Gift guide
Memorial gift ideas to remember a loved one
When someone we love is gone, the gifts that comfort most are the ones that keep them close.
No gift fills the space someone leaves. But in grief, the things that help are usually the ones that hold on to a person, their words, their face, their story, and give the family a way to remember together.
These are gentle, lasting ways to honour someone who has died, or to support somebody through a loss.
Ways to remember a loved one
Our suggestion
Their life story, preserved in a book
One of the most healing things a grieving family can do is gather everything they remember before it fades, and turn it into a written record of the life. With Chapternity the family talks to Sage about the person they loved, and it becomes a beautifully written book with photographs throughout. It gives grief somewhere to go, and it leaves the whole family, including the generations who never met them, a way to know who they were. Many families make one together in the months after a loss.
Other ideas worth considering
A memorial for a beloved pet
The loss of an animal is a real grief. A written keepsake of a pet’s life, their character, their habits and the joy they brought, helps say goodbye and keeps them close.
A piece of memorial jewellery
A locket with a photograph, an engraved piece, or jewellery incorporating a handwriting sample. Something to carry quietly, every day.
A living tribute
A tree planted in their memory, a rose named for them, or a dedicated bench somewhere they loved.
A memory box
A beautiful box for the small things: letters, a watch, a scarf that still smells of them. A private, tactile place for remembrance.
A donation in their name
A gift to a cause or hospice that mattered to them, or that cared for them at the end.
Short on time?
A Chapternity gift card makes a complete gift on the day itself, and lets the person tell their story whenever they feel ready. Choose any amount, add a message, and have it delivered on the date that matters.
See gift cardsQuestions
- What is a meaningful memorial gift for someone who is grieving?
- Gifts that help someone hold on to the person they have lost tend to comfort most: a keepsake, a living tribute, or a written record of the life. Many families find that gathering memories into a life story book together gives their grief somewhere to go and leaves something lasting for the generations to come.
- Is it too late to write someone’s life story after they have died?
- No. A life story can be written from the memories of the people who loved them. Family members talk to Sage about the person, their life, their character and the moments they remember, and it becomes a written keepsake even when the person is no longer here to tell it themselves.
- How can I memorialise a pet that has died?
- A pet memorial book captures everything that made them family, from their personality to their habits and the bond you shared, as a written keepsake with your photographs throughout. Many people find that telling the story helps with the loss.
Give the gift of a life story
It costs nothing to begin, and you read every word before you pay.