When should you get memorial cards done after the death of a loved one?

When should you get memorial cards done after the death of a loved one?

There are no written rules about when exactly you should have memorial cards done.

In Ireland, up until about the 2010’s it was very common to have thank you or acknowledgement cards done for the six week anniversary mass and memorial cards by the first year anniversary mass.

As Irish people are less religious over the past few years, this catholic custom to have the cards done within those time frames is on the decline. Although many still like to have memorial cards done for the 1 year anniversary, but more to mark the day as a remembrance of their loved one, rather than having an anniversary mass organised.

A small minority of people like to hand out memorial cards on the day of the funeral, but this compromises the quality of the cards, as most Irish funerals are held only 2 or 3 days after the death has occurred and designing, printing and finishing memorial cards to the highest standard possible takes at least a week before the customer can receive the cards.

It also puts a lot of stress onto the family of the deceased who have to find the right images and verses for the cards, approve the artwork and estimate how many cards they might need while grieving their loss and also having to deal with the actual funeral stress.

As memorial cards are steering away from the traditional religious layout to a much more personal tribute to the deceased’s life and personality, it is recommended to take some time to find the most suitable images, verses and prayers that represent the person at their best.

In some cases it can be quite hard to emotionally handle facing that difficult task and customers might need longer than the traditional one year to be able to start the process of ordering memorial cards.

In general people should not feel pressured to have cards done for a certain date.

Only when they are mentally prepared it’s the right time.