Steps to Creating a Memory Book For a Funeral
Usually, there is a large leatherbound book at a funeral or wake that acts as a guestbook. Sometimes guests paying their respects to the dearly departed simply write their names on the pages, while other times the guests write short messages of condolences. Today, many online obituaries allow people to write respectful comments on the memorial page. However, there is an alternative that will allow loved ones, friends and close colleagues of the deceased to contribute something more personal and in-depth. It is an online memory book. A digital or online memory book is a kind of scrapbook or photo album that securely archives photos, videos, audio, and text, all of which are presented online in a dedicated web page.
An online memory book is essentially just the digitized version of a traditional, physical scrapbook. Instead of using messy adhesives or flimsy photo album paper, you use an online memory book the way you would use a blogging platform, or even a social media account. You can easily upload, edit, and publish digital media like photos and videos. Another major difference between an online memory book and a traditional memory book is that the former is easier to share since it's on the internet. Your grandma's scrapbook or your parents' old family album most likely just gather dust on the shelf, but an online memory is accessible to anyone with a computer or smartphone.
Having said that, you still have ultimate control over privacy settings. With an online memory book, like a Memories page, it's up to you on who is allowed to view your precious memories. This not only eliminate random online trolls and creepy strangers, but will also protect your data from hackers and malware. As you can see there are numerous benefits to an online memories page. Read on and we'll show you how to get started on making one.
What is a Memories Page?
You can create a Memories page that will not only securely host memories of your departed loved one, it will allow you to share a multimedia form of your overall family history with others. You can create a Memories page to collaborate with close friends and loved ones, so that everyone gets a chance to tell their own memories of the dearly departed.
You can publish, archive and share memorable photos and videos online in a secured platform without having to worry about strangers, or worse, cyber threats snooping around in something that is personal and sacred. Think of a Memories page as a digital scrapbook, but has more benefits like being able to share them with family and friends across the globe. Another advantage it has over a traditional physical scrapbook is that a Memories page has multimedia features.
A Memories page is the perfect option to host digitized photos. Other features include data protection, customizable privacy settings, and a user-friendly design editor. The Memories page can become an interactive family tree, which is a better option than other ancestry platforms because a Memories page is more user-friendly and has a better navigation panel for editors. A Memories page will is a reminder of the importance of creating memories with family, and that it is important to not only record your family history but to preserve it for the future generation. That way, even loved ones who have passed away will live on forever.
So, how do you create a memory book for a funeral? Think of it more as a memorial book rather than a funeral book. After all, it is life that should be celebrated, not death. Here are some of the steps in creating an online memory book to honor your loved one.
1. Curate Memories
First things first, gather the materials you would like to include in your memory book. Remember, this is not your grandma's old-fashioned scrapbook, although you're making this memory book in the spirit of that tradition. Don't be afraid to get creative and think outside the box. An online memory book will allow you more creative freedom since you won't be limited by physical dimensions of objects. For instance, you can't fit a large painting your mom made into a traditional memory book, but you can upload and share a high-resolution photo of it in an online memory book.
Collect photos, postcards, and holiday and birthday greeting cards and scan them. If your family member was featured in a local newspaper, that is something definitely worthy and unique to include in your memory book. Other memorabilia include ticket stubs, such as the first baseball game your father or grandpa took you to. Perhaps it's a play or movie you watched with your spouse on one your dates. A plane ticket could add a dimension to your vacation photos, as well as old foreign currency from memorable places you've visited. You can even scan dried flowers that signify a special event from the past, or symbolize the love of someone. Read our guide on digitizing memories here.
Think like a museum curator. What "artifacts" from your life would you like to display in your family museum? By viewing your online memory book like a digital museum of your family history, because that's what it essentially is, you'll be able to come up with creative ways to tell stories.
2. Choose a Secure Web Host
One of the most important aspects of the memory book is where it should be hosted online. There are many choices out in the market. Sure, you can simply post on Instagram, Facebook, or better yet, a blog. However, keep in mind that there are many downsides to posting on social media and even a trusted blog like WordPress. One example is data privacy concerns. Many major social media platforms like Facebook have had years of controversy over data privacy, and privacy in general. With a dedicated and secure web host for your online memory book, like a Memories page, your data will be safe and protected.
3. Make Creative Layouts
As we said earlier, the memory book is not just any old-fashioned scrapbook. You have the freedom to get creative not only with the content you choose, but with the layout design as well. The layout editor online is very user-friendly. No need to be a web design guru. You can go with a clean minimalist style to direct focus to the content itself, or you can make complex collages to tell a unique story about family members or special events from the past.
The important thing to keep in mind is that each piece of content, whether a photograph, video or audio recording, should shine as if they're the superstar. This means you should avoid overlapping materials too much if you're trying to make a multimedia story on your page. In order to tell a coherent story, the sentences must be clear. So, visualize the story you want to tell before arranging the content on to the pages.
4. Tell a Story
Once you've figured out your layout, think about how you want to present the beautiful lives of your family members. Each person in your family is unique and each one has a great story to tell. While you can tell an overall narrative of your family through shared memories (e.g. vacations, family reunions, celebrations), you should also try to give each member their own "chapter".
If you want to tell the story of a family member who had already passed away, like a funeral memory book, you can arrange photos like a timeline, showing their childhood pictures first. Include depictions of their major accomplishments like a graduation photo, as well as interesting milestones in their life, such as military photos or wedding anniversaries.
5. Collaborate
Since your memory book is on the web, collaboration is easier than ever. Ask close family and friends to contribute to the online memory book for your dearly departed. This way, they can share their own personal bonds and memories. This will give everyone a multi-perspective view of your loved one's "portrait."
If some family members are too busy to take part in the process, put on your reporter's hat and interview them. This is not only a fun exercise, it is also a good way of researching interesting stories about your dearly departed. Plus, it's simply a good bonding experience with your busy family members who you might not always have the chance to converse with regularly. You're sure to learn something new about your loved ones and they'll appreciate you for listening to them.
6. Publish and Share
Once everything is organized, edited, and finalized, you can now publish your online memory book for the world (or just your loved ones and close friends) to see! The great thing about an online memory book is that it's easy to share, and looks beautiful on a large computer or TV screen. However, each Memories page is also designed to be optimized for mobile layouts. So, anyone can view your wonderful memories and, in turn, share them with others as well.