and when they bring their plus-one over to point at their younger self. It generates more Instagram posts than the dance floor and works as a built-in icebreaker because two people standing in front of it always start talking. The layout below shows 6 classmates per page (letter size) or scales to a full poster board for the entrance wall. Collect current photos via the RSVP form, pull senior photos from the yearbook, and have the prints ready the morning of the event.

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Then

Senior pic

Now

Current

Sarah Mitchell (Johnson)

Class of [YEAR]

Then

Senior pic

Now

Current

Michael Rodriguez

Class of [YEAR]

Then

Senior pic

Now

Current

Amanda Chen (Park)

Class of [YEAR]

Then

Senior pic

Now

Current

David Patel

Class of [YEAR]

Then

Senior pic

Now

Current

Jessica Brooks (Walsh)

Class of [YEAR]

Then

Senior pic

Now

Current

Christopher Kim

Class of [YEAR]

Build the Then-and-Now Wall

  1. Collect current photos via the RSVP form — make it the last optional question.
  2. Pull senior photos from the yearbook (scan at 600 DPI) or ask classmates to send theirs.
  3. Lay out 6-9 classmates per page using Google Slides or Canva. Letter-size or scale to 24x36 poster.
  4. Send to Staples or FedEx Office for same-day large-format print ($30-60 for a 24x36 board).
  5. Mount on foam board or display on an easel near the entrance.
  6. Also run as a slideshow on a TV — captures classmates who submitted late or last-minute.

Questions

What is a 'then and now' photo wall at a class reunion?

A printed display showing each classmate's senior yearbook photo next to their current photo. Posted at the entrance or projected on a screen during cocktail hour. It's the single most-shared photo of the night — classmates take pictures of the wall and post to social media with their school name in the caption.

How do I collect current photos from classmates?

Ask in the RSVP form: 'Upload a current head-and-shoulders photo for our then-and-now wall.' Make it optional but encourage everyone. Send a reminder 3 weeks before the event to anyone who didn't submit. Expect 60-70% participation if you ask once, 85-90% with a reminder.

Where do I get senior yearbook photos?

Pull from a copy of the yearbook (scan each page at 600 DPI), buy a digital copy from the school's alumni office, or ask classmates to send their senior photo with their RSVP. Most classmates still have their senior portrait — they'll send it if you ask. The school's media center or library usually has archived yearbooks if no committee member kept one.

Should I print the photos or use a slideshow?

Both works best. Print a large 24x36 or 36x48 board showing 20-40 classmates as the welcome wall, and run a slideshow on a TV with everyone who submitted a photo. The print is the photo-op; the slideshow is the inclusive version that gets everyone in.

What size and layout should the then-and-now printable be?

Two photos per classmate, side by side, each about 2x2.5 inches. Name and graduation year below. Lay out 6-9 classmates per page (printable as letter-size, or scaled up to poster board). The senior photo should be on the left, current on the right — the eye reads left to right, so people see who it was, then who it is.

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