A memorial book, made by everyone who loved them
A memorial book is a keepsake that gathers the photographs and memories of someone who has died, so the family can keep them together. With Lovingly Kept, you start with one photograph and send private links to family and friends. Each person adds what they remember, in their own words, and it becomes one book.
After someone dies, their story is scattered. A cousin has the photograph from the wedding. A neighbour remembers the morning walks. An old friend knows what they were like at nineteen. A memorial book brings those memories together while people still remember them clearly.
How do you make a memorial book with family and friends?
- Start with one photograph. A favourite picture of them, or one that started a story. Add a few lines about what you remember.
- Send private invite links. Each person gets their own link, by text, WhatsApp or email. There is no app to download and no account to make.
- Everyone adds a memory in their own time. A few lines, a photograph or a voice note, from their own phone. Nobody has to write a speech.
- Download the book. The memories are laid out as an 8 by 8 inch book, ready to share as a PDF or print at home.
Every memory, in their own words
We keep what people write exactly as they wrote it. We never rewrite or polish anyone's words. Different memories of the same person sit side by side, so the book sounds like everyone who knew them, not like one person telling the story.
Some people will write a page. Others will send one line. Both belong in the book.
Keep their voice
If you have a voice note or a voicemail saved as an audio file, you can add it to the book. A code on the page lets the family scan it with a phone camera and listen. Relatives can also record their own memories as voice notes, which can be easier than writing when grief is still close.
For the funeral, the anniversary and the years after
Some families make the book before a funeral or celebration of life. Others make it for the first anniversary, or for grandchildren who were too young to remember. There is no right time.
- Ask each person for one memory, not a life story.
- Include friends, neighbours and colleagues, not only family.
- Collect the photographs people have on their phones, not only the old prints.
- Let younger relatives add a drawing or a voice note.
Frequently asked questions
Who can add memories to a memorial book?
Anyone you send a private invite link to: family, friends, neighbours or colleagues. Each person opens their link on a phone or computer and adds a memory, a photograph or a voice note. Their name appears beside what they add, and the book lists everyone who took part.
Can I make a memorial book before the funeral?
Yes, if there is time. Each memory takes a few minutes to add, so a small group can gather memories quickly. Some families prefer to make it later, for an anniversary, when people have had time to think about what they want to say.
How much does a memorial book cost?
Lovingly Kept is free during early access. Each project is deleted 14 days after it is started, and you can add 14 more days once, so please download your memorial book as a PDF before then. The PDF is yours to keep, but the voice codes inside it stop working when the project is deleted. Printed hardcover books are coming soon.
Start with one photograph
A memorial book does not need to be finished in one sitting. Choose one photograph of them, write a few lines about it, and send one invite link to the person who knew them best.
More from the blog
Family and dementia
Keeping the family's memories when a parent has dementia
Why I started Lovingly Kept, and how to gather the family's stories while they are still close.
Memory book ideas
A memory book for grandparents, made by the whole family
How children and grandchildren each add a photograph, a memory or a voice note to one book.