Remember Someone Special with a Memorial Card

A Tradition of Remembrance

Memorial cards for a funeral have been part of tradition for centuries, evolving from the formal mourning cards of earlier eras into the keepsakes we know today. Their purpose has always been the same — to give those who loved someone a tangible way to hold that person close long after the service is over.

Victorian Origins

In the Victorian era, memorial cards became highly decorative objects, reflecting the period’s deep engagement with mourning ritual and remembrance. Often edged in black, adorned with religious imagery or verses, and printed on fine card stock, they were kept in Bibles, prayer books, and memory boxes — passed between family members as a way of sharing grief and honouring the person who had died.

A Catholic and Religious Tradition

For many families, particularly in Catholic and Christian traditions, the memorial card carries a spiritual significance. A religious image — a saint, a cross, or a meaningful verse — appears on one side, with the name, dates, and a prayer on the other. These cards are often tucked into the pages of a missal or kept on a mantelpiece for years after the funeral.

A Living Part of Family History

What makes a memorial card different from almost any other keepsake is the way it travels through time. They turn up in old boxes, tucked inside books, passed on when a house is cleared. Families often tell us how their memorial cards become part of family history — kept in memory boxes, frames and albums for years to come. A well-designed card becomes something people hold onto without even thinking about it — not because they were told to, but because it feels too important to let go.

When They Are Given

Funeral memorial cards are typically handed out at the service alongside the Order of Service, or sent by post to family and friends who could not attend. Some families send them on the anniversary of a passing as a quiet way to acknowledge that someone is still remembered. However they are shared, they arrive as something considered and personal — a sign that the family took care with how they said goodbye. From your first call to the cards arriving at your door, we take care of everything.