sixtyandme logo
We are community supported and may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Learn more

7 Things to Include When Creating a Pet Loss Memorial

By Wendy Van de Poll August 20, 2020 Family

A memorial video can be a wonderful and moving way to pay lasting tribute to your pet. The realization your pet is no longer with you can be challenging and difficult.

In fact, you might even fear that your memory of them will fade away.

I have found that one of the best ways to get help with pet loss and keep your memories alive is to create a memorial video. A video is a moving way to pay tribute to your companion that you can watch multiple times.

A few years ago, I was gifted a beautiful memorial video for my dog Marley. Marley was one of those very special once in a lifetime dogs, and it was important for me to create a memorial video to help my own aching heart.

Important to Consider When Choosing a Pet Memorial

Special care should be taken when creating your video because you want your tribute to reflect the special and unique relationship you had with your companion.

When I work with clients to create their own videos, I share with them various ways to begin the process of creation. Keep in mind you can create your own video with iMovie or PowerPoint, but you can also hire someone to do the technical work for you.

Regardless whether you go at it yourself or decide to hire someone, here are 7 things to get you started.

Photos

If you are like me or most of my clients, collecting photos of your pet is easy. I must have at least a 1000 for each of my dogs!

When I collected photos for Marley’s memorial video I looked for a photo that represented each year of her life. This was a wonderful experience because I got the chance to revisit her great adventures.

Stories

When your pet dies, people may share their fond memories with you on how they remembered your pet. If you can have them record those stories you can include them. You can also record your own stories and add them to the video as well.

Captions

You may want to add dates, times, ages, places, names of other pets or people in your video. If you do, add them as a caption. When you look back on your memorial video captions will make it easier to remember when the occasion took place.

Old Videos

I am always taking short videos of my dogs. I think videos are the best way to bring me back into the memories that I had with my animal companions.

Poems and Quotes

Death is never easy but pet loss poems or pet loss quotes are always helpful when dealing with loss and grief. If you have one that describes your special relationship, by all means, include it.

Voiceover or Music

Some of my clients like to add a narrative to their memorial videos. This can be you telling the story of a particular photo or reading a special poem or quote. You can also add music. I chose music for my video because Marley and I would spend relaxing afternoons listening to music.

DVD Box Cover

Once you put together your video, you may want to put it on a DVD. You can create a beautiful cover for the box so that you can immediately identify it for future viewing.

Grief and loss is one of life’s greatest challenges. But it also gives you the chance to appreciate life and your memories. When creating a tribute for your pet, make your video memorial truly memorable by following some of the tips above.

Have you ever made a video memorial of your pet? If so, what did you include? Did you include anything that is not listed above? Please join the conversation below!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

The Author

Wendy Van de Poll is a leader in the fields of pet loss grief support and self-publishing. As a thirteen-time bestselling author, speaker and coach she works with people all over the world with their animals and writing their books! Please visit her website for pet loss https://centerforpetlossgrief.com or website for self-publishing https://selfpublishingbookcoach.com

You Might Also Like