What to include in an online memorial:
a gentle, complete guide.
You do not have to assemble an entire human life alone. Here is a practical checklist of the photos, stories, voicemails, and milestones that bring their genuine character to life — and how to gather them gently over time.
Start with what you have today · Invite family anytime · $0 to start
The five pillars of a living memorial.
It should feel like visiting someone’s life, not visiting a government registry. Focus on these five meaningful cornerstones.
The Welcoming Portrait & Life Story
Choose a portrait where their personality shines — smiling, caught mid-laughter, or engaged in something they loved, rather than a stiff passport photo. Accompany it with a 2 to 4 paragraph life story that emphasizes their humor, virtues, kindness, and quirks, rather than reading like an employment resume.
Voice & Audio Notes
Photographs show how someone looked; voice preserves who they sounded like. Upload saved phone voicemails, voice memos, and short video clips of their laughter.
Voicemail from Dad (2021)
0:24 · "Just calling to see how the garden is..."
Photos Across Decades
Do not just upload recent pictures. Bring together black-and-white childhood prints, teenage adventures, twenties travels, wedding days, and candid family kitchen scenes.
Interactive Timeline
Anchor their journey with 5 to 12 milestone events: where they grew up, degrees earned, businesses founded, countries visited, children born, and proud community achievements.
Community Stories
The stories you do not know. Friends, cousins, schoolmates, and colleagues contribute the memories that only they possess — revealing sides of your loved one you never saw.
What to gather, stage by stage.
You do not need to do everything at once. Divide your memorial into three gentle stages to eliminate grief fatigue.
Stage 1: Day One — The Quick Foundation (Under 5 Minutes)
When a loss is fresh, your energy is limited. Claim their clean web address and establish the basic resting place for condolences:
Stage 2: Service Week — The Gathering Phase
During the days surrounding the funeral or celebration of life, family and friends are actively searching for ways to participate:
Stage 3: Over Time — The Complete Living Family Archive
As months pass and grief softens into reflective remembrance, add depth to their permanent family archive:
Questions that unlock heartfelt memories.
Blank text boxes intimidate contributors. When inviting friends and family to share, offer these thoughtful writing prompts to bring out vivid, real memories.
“What is a phrase, piece of advice, or greeting they always repeated?”
“What did they love doing on a peaceful Saturday morning or rainy afternoon?”
“What is a funny mishap or road trip disaster that made everyone laugh?”
“What was their secret recipe, signature dish, or peculiar daily routine?”
“What was their attitude toward their work, garden, tools, or hobbies?”
“What is something they taught you that you still find yourself doing today?”
What to leave out of an online memorial.
Protecting your family’s privacy and maintaining a solemn, peaceful atmosphere is just as important as what you include.
Sensitive Identity & Financial Data
Never post social security numbers, mother's maiden names used for banking security questions, or exact home addresses of surviving family members.
Funeral Clichés & Fake AI Chatbots
Avoid gloomy clip art, animated candles, or automated AI chat bots pretending to speak for your loved one. Authenticity is sacred; preserve their real words and voice instead.
Unmoderated Public Comment Spams
Never leave your tribute section completely open to anonymous internet strangers. Theirs includes caretaker moderation so every tribute is approved before publishing.
Low-Resolution Compressed Screenshots
Avoid uploading blurry phone screenshots of social media feeds. Upload the original high-resolution camera files or flatbed photo scans to preserve their heirloom quality.
Start free. Make it complete when you're ready.
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SIMPLE MEMORIAL
$0Free Plan
- Photos included
- Up to 5
- Memories
- Guestbook
- Page privacy
- Public / Link
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- Dedicated Theirs memorial page
- No Login/Sign up for contributions
- Up to 5 essential photos
- Share with family and friends
- Public or link-only sharing
- Quiet, ad-free environment
- AI Assisted moderation
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Complete
Family archive
$179one-time
- Photos & media
- Original quality
- Voice & audio
- Preserved recordings
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- Invite anytime
- Charged
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- Everything in Free
- Family stories & memories
- Original-quality photos & media
- Generous media storage
- Life Story timeline of their life
- Video & voice recordings
- Invite family contributors
- Private family memorial
- Multiple family caretakers
- Choose a successor caretaker
- Approve contributions before publishing
- 5 photo restorations included
- Download the complete family archive
One-time payment per memorial. No monthly fees.
Common questions about memorial content.
Clear guidance on gathering photos, writing stories, and preserving family memories.
Helpful guides and resources for remembering loved ones.
Browse examples, compare pricing models, and learn how to create a meaningful family archive.
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Start with their name. The rest can come together over time.
You don’t need to have everything ready. Create their memorial now, then add photos, stories and tributes whenever you’re ready — with family and friends alongside you.