When you purchase an urn for ashes, you often have the option to personalize it. Sometimes words, images, or photographs can be added directly to the side of the urn, and other times you can purchase a small plaque that can be engraved and added to the base.
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- Custom Urns by Foreverence
- Cremation Diamonds by Eterneva
- Cremation Stones by Parting Stone
- Memorial Benches by Cremation Solutions
- Cremation Monuments by Mohawk Valley Monuments
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While you can certainly include the name and birth/death dates of your loved one on the plaque, you may also consider adding a few lines on how much the deceased will be missed.
That’s the purpose of this article. Keep reading to learn about the different types of plaques and wording that you can use to personalize the urn.
Different Types of Cremation Urn Plaques
Since cremation is a growing industry, you will find that urns have changed over the last several years. While we discuss plaques that can be added to the side of a traditional urn, we will also discuss other containers and plaques that you may have never considered.
1. Memorial plaque urn
Search online for a beautiful, customizable urn that can be hung on the wall. The urn holds the cremains, but the image on the outside can be personalized to include the person’s image, a favorite hobby, or a saying.
2. Small memorial plaques or plates
At the risk of sounding insensitive, the easiest way to describe a memorial plaque or plate is that they look like dog tags.
These engraved items are typically small and would only hold three or four lines of text and maybe one little line drawing. They can be added to any sort of receptacle that holds the remains of someone you love.
3. Urn pendant
Since many traditional urns have a curved side, you may not be able to add an urn plaque unless it has a flat base that is wide enough for a label. To get around this issue, you may consider purchasing an urn pendant.
These are small engraved plaques similar to the one described above. These plaques hang around the neck of the urn from a chain or ribbon.
One unique idea is to include a memorial diamond on your urn pendant. This is a small, custom diamond created from your loved one's ashes or hair. Eterneva specializes in making gorgeous, one-of-a-kind memorial diamonds in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
4. Columbarium plaque
If you decide to put the cremains of your loved one in a final resting place, you may choose to purchase space in a columbarium wall.
Most cemeteries will give you the option of adding a plaque on the door of the niche with the name of the deceased. The cemetery may have rules regarding how much text can be added to the plaque.
Cremation Urn Plaque Sayings and Wording Ideas
You may have avoided ordering the urn plaque for your loved one because you don’t know what to say. Your loved one was special, and you don’t want to use the same memorial plaque wording as everybody else to describe how much they will be missed.
We understand the problem of not being able to come up with the appropriate words to express your sorrow. After all, you would probably need thousands of lines to describe why you loved the person who is now gone. Below, we’ve listed some examples to give you some inspiration.
For humans
5. ‘Forever In Our Hearts’
Your family member was loved by many, and they will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone they encountered throughout their lives. Your loved one will be forever in many people’s hearts.
6. ‘Much Loved By Family and Friends’
Did your loved one have an exuberant personality? Was he or she loved by all? Perhaps you should add these words to the cremation urn plaque.
7. ‘Dearly Loved Husband and Father’
You might want to include other important relationships that your loved one may have had with others. Was he also a loved brother, son, or grandfather?
8. ‘Safe in God’s Care’
If your loved one was spiritual, you might consider adding a message of faith on the urn plaque.
9. ‘Love Always’ or ‘Beloved Always’
You may not have very much room to add a lengthy message on your cremation plaque. If you are limited in the number of characters, consider these two-word options.
10. ‘Treasured Memories are Ours to Keep’
Sometimes, the only solace you feel when you lose a loved one is thinking back on treasured memories. Refer to those memories on the plaque of the urn.
11. ‘He lived for those he loved, and those he loved remember.’
It may take you a minute to interpret this phrase, but it is a rather unique way to say that the person loved and was loved.
12. ‘Always Loved. Never Forgotten. Forever Missed.’
You may play with the punctuation in this statement. Having three periods may not be attractive, so you may want to use a dash or comma instead.
13. ‘Always On My Mind’
We don’t think you will have to pay Willie Nelson any royalties if you choose to use this phrase on a cremation plaque for a loved one.
14. ‘You Were a Ray of Sunshine in Our Lives’
Did your loved one have a cheerful disposition? Let all of eternity know by adding this to the plaque on her urn.
15. ‘Rest In Peace’
This saying has been on headstones for centuries. Consider this classic phrase for the plaque of your loved one’s urn.
16. ‘Until We Meet Again’
If your loved one believed in the afterlife, consider using this quote on the cremation urn.
17. ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’
This verse is from Matthew 25:23. It is what every Christian wants to hear from God after death.
18. ‘May you touch dragonflies and stars, dance with fairies, and talk to the moon.’
If you lost a child, you might consider using this phrase on his or her urn plaque.
19. ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’
If your loved one was looking forward to heaven, this would be an appropriate thing to include on his or her urn plaque.
20. ‘At Peace’
Did your loved one struggle with an extended illness before he or she died? Even though you miss your family member every day, you may feel solace knowing that they are at peace.
For pets
Many people are choosing to keep the cremated remains of their pets. Of course, you can use many of the previous examples. Here are some more ideas for the plaque of your pet’s urn.
21. ‘A Loyal Friend’
Was your pet always by your side, no matter what? Celebrate your pet’s loyalty by engraving this on the urn’s plaque.
22. ‘Best Friend and Loving Companion’
Although most people say that dogs are man’s best friend, you can choose this phrase for any pet.
23. ‘Your Paw Prints Will Forever Be On Our Hearts’
We never get over the loss of a fantastic pet.
24. ‘Run Free’
If your pet died of old age, you might feel better knowing that they’re able to run free in pet heaven. It’s hard seeing our pets age and not be able to do things they were able to do when they were young.
25. ‘You Left a Trail of Beautiful Memories’
What special memories do you have of your pet?
26. ‘Our Lives Were Better With You In It’
This clear, concise statement says it all. Our furry loved ones enhance our lives.
27. ‘Crossed the Rainbow Bridge on July X, XXXX’
It is common to refer to a pet’s death as crossing a rainbow bridge.
28. ‘You Brought Happiness, Joy, and Comfort to Our Lives’
You could also use this phrase on the urn of a human loved one.
29. ‘My Gorgeous Boy/Girl’
You may choose to have an urn that includes a photo if you add this phrase.
30. ‘My Buddy’
Did you always refer to your pet as your buddy? Even if that wasn’t his name? Consider using your “pet name” for your pet on the urn’s plaque.
Finding the Right Words is Hard
It’s hard to find the right words for a cremation plaque. Facing grief and choosing what to do with cremation ashes, let alone what words should accompany them, can be a daunting task.
Maybe an urn is only a temporary place for your loved one’s ashes. Many people choose to scatter them at sea, create a fireworks display, or create memorial diamonds from the cremains. Others choose to order a custom order an urn from an onlinestore like Foreverence. You submit a design idea or sketch, then the company designs and 3D prints your urn, so you get a 100% unique container.
All end-of-life decisions are difficult. Should you have a visitation, even if your loved one is cremated, or should you just schedule a memorial service? What charities should you choose for your loved one’s memorial fund?
Those who face these difficult decisions often wish that their loved ones would have pre-planned their funerals. In fact, pre-planning your funeral is one of the best gifts you can give to your loved ones. Instead of shopping around for funeral homes, columbarium niches, and flowers, your loved ones can gather together to swap stories and share memories.