Help writing your tribute
When someone invites you to add to a memorial, the hardest part is often knowing what to say. Cherished Book gives you a few gentle prompts for the kind of tribute you are leaving, and shapes your answers into something you can edit and post in your own words.
For contributors, not the obituary
This is the writing help for people adding to a memorial that someone else has created. It is different from the obituary writer, which the family uses to write the main life story when they first set the memorial up. Here, you are adding your own piece: the memory only you have, the eulogy you have been asked to give, or a few words of condolence.
A few prompts for your kind of tribute
You choose what you are leaving, a memory, a eulogy, a prayer, or a condolence message, and the prompts change to suit it. Some you answer by picking from a few suggestions, others by typing a sentence or two of your own. Where it matters, the prompts reflect your tradition, so a prayer reads in the right voice. From your answers, the writing help shapes a draft you then edit into your own words.
It is a short, fixed set of prompts, not a back-and-forth conversation or a chatbot. You answer what you want to answer, and you stay in control of every word.
Why it helps
- Removes the pressure of the blank page when you have been asked to contribute.
- Suits whatever you are leaving, from a one-line condolence to a full eulogy.
- Reflects your faith or tradition where that matters, especially for a prayer.
- Lets you choose from suggestions or write your own words for each prompt.
- Works for close family and old friends alike, however much or little you want to say.
What happens after you post
Your words stay yours while you write them. When you post, your tribute is checked for anything harmful before it appears on the memorial. If the family have chosen to review contributions first, it waits for them to approve it. Either way, your words are not rewritten without you, and a memory you leave today is kept for as long as the memorial lasts.
Questions about tribute writing help
What kinds of tribute can it help with?
A memory, a eulogy, a prayer, or a few words of condolence. The prompts change to suit each one, and your tradition where it matters.
Is this how the obituary is written?
No. The obituary is the main life story, written by the family when they create the memorial. This is for adding your own tribute to a memorial that already exists.
Will my words be changed?
No. You write and edit your own words. After you post, the tribute is checked for anything harmful, and the family may review it first if they have turned that on, but the words stay yours.
Do I need an account to add a tribute?
Often not. Many memorials let guests add a tribute without signing up.
See it in a real memorial
Priya Subramaniam Nair
Priya's children, pupils and friends each answered a few prompts to add their own memory, and together they filled her memorial.
View this memorialLast reviewed June 2026.
Preserve their memory, together.
A collaborative memorial lets family and friends share stories, photos, and announcements, all in one place. It’s free to create.
Something not right?
We work hard to keep this content accurate and respectful. If you spot anything that could be improved, let us know.