When someone has lost a parent, a partner or a grandparent, a small personalised keepsake with the name they used can say what a card cannot. Choose words only, such as a robin mug or print, if a photograph may be too much for now, and a photo piece if you know they would like to see the face. Everything below is printed to order in the UK.
In short:
- Words only, gentle for the first months: the Robin Memorial Mug or the Robin Memorial Print.
- With a photograph: the In Loving Memory Photo Print or the In Loving Memory Photo Mug.
- Something to wrap up in: the Memorial Photo Fleece Blanket.
Words or a photograph?
This is the main choice, and there is no wrong answer. It depends on the person and on how recent the loss is.
- Words only can be easier in the first weeks and months. A name, the years and a short line, with a small robin, is something they can look at without being caught off guard.
- A photograph suits someone who has said they want pictures around them, or a family marking an anniversary. If you are not sure, ask someone close to them, or choose words.
The robin pieces: words, a name and the years
Robins appear when loved ones are near, as the saying goes. Our robin designs carry that idea quietly.
The Personalised Robin Memorial Mug with Name and Years has In Loving Memory printed in our serif above a small robin in brown and terracotta, with the name you called them in italic beneath (up to 15 characters), such as Mum, Grandad or a first name, and their years or a short line of your own under that (up to 25). It is printed on both sides of an 11oz white ceramic mug, dishwasher and microwave safe.
The Personalised Robin Memorial Print with Name and Years is the version for a wall or a shelf. The robin sits at the top, the name is set large in forest green serif (up to 30 characters), then an optional relationship line such as Beloved Mum and Nan, their years in small capitals, and one of four lines in terracotta italic: Robins appear when loved ones are near, Forever in our hearts, Always loved, never forgotten, or In loving memory. It is printed with a cream background on 220gsm matte fine-art paper in 12 x 16 in (30.5 x 40.6 cm) or 8 x 12 in (20.3 x 30.5 cm), supplied unframed.
With a photograph
The In Loving Memory Photo Print with Name and Dates is restrained by design. The photograph is printed in a soft oval against a cream background, with a single feather beneath, then the name in serif (up to 20 characters), the years if you add them, and one of four lines: Forever in our hearts; Always loved, never forgotten; In loving memory; or Gone but never forgotten. It is printed on 220gsm matte fine-art paper in the same two sizes, supplied unframed, and it is designed to sit quietly on a shelf or a wall.
For something used every day, the In Loving Memory Photo Mug with Name and Dates sets the photograph in a round frame, with the name you called them (up to 15 characters) and their years or a line of your own (up to 30) beneath. The design is printed twice around an 11oz white ceramic mug, dishwasher and microwave safe. Not everyone wants a frame on the wall, and some people would rather have the face on the mug they use each morning.
Something to wrap up in
The Memorial Photo Fleece Blanket with Name and Dates prints a photograph large on a soft polyester fleece blanket, 30 by 40 inches, with the name in serif beneath (up to 20 characters) and the years or a short line in small capitals (up to 30). It is sized for a lap or the back of a chair, printed on the front only with the reverse left white. It can go to a parent who has lost a partner, or to children who have lost a grandparent.
A blanket needs a large photo, at least 2,040 pixels on its shorter side. If the only photograph is an old print, see the section on photos below.
One for each household
After a loss, brothers and sisters may live in different places. The same mug or print, ordered once for each household, means the same words are in every home. Type the wording identically in each order, and send each one to its own address. Our Memorial Keepsakes collection has the rest of the range, including pieces for Christmas and for pets.
Getting the name and dates right
- Use the name the family used. Mum, Grandad or Nanna Jean may mean more than a full name.
- Check the dates quietly. If you are not sure of the years, ask someone close to the family, or check the order of service. The years are optional on every design here, so you can leave them out.
- Read it twice before you pay. We print your wording as you type it, some designs set a line in capital letters, and we do not send proofs. Our FAQ explains how personalisation works.
Old photographs
The photo you want may only exist as a print. Photograph it flat in good daylight with your phone, with no flash and no shadow across it, or scan it, and upload that file. Our FAQ lists the minimum size for each product: memorial photo prints need at least 943 pixels on the shorter side, and photo mugs at least 400. The product page checks the photo as you upload it.
Sending it
You can send a memorial gift straight to them: enter their address as the delivery address and yours as the billing address. The parcel does not say who it is from, and we cannot include a gift message, so post a card separately, timed to arrive first. A few plain words are enough: their name, that you are thinking of them, and your name. Each piece is printed in 2 to 5 working days and then sent tracked. Delivery times are on our Delivery page.
Memorial gift questions
What is a good gift to send after someone has died?
A small keepsake with the name the family used, such as the Robin Memorial Mug with their name and years. If you know they would like to see a photograph, the In Loving Memory Photo Print is a quiet choice for a shelf.
Do I have to add the dates?
No. The years are optional on the robin mug and print, the photo mug, the photo print and the blanket. Leave them out if you are not sure of them.
Can I order the same memorial print for each of the family?
Yes. Order the same print once for each household, with identical wording, and send each one to its own address.
Will the parcel say who sent it?
No. The parcel does not say who it is from and we cannot include a gift message, so send a card separately so they know who it came from.
More gift guides
- Memorial Christmas ornaments is for the first Christmas without someone.
- Pet memorial gifts covers what to send when a friend loses a dog or cat.