When a loved one passes away, there are many ways in which we can preserve a memory of them. This could include public commemorative measures such as benches and obituaries or personal forms of memorialization such as scrapbooks and tattoos. Below are 10 examples of some of the different ways you can memorialize a deceased loved one.
Grave marker
If your loved one is being buried or their ashes are being put in the ground, the most basic and traditional form of memorializing them is a grave marker. These are slabs with inscriptions that mark a person’s grave.
The likes of these granite grave markers by Memorials.com gives you an idea as to the types of styles you can explore. Beyond standard grave markers, you can also consider headstones, grave statues and even mausoleums – however you are likely to be restricted as to where you can place these.
A grave marker could contain nothing more than a name and dates. However, you can add other details ranging from religious symbols to quotes to information about their life.
Memorial bench
Another way to memorialize a loved one is to place a bench in a location that they were fond of. This bench could contain a plaque with their name and date of birth/death on.
Installing a bench typically requires getting a permit from the landowner or a local planning department. Benches can take various forms from wooden benches to benches made from recycled plastic to metal benches.
Remembrance tree
Many people love the idea of planting a tree in memory of a loved one. This could be a tree that they loved and it could be placed on their grave or in a location they were fond of.
Remembrance trees are a way of commemorating death with new life. They are great for the environment as they can absorb carbon emissions and support local wildlife. As with benches, you will need permission to plant a tree on land that you do not own.
Memorial video
Memorial videos are videos containing footage or photos of a loved one accompanied by music. They are typically played at funerals, although can also be shared online or kept as file or DVD for personal commemorative purposes.
You can make a video yourself or you can ask a funeral director or professional video editor to help you.
Obituary
Obituaries are short news articles or notices published in local newspapers or local news sites. They can be a way of publicly announcing a loved one’s death and paying tribute to their life.
The cost of publishing an obituary varies depending on the publication and the length of the obituary.
Scrapbook
One personal way of commemorating a loved one could be to create a scrapbook out of photos and other memorabilia (such as tickets, certificates, drawings etc.) that you can look back on in years to come. Scrapbooks can also tell a story of someone’s life, which could be passed down to other relatives to keep a memory of them alive.
A scrapbook is something that you can compose yourself. Some people find building a scrapbook of a deceased loved one to be a very cathartic experience.
Online memorial site
An online memorial site is much like an online obituary, but it can be more detailed with photos and other information. It is a memorial that people can visit from any location.
There are specialist sites dedicated to hosting memorial pages – some of these are free, while others charge a fee. It’s also possible to memorialize a Facebook account. Alternatively, you could create a blog page dedicated to a loved one.
Charity fundraiser
A lot of people love the idea of raising donations for a cause in memory of a loved one. This is typically a cause that the deceased loved one was passionate about during their life (such as helping the homeless or supporting a local sports team). Alternatively, it could be a cause supporting various struggles that your loved one may have gone through (such as a charity for helping those who are disabled, a charity for helping addicts or a charity for medical research for a disease such as cancer).
You could set up a charity fundraising page or you could put on an event to raise funds. These funds could go directly to a charity or an organization. Alternatively, you could set up your own charity (possibly named after your loved one) and distribute funds to various different causes. You can find more information about setting up a charity here at FoundationSource.com.
Tattoo
When it comes to personal forms of memorialization, many people choose to get a tattoo dedicated to a loved one. This could be a tattoo of their name, their face or an image/symbol that reminds you of them.
By getting a tattoo of a loved one, you may feel that they are always close to you. Make sure to hire a tattoo artist that you trust so that your ink is good quality.
Memorial jewelry
Another option to consider is memorial jewelry. This is jewelry that reminds you of a loved one that you can wear in memory of them.
Such jewelry could take the form of a necklace locket containing a photo of them, or it could take the form of a bracelet or necklace with a personalized engraving on it. Alternatively, you could look into cremation jewelry as a way of keeping a part of them close to you. This article provides more information on cremation jewelry.
Other ways to memorialize a loved one…
There are so many other creative ways to memorialize a loved one from publishing a book about their life to even getting a new street named after them. Depending on how prominent they were in their local community and the amount of money you have to spend, there could be all kinds of ways of paying tribute to your loved one. Think about not just what you want, but what they would have wanted.
