Sunday, March 23, 2014

How to Make In Memoriam Cards

In memoriam is a Latin phrase that means “in memory”. Therefore, in memoriam cards are those types of greeting cards printed in memory of certain events, such as wedding, receiving the first Holy Communion, as well as in honoring the memory of the deceased. The cards are mostly associated with funeral and death and so if you are organizing a memorial or funeral service for your dearly departed, then you have to prepare in memoriam cards.

The cards often feature a religious image, like a photo of a saint. But aside from holy images, the cards will also include prayers, some verses from the bible, lyrics from a religious song, some lines from a poem, phrases from a book, as well as memorial invitation wording which include details about the upcoming funeral service. The first ever in memoriam card was created in the 17th century in the Netherlands.

A funeral service is held as a final celebration of one’s life. In order to inform friends and relatives about the upcoming event, memorial invitation cards are often being sent out. The card contains the details about the funeral or the memorial service, such as the date, time and venue of the event, the name of the minister who will officiate the service, and of course, the name of the deceased.

Sometimes, the cards are handed out during the funeral service or right on the grave site. Those who have relatives and friends far away will be sent with the card through mail. It is possible to download an in memoriam cards template online. Use this as your guide in creating your own card.

You can also add some designs on the card to make it more personalized.  Just be as creative as you can, but of course, you need to keep in mind that the cards are made for the purpose of honoring your dearly departed so you have to come up with something that is directly related to your departed loved one.

Prepare the Things That You Will Need

Before you begin with the process of creating in memoriam cards, you have to make sure that you have the things that you need handy. You cannot come up with the card unless you have these things. So here are things that you will need for this project:

  • Computer – of course, you will be using a computer in typing the wordings and in editing the design of the cards. Your computer should be equipped with software for word processing such as the Microsoft Word and of course, you need to have access to the Internet as well so you could get access to the in memoriam card and funeral service program template.
  • Printer – you should also have a working printer to go with your computer. The printer should have ink as well so the wordings will be typed clearly well on the cards. You can opt for a black and white ink, but if you want the cards to look great, then choose the colored ink.
It is a good idea to match the color of the text to the overall theme of the funeral service. Say if the deceased loved blue, then the text on the card should be in blue as well. If you do not have any printer, you can save the in memoriam cards you have created to a USB and then have it printed at any business center.
  • Blank Business Cards – of course, you need a paper to print the in memoriam cards. You can purchase blank business cards from any of the supplies store near you or you can also check out some craft stores. Bookstores selling office supplies may also have these cards available. They often come in a pack and some packs also come with envelopes. You should know ahead how many guests you plan to invite for the funeral service so you will know how many cards you will need.
If you already have all the things mentioned above, then you can go ahead and begin creating the in memoriam cards.

Look for Templates on the World Wide Web

With the help of the World Wide Web, you can search for templates that can serve as your guide in creating the memoriam card. The templates feature a wide variety of designs and sizes so you can pretty much choose anything that you want and something that is suitable to the funeral service. 

For example, if the deceased is a practicing Catholic, then it would be a good idea to look for a funeral service program template that comes with pictures of Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary, saints, angels, etc. Of course, the template should also come with wordings. You can choose to download the template that comes with blank spaces for you to type the wordings in or you can go for a template that already comes with text which you can simply edit in order to go well with the funeral service of your dearly departed.

There are also in memoriam cards templates that come with colored images, such as a symbol of Christianity. These cards are ideal for a Christian funeral service. You can also choose to attach a picture of the deceased in front of the card so look for a template that can make this possible for you. Just make sure to look for a photo of the deceased that has a good resolution so it will look great when you attach it on the card.

in memoriam cards



Decide the Type of Memorial Card That You Want

Now that you have found a huge number of samples and templates for the in memoriam cards, the next step is to choose from among the choices on which do you want to use. For a religious funeral service, which includes the Anglican/Methodist order of service, the most ideal memorial service invitation cards to make would be a prayer card that contains the deceased’s favorite scripture from the bible, or perhaps a prayer that is in relation to the kind of life that he has lived while still alive.

Other designs include cards that have some inspirational quotes, poems, proverbs, as well as excerpts from a religious song. There are also cards that feature comforting words which somehow help to give comfort to the grieving family and friends, especially at this time of mourning.

Aside from the wordings and the contents, another thing to consider in deciding for the design of the in memoriam cards is the style and color of the text used. Would you prefer a card that comes with fancy handwriting or would you rather choose the kind of card that has a simple font design?

What about the color of the text? Do you want the plain black and white theme for the card? Or perhaps, you want the card with colorful and fancy themes that come with cherub designs, flowers, etc? There are even remembrance cards for funerals that can be used as bookmarks. Whatever design you want, there is always a template that you can download online. Of course, do not forget to add personal touches on the card, like the name and photo of the deceased.

Compose the Wordings for the Card
After you have chosen the design that you want for the in memoriam card, the next step is to compose your wordings. Although there are some templates that already come with wordings, if you prefer to compose the wordings your own, then you can do so.

So what are the details that should be in the memoriam cards? Ideally, the card should have a memorial invitation wording. The card is not only made in memory of the deceased but its purpose is to also invite friends and family members for the memorial service. As you know, the memorial service is the time where friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbors, as well as family members will gather and comfort each other for the loss of their dearly departed.

Aside from the invitation wording, the memoriam cards might also contain a bit of information about the deceased. Although this is no longer necessary since the people who are given the cards know who the deceased is. Those who cannot figure out what to write on the memoriam cards can refer to the wording samples.

Follow the Directions that Come with the Template
Each of the templates of the in memoriam cards that you can download also comes with instructions on how to use such template so make sure to follow these. Read it well in order for you to know how you can make use of such templates in successfully creating the memoriam cards.

Some of the templates will also ask you to choose whether you want to edit it on a word processing software, like the Microsoft Word, or if you want to make use of their own online tools in personalizing the cards. If you really want to come up with great cards, choose the option to edit it using the online tools that they will provide. Don’t worry, these tools are very easy to use and are pretty straightforward.

Even if you need hundreds of the cards, all you actually need to do is to create just one card and it will be the tool that will duplicate the cards in the number of pieces that you want so you can then print full sheets of the funeral remembrance cards.

Print the Cards on the Blank Business Cards
The final step is to print the cards that you have created on the computer with the use of the online tool. The template that you have installed will come with directions on how you can print the cards so make sure that you read this well so you will not end up wasting any of the blank business cards that you have bought. It is recommended to print just one card first and check the output to see if everything is right. The first card will serve as a sample to see if you have set everything up correctly.

If you do not want to waste the blank business cards, try printing the first card on a blank sheet of paper. Hold the sheet of paper against the business cards so you will know if it has been set up correctly or not. If you notice that there are any errors on the card, then go back to the computer and refer back to the in memoriam cards template and do the necessary corrections.

After you have made the corrections, get another blank sheet of paper and print another sample. If something is wrong again, then go back to the software and do the modifications until such time that you are able to create the perfect memoriam card.  

Once you have created the perfect card, then it’s time to start printing. Make sure to check the settings of the printer and start with printing just one card first so you will know if the printer was set up correctly for the size of the blank business card that you will use. If everything is okay, then go ahead, print the number of cards that you will need.

As you can see, making in memoriam cards is just so easy because of the template. You do not need to be a professional artist and you don’t need to go through a training to be able to come up with a professional looking memoriam cards. With the help of the template, you will certainly be able to produce the cards that you need for the memorial service of your dearly departed.

Also, you may want to consider buying additional ink toner for your printer. This is especially important if you need to print more than a hundred cards. If your ink toner is not enough, your project could be interrupted and you might have to go through the process over again.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

5 Ways to Pay Respect to the Deceased

Funerals could be one of the saddest moments in our life since they involve dealing with the loss of a loved one. Yet, this is also a good way to celebrate a person's new life and give closure to his life on earth. While facing the death of a family member or a loved one can be one of the most difficult things to deal with, we should accept the fact that life is not forever. Sooner or later, we will need to say goodbye to one another because life on earth is just temporary.

While there are a lot of ways to commemorate the end of a person's life, paying respect to the deceased during a funeral service is important. The funeral service is that final moment where people who have been a part of the deceased's life will gather together and offer comfort to one another.

With this in mind, sending memorial service invitation cards is necessary in order to ask everyone who has been a part of the deceased's life to come together and take part in a memorial service in honor of their dearly departed.
cards for the deceased
FuneralPamphlets.com

Through the years, people from all over the world have varying ways in paying respect to the deceased. Most people will offer flowers and prayers and sometimes, the manner of paying respect will depend on religion, tradition and culture. If the deceased is Catholic, Catholic memorial cards are often distributed to visiting guests and these cards often have prayers printed on them in honor of the deceased. This is an old tradition practiced by Catholics worldwide as a means of paying tribute to their dearly departed.

But aside from offering flowers and prayers, there are several other ways to pay respect to the deceased. Of course, funeral rites will still be there and offering donations, flowers and gifts will still be a norm. Yet, there are several other ways of paying homage to the deceased. Instead of merely sticking to the usual tradition norm, refer below for 5 interesting ways to pay respect to the deceased.

1. Poetry Reading
Coming up with a well written poem to commemorate your dearly departed is one of the most intimate forms of paying respect to the deceased. The act of creating a poem for a loved one who has died is an emotional experience yet it is something intimate.

In fact, you can use the poem as part of the memorial invitation wording, which you can send out to guests attending the funeral. Creating a poem is also an act of spirituality. This can serve as a memorial which will show the world how special your dearly departed is.

As you know, the person will live forever and will be tied altogether to a circle of life. The poem can also signify that the life of our loved one matters a lot and that it continues to matter even if he is no longer living on earth.

The poem created for a deceased will often focus on specific details that will later on piece up in order to create a beautiful montage. This montage can also refer to the wishes and the life of your departed loved one.
You may also ask your friends and other family members to compose poems for the deceased. Then collect all the poems that they have composed and you can have them printed on the funeral remembrance cards so they can read them aloud during the ceremony. Ask each person to recite his or her poem in front of everyone and if they may, they can also interpret the meaning of the poem and explain how it relates to the life of the deceased person.

The poem will sometimes talk about the composer's feelings towards the deceased and how he or she is dealing with the loss. Composing and reading poems is definitely one of the best ways to pay respect to the deceased.

2. Offering Symbolic Gifts
Offering symbolic gifts to the deceased is another way to honor them and show your respect. By definition, symbolisms refer to the creative presentation of things, ideas or situations. The gifts help to enhance the things that they represent and this includes the people. When you send out memorial invitation cards, ask guests to bring symbolic gifts to offer to the deceased. During the memorial service, ask those who brought gifts to present it in front along with an explanation why they chose such thing as their symbolic gift. The gift should be something that relates to the life of the departed loved one.

For the symbolic gifts, one can bring a CD that features a compilation of the deceased person's favorite songs while he was still alive. Another could be a scrapbook that features photos and other memorabilia about the deceased person. Another symbolic gift that one can give is a book. Perhaps, it is the person's favorite book while he was still alive or a DVD copy of the deceased's favorite movie.

There are lots of symbolic gifts that one can give to the deceased. Remember that these things must be given to the deceased person, something that he can "carry" to the next life. It is therefore necessary to indicate on the memorial service invitations that these things will have to be left to the deceased.

Also, ask the cemetery if they can possibly look after these gifts, or perhaps, you can buy a vault with a lock where you can store all these things. Others will also choose to burn the items or perhaps be buried right next to the grave.

3. Musical Celebration
Another way to pay respect to the deceased is to have a musical celebration during the memorial or funeral service. You can invite some singers and choirs to help you in making such celebration possible. You can have them play some of the most favorite songs of the deceased person, whether it is something solemn and romantic, or perhaps some rock music, country music and alternative songs.

You can also have them play dance music and ask funeral guests to dance to the groove. Just because someone has died doesn't mean you are no longer allowed to dance and celebrate. As a matter of fact, a funeral mass program of some religious and traditional funeral services is filled with joyous celebrations. For them, a death means the start of their loved one's journey to eternal happiness which is just worthy to be celebrated.

Another great idea is to request some people close to the deceased to compose a song about the person. This can be possible if one of the friends or family members is a music composer. The lyrics should represent the deceased person's life on earth. Or perhaps, the song could be something that will describe the deceased person.

You can also type in some of the lyrics of the songs on the in memoriam cards that you will distribute to the guests in memory of the deceased. You can also ask the composers to perform the songs during the funeral celebration. This will certainly create a tearful recollection to those who are in attendance.

4. Create a Dedication Board
During the funeral service, create a dedication board on one area of the venue, perhaps on the wall. Attach a picture of your departed loved one and place a message board beside it. Ask guests to write a message dedicated to the deceased person. You can also create personalized funeral remembrance cards and pass them along to the guests of the funeral service or to everyone who will come for a visitation or viewing during the wake.

Ask them to write a short message for the deceased person. Collate the cards and stick them on a message board with the photo of your departed loved one. Have it framed and hang it on the mausoleum or display it on the grave in the cemetery.

Encourage guests to come up with the most meaningful message for your dearly departed. It should be similar to giving messages to a person during a wedding, birthday or other special events. It could be a parting message or anything that you want the deceased person to know. It could also be a message that describes the deceased as a person and how he has left a special space in your heart. It could be a message of thanks for all the great memories you have and probably an apology letter if you have something to apologize for. If you do not know how to create one, look for a remembrance card template in the web and use it as your guide in creating a meaningful message for your dearly departed.

5. Write a Tale or a Biography
If you are adept at writing, then why don't you compose a story or a tale in honor of the deceased person? Recreate his life based on your own point of view. You can also include in your tale the person's good deeds, interests and other aspects on his life. Do not forget to add your own opinions on each detail as well and make the tale to be as dramatic as possible.

Include some quotations and meaningful messages on the tale and perhaps some passages from the Bible. This would be ideal for religious ceremonies and in fact, some of the Anglican/Methodist order of service would have the minister reading a tale or biography about the person and then relating his life to some of the characters in the bible. You can also ask some of the friends, relatives, colleagues and other people who know the deceased well to come up with their own tale or biography.

During the funeral service, ask those who wrote a biography about the person to come in front and read out loud the tale or the biography that they have written. To make this even more interesting, play a video in the background with pictures and other images about the deceased person. You can also add a solemn music to set the mood. This moment might be very emotional yet it is certainly a great way to pay respect to the deceased.

Aside from reading the tale or the bio of the deceased, you can also have it printed on the memorial cards for funeral and distribute it to guests during the funeral service. If there are lots of biographies, collate them and print them on a small booklet and distribute it to the people who is close to the deceased, or perhaps give it to one of the members of his family. You can also choose to have the biography published in a local newspaper or magazine.

Your manner of paying respect to your dead loved one does not really need to be that lavish or grand. You do not need to spend quite a big amount of money for the funeral service and you can even organize it yourself without the need to pay for the services of a funeral director.

In this day and age of the Internet, everything can be found online, including funeral program designs. As you can see above, there are a lot of ways on how you can pay your respect to the deceased person and all these will not require you to spend a fortune. It is not the amount that matters but the thought and the effort you have put through it. Your efforts will certainly be rewarded with good karma from your dearly departed who will always watch over you.


Remember that the funeral service is the last moment of the deceased person's life where you can give honor and pay your respect to him so make this as meaningful as possible. Of course, you cannot do this all on your own. You need the help of several people around you who have also played an important part on the life of the deceased person. Ask them to contribute their talent, such as composing poems, creating memoriam cards, writing poems and biographies or perhaps composing a song.

Related Blogs:

Celebrate a Departed Loved One's Life

Printable Funeral Obituary Templates

A Complete Memorial Service Guide