Show your support with a meaningful bereavement gift
In times of grief, we can find ourselves wondering how to show love and appreciation without overstepping (or putting our foot in it altogether). Where words may fall short, a meaningful bereavement gift can be a comfort to loved ones experiencing loss. Alongside simply just being there, gifting a memorial memento can be a beautiful way to express your support. Let us help you create loving bereavement gifts with MILK.
1. Create a picture frame or custom Canvas Print
Bring a beautiful memory to life with a picture frame or one of our Canvas Prints. Spend your time picking a photo that you know will bring a smile to the recipient's face when they look upon it. It can be a photo of their loved one, with their loved one or something as simple as a nice scenic landscape of a place they love that will brighten their living space. Once you've chosen your picture, all you need to do is upload it into the design studio and choose the product, size and format you’d like. Tip: when choosing a larger format/size, ensure your image quality is high (at least 300dpi).
Bereavement gifts don’t have to be given in the days and weeks following a loss. Let them know you're thinking of them on the anniversary of a loved one’s passing. The gift of a simple personalized photo frame or MILK Canvas Print is a lovely way to show that you are keeping them in your thoughts. Our range of prints are archival quality and delivered ready to hang. This means they’re long-lasting, high quality and ready to be displayed in the home.
2. Create a Memorial Photo Book or Album
Creating a memorial photo book or album is another meaningful way to preserve the precious memories of a life well-lived. Naturally, it’s a larger undertaking than the creation of a picture frame or canvas print, but the end result will be a heirloom treasure that celebrates the life of your loved one. While a very emotional endeavor, the process of creating can also be a catharsis. Here are our steps to creating a special bereavement photo book or album.
1. Collect memories and stories with family and friends
Collect fond memories of your loved one – funny stories, special moments, the moments that defined them and their life. Get others to contribute with their favorite anecdotes or photos. Each contributor can have a dedicated spread in the book making it a meaningful patchwork of shared memories and photos. Sometimes it helps to ask for something specific so as not to overwhelm people. Ask them to describe a special memory or a lesson they learned from your loved one in 300 words or less. Plus, don’t be afraid to be funny – don’t feel guilty stepping outside of your grief. You want the photo album/book to reflect them – if they were humorous and light-hearted, ensure this is infused in each page. Happy/funny memories provide comfort and warmth, a true gift in times of grief.
Tip: Transcribe or scan any handwritten notes (from family or your loved one’s own words). This will provide an extra special touch to the book. We have text templates in the MILK Design Studio which make adding text to your project simple and painless. We also offer a lot of templates with both text boxes and photos.
2. Collect and sort old photos
Go through the archives and compile a selection of great pictures; dust off old family albums hidden away in attics, boot up old hard drives filled with photos. Converting old printed photos into a digital format takes time but our how-to blog is filled with helpful tips. Once they're in a digital format, create folders – by year/decade – to help form the chronological timeline of your tribute photo book.
Tip: Scan the back of the photos too as a lot of the time there are handwritten notes that provide context and deepen the memories captured.
3. Select your format and materials
When it comes to creating a tribute photo gift, we recommend our Premium Photo Books and Albums. Made to withstand the test of time, our Premium range is delicately handcrafted with acid-free papers, archival cover materials and high-quality inks that bring your photos to life in vibrant color. As you will pour time, care and effort into this heirloom keepsake, it's important to ensure the materials are suitable and will aide in creating a long-lasting legacy. To reassure you, we've broken down some of the language of our materials:
a. Acid-free papers - Acidic paper will break down over time (will yellow and become brittle). Acid-free paper can last more than 1000 years and is often used in long term archival storage of art and documents. Of course external factors like humidity/time will speed up the degradation of any paper but if you follow our care guide your keepsake will stand the test of time.
b. Archival cover materials - Our cover fabrics are archival grade meaning they are made to last. We sustainably source our cover fabrics from around the world to provide customers with highly durable, premium quality cover options.
4. Start creating
After you've completed steps 1 through 3, all that's left is to start creating. Our Design Studio is intuitive and easy to use, and we even have an Autofill function that can help you put a book together in seconds. Simply upload your photos to begin. Add captions, toggle through our thousands of designer layouts and if you need any help, view our tip videos or contact our support team.
A memorial photo book is a heartfelt and meaningful bereavement gift that will be appreciated and passed down through the generations. It's a special memento that allows memories and stories to live on, and the act of creating one can be a beautiful experience. It's special way to celebrate a loved one who's no longer with us with photos and words.
They’re gifts you wish you didn’t have to give but that doesn’t mean you can’t do so without love, care, and tact. If you’re unsure of what you’d like to create, our online gallery features bereavement photo gifts made by members of our community. See how others are creating their special mementos. We’ve picked out three below (generously shared with the creator's permission) that we believe are beautiful, heartfelt treasures.
