Receiving a message from a family in the days after a funeral is something we never take for granted. At such a difficult time, for someone to sit down and write — about the stationery, about working with a designer, about a detail they had not expected — tells us more than any review platform could.
Certain things come up again and again in what families say. Photographs: how many can be included, how well they work together on the page, what can be done when an image is old or damaged. The relationship with the designer — the reassurance of speaking directly to someone rather than filling in a form. The moment a proof arrives and a family recognises that someone has genuinely listened.
Here are three accounts from families who have been kind enough to share their experiences.
Joanna Stanley — two farewells, one trusted designer
“I first came across the Fitting Farewell website in April 2011 after the passing of my Dad. We as a family wanted to leave a lasting tribute for such an amazing man. I wasn’t sure what I needed to make a Catholic order of service and so I contacted Alison. She was very helpful, sending me samples and readings. As you can imagine it was a difficult time for our family, and with five days to go before my dad’s funeral I confirmed the proof and they were delivered the day before.
Two years later, with a heavy heart, I contacted Alison again. This time my husband had passed away suddenly, and again I wanted something that both celebrated our life together and paid tribute to the beautiful man he was. Again Alison was an amazing support and helped me create the perfect order of service — even adding our daughter’s hand and footprints to make them extra special.
I cannot express what a wonderful job Alison does with her creativity and compassion at such an awful, tragic time for others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful work you have done for me and my family.”
— Joanna Stanley
Joanna’s account captures something we hear consistently: the value of working with the same designer across two separate bereavements. The second call is never easy to make. Knowing that someone already understands what you need, how you think, and what matters to you — that continuity is hard to put a price on.
When a family has many photographs
“We had so many photographs — I think I sent over fourteen in the end, which felt like far too many. When the proof came through I couldn’t believe how beautifully they all fitted together. Nothing felt cramped or as if it had been squeezed in. Each one had its own space, and together they told the story of his life in a way I hadn’t quite imagined was possible. I don’t know how she did it.”
— Name withheld
Families rarely send just one photograph. They reach into old albums, phones, inherited envelopes — and suddenly there are a dozen or more images that all deserve to be there. Part of a designer’s skill is knowing how to include many photographs without the page feeling crowded: varying scale, grouping images thoughtfully, building a layout that honours them all without any one fighting for attention.
When a photograph needs restoring
“The only photograph we had of Mum from her younger years had water damage across most of the lower half — I genuinely wasn’t sure it was usable. I sent it over almost apologetically, expecting to be told it couldn’t be done. When the proof came back, you couldn’t tell anything had ever been wrong with it. That photograph ended up on the front cover, and people kept asking where we’d found such a clear image of her.”
— Name withheld
Water damage, creasing, tears, discolouration from age — these are common, particularly with older photographs of older generations. When an image is the only one a family has of someone at a particular stage of their life, or the only photograph of two people together, it is not something that can simply be set aside. Our designers regularly restore and retouch photographs to bring them to a quality that can be printed and kept.
If you are not sure whether an image is usable, send it over and let us look. The answer is often better than families expect.
The relationship behind every order of service
What runs through all three accounts above is something harder to quantify than turnaround time or price: the relationship between a family and the person working on their stationery.
When a family contacts Fitting Farewell, they speak directly with their designer — not a contact form, not a handoff to production. The person who answers the call or responds to the message is the person who will design the order of service. They listen, ask the questions that help them understand the person, and take responsibility for the work from the first conversation to the final proof.
At a time when families are already carrying a great deal, that directness matters. There is no need to explain twice. There is no uncertainty about whether something has been passed on correctly. The designer is there, and they understand.
How we work
Every piece of stationery at Fitting Farewell is designed for you — not adapted from a template. You tell us about the person, share your photographs, and your designer takes care of everything from there. We typically design, print and deliver within three working days across the UK, at one transparent price with no hidden extras.
If you would like to talk through what you have in mind, call us free on 0800 612 6484 or send us a message.
