Memorial Planning Guide
Online Memorial vs. Obituary: What's the Difference?
An obituary and an online memorial can both honor someone who has passed, but they serve different purposes. An obituary usually summarizes the important facts. A memorial website can preserve the fuller story of the person's life.
What Is an Obituary?
An obituary is generally a written notice about a person's death that summarizes important parts of their life. It may be published by a newspaper, funeral home, family, or online service.
Obituaries often include the person's name, birth and death dates, family relationships, career or accomplishments, and funeral, visitation, or memorial service information. Because an obituary is usually written as a concise announcement or summary, there may be limited room for the stories and media that show the personality behind those facts.
What Is an Online Memorial?
An online memorial is a dedicated memorial page or website where the person's story can be preserved in greater depth. It can bring together written memories, photographs, videos, music, family history, life details, obituary information, and other meaningful material in one place.
Instead of serving mainly as an announcement, an online memorial can become a place family and friends return to over time to remember the person and share the story with future generations.
Read the Memorial Website GuideObituary and Online Memorial Compared
| Feature | Obituary | Online Memorial |
|---|---|---|
| Announces the death | Common | Can include it |
| Basic biographical facts | Common | Common |
| Funeral/service information | Common | Can include it |
| Long-form life story | Usually limited | Can be extensive |
| Photo gallery | Usually limited | Common feature |
| Video memories | Uncommon | Possible |
| Favorite music | Uncommon | Possible |
| Family history | Usually brief | Can be detailed |
| Memories from family and friends | Usually limited | Can be collected over time |
| Updated over time | Usually static | Often possible |
| Shared by direct web link | Sometimes | Common |
You Do Not Have to Choose One or the Other
An obituary and an online memorial can work together. The obituary can provide the formal summary and immediate service information, while the memorial website can become the longer-term place where the person's fuller story is preserved.
Families can also include obituary information within a MyEMemorial so visitors can find that information alongside photographs, videos, music, family history, stories, and other memories.
Learn How to Create an Online MemorialWhy an Online Memorial Can Preserve More of the Person
A life is usually too large to fit into a few paragraphs. The details family members remember may include childhood stories, favorite sayings, vacations, work experiences, traditions, music, friendships, hobbies, family photographs, and countless everyday moments that would not normally appear in an obituary.
A memorial website gives those memories a place to live together. That can make the memorial more useful to children, grandchildren, extended family, old friends, and future generations who want to understand the person beyond their name and dates.
What Can a MyEMemorial Preserve Beyond an Obituary?
When Might a Memorial Website Be Especially Helpful?
- When family members live in different places: A shared online memorial gives everyone the same place to visit.
- When there are many photographs or videos:A memorial website can keep media connected to the person's story.
- When family wants to preserve memories over time: Additional stories and photographs may surface months or years later.
- When future generations matter: Children and grandchildren can learn more than what a short obituary records.
- When friends and relatives have stories to contribute: A memorial can help gather memories held by different people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an obituary and an online memorial?
An obituary is usually a concise written notice that summarizes important facts about a person's life and death and may include funeral or service information. An online memorial can preserve a much broader collection of stories, photos, videos, music, family history, and memories over time.
Can an online memorial include an obituary?
Yes. An online memorial can include obituary information while also preserving additional stories, photographs, videos, music, family history, and other memories.
Do I need both an obituary and a memorial website?
Not necessarily, but many families may find that they serve different purposes. An obituary can provide the formal announcement and summary, while a memorial website can become the longer-term place where the person's story and memories are preserved.
Can an online memorial be updated later?
Depending on the memorial service, an online memorial can be updated as additional photographs, stories, videos, and other information are collected.
Can family and friends contribute to an online memorial?
Some memorial websites allow family and friends to submit written stories, photographs, or videos. The memorial owner may be able to review contributions before they are published.
Preserve More Than the Facts
A Departed MyEMemorial can preserve the obituary while also giving your family room for the stories, photographs, videos, music, family history, and memories that show who the person really was.