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Written by Emily Cross.
15 minute read
Finding a way to pay tribute to someone you love is a very personal journey. You may know what you want to do right away, but there are also instances where you may feel torn. Taking time to sit with your emotions and process your feelings may help you to find a path forward that you feel comfortable with.
Some find that considering small memorial tattoos for lost loved ones puts them at ease. In particular, a cremation ashes tattoo—where a small amount of your loved one’s ashes is incorporated into the ink—can feel deeply symbolic. The intimate nature of loss often calls for equally personal expression, and the rich variety of designs, colours, and placements means your tribute can reflect your connection in a way that words sometimes can’t. You may find that exploring this idea in more detail helps you arrive at something that feels just right.
During the course of many years providing direct cremation services, we have had the honour of serving many people who have chosen this approach. In this guide, we’ve combined what we have had the privilege of learning from them with our own insights and ideas. We hope that you can find something to guide you at this time.
Key takeaways:
Memorial tattoos are a form of living tribute where the ashes of your loved one are skillfully mixed with the tattoo ink before application. They can carry significant emotional and symbolic meaning for those who are remembering the life of a loved one and can serve as a permanent memorial.
For generations, tattoos have marked remembrance, grief, and love. They’re personal by nature, which is why many choose them as a tribute. Carrying that memory on your skin can bring comfort, especially when it feels like the person is still walking beside you.
There’s no fixed template for a memorial tattoo. Some people choose a name, a date, a favourite quote or phrase. Others prefer a portrait, an object, or a symbol that holds meaning. The beauty of this kind of tribute is in its freedom…there’s no right or wrong way to remember someone. What matters most is that it means something to you.
As a family-run funeral provider, we completely understand the importance of being able to choose something you can connect with on an emotional level. If you find it helpful, here are some things you may wish to consider:
The right design is the one that makes you feel closer to the person you love and gives you some sense that they are with you on your journey. Taking some time to think about your options and potentially discussing them with a friend or partner may help you choose something you love.
If you’re looking for alternatives to funeral flowers, a small memorial tattoo may feel like a more intimate way to honour someone close to you. Unlike flowers, which fade with time, a tattoo can become a lasting tribute, and something quiet and meaningful you carry with you every day. Whether it’s your first tattoo or just something subtle and private, a small design can speak volumes. Here are a few ideas you might want to consider:
Minimalist designs of this nature may connect with those who prefer subtle tributes. They can be placed on any part of the body and will be carried with you for the rest of your life. Something as simple as a set of initials with a date below could help you to feel a lasting connection with the person who has died. Exactly what’s needed when you want to continue with your healing journey in a way that you connect with.
The act of remembering a friend who has died with a memorial tattoo is one that has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years. A best friend is someone you may have experienced some truly memorable moments with over the years, and memorialising one or more of them in a lasting way may help you to feel more connected with them. Here are some suggestions that may help you begin your own creative process:
One of the most meaningful parts of designing your own tattoo is being able to collaborate with a skilled tattooist. Their artistic eye and years of creative experience can help shape your ideas into something that truly resonates…something that feels like them. And when you’re trying to remember your best friend, that matters.
Using ashes in tattoo ink is a practice with deep roots in different cultures and has become more common in the UK in recent years. For many people, the idea of carrying a part of someone with them offers a quiet form of connection that continues long after the person has died. A cremation tattoo is not just a tribute. It is a living memorial, held close, carried forward throughout life.
Many tattooists are skilled artists with years of experience in drawing and design. For larger pieces, they will usually create a draft on paper first, giving you a chance to share your thoughts and make changes before anything is done on your skin. One of the most popular styles at the moment is etched tattooing. These designs use only black ink and focus on fine line work to create a look that resembles hand-drawn pen sketches.
As with any tattoo, a memorial design is a permanent decision. It is something to feel sure about before you begin. While some services claim to remove tattoos completely, it is rare for the skin to return exactly to how it was. If you feel ready to go ahead, and you have found a tattooist you trust, you may find that the process of getting a memorial tattoo offers something healing to hold on to.
A cremation ashes tattoo uses special cremation ink that your tattooist will create by mixing a selected proportion of the ashes with a licensed tattooing ink. This is specialist work that should only ever be carried out by a trained professional, ensuring the quality and consistency of the ink are safely maintained. Some tattoo studios may not have the complex sterilisation equipment required, in which case they’ll partner with a specialist ink manufacturer to make sure everything is handled properly.
If you’ve been exploring cremation ashes ideas, this can be one of the most unique and long lasting ways to carry your loved one with you.
While we would never consider trying to guide the direction your funeral and memorial ideas take, the permanence of a memorial tattoo is something to be taken into consideration. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to make decisions that are in your best interests right now, this is perfectly understandable. Health considerations should be taken into account wherever possible, and you may find that discussing your choice of tattoo with a friend or close relative helps you make the right decision.
Tattoos have been used to support emotional healing and reflection by mourners for centuries because of the highly personal connection they can create with the person who has died. Some find that they form a key component of their approach to growing around grief, where their grief stays with them, but other aspects of life continue.
Finding a time and place that feels right may be difficult if you are experiencing a sense of shock or are very much in the initial stages of processing your grief. With this in mind, you may find that it helps to process how you are feeling a little longer before considering a lasting memorial tattoo. While you, of course, have every right to express yourself as you see fit, our experience has been that a little extra time for reflection and emotional healing often results in a tribute you feel much more connected with.
If you want to start processing your emotions, but don’t feel comfortable opening up to a counsellor or grief professional, there is a thoughtful genre of grief podcasts. These kind, caring, and compassionate voices have often been touched by the very things that you are working through right now. Being able to listen to them as and when you feel ready may help you to heal in a more personal way.
Figuring out what to do when someone dies is something that we all approach in our own way, with many of us influenced by the cultures we come from and the heritage of our families. While your tribute no doubt has the best of intentions, there are also certain cultural nuances you may wish to be aware of. For example, tattoos are seen as a mark of criminality in Japanese culture and will generally cause a great deal of offense. This extends to those with tattoos being asked to cover them during sporting contests or while swimming in public baths.
Another thing you may wish to consider is how your tattoo might be viewed by other members of the family. If there is any risk that they may find your choice overfamiliar or insensitive, you may decide that a slightly longer period of personal reflection feels right. Remembering that your memorial tattoo is something that you will carry with you for the rest of your life may also be important at this stage. This is why many people choose to place their tattoos where they are not visible while dressed for work, for example.
The grief that comes from losing a friend may feel akin to that of losing a relative or loved one, and this is a perfectly understandable way to feel. If you decide you want to explore the memorial tattoo route a little further, there are some practical considerations that you may wish to make when you feel ready:
Choosing a respectful and experienced tattoo artist is often a matter of asking for recommendations or searching online reviews. If you can find someone in the local area with good reviews and who is easy to talk to, you may want to ask to see their portfolio to gauge the styles they feel most comfortable working with.
We hope that you have something that resonates with how you feel at this difficult time. Our goal, as ever, is never to push you or to guide you in a particular direction — we simply want to introduce you to new healing paths that may help you. You may find that there are one or two paths that connect with who you are and how you are feeling, in which case, following them for a while may help you to heal.
You may also have already thought about getting a memorial tattoo in detail, particularly if your loved one got their own affairs in order while still alive, with one of our *prepaid funeral plans. If they expressed a wish for you to get a tattoo to remember them by, it’s understandable if you feel pressure to get it perfect. This is a living tribute to them that will be with you for the rest of your life, so taking some time to think it over may help here.
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If you have any questions, would like a brochure or simply would like a chat through our services, our award-winning team is here to help.
Unlike other providers, we won’t hassle you with constant calls. We’ll simply ensure you have the information you need and leave you to come to a decision in your own time. When you’re ready for us, our team will be ready to help.
Yes, a skilled and licensed tattooist will be able to safely mix cremation ashes with premium quality tattoo ink and create the tattoo. It’s important to say that this is specialist work, and that the exact proportion of ashes added to the ink needs to be carefully chosen. Asking your local tattooist if they offer this service prior to booking your appointment will ensure that you are always in the best hands. Alternatively, they will advise on the quality ink manufacturer they use to perform the mixing process.
There are so many meaningful quotes out there that it may be hard to know where to start. If you are looking for a source of inspiration, you may find that one of the following resonates with you:
Alternatively, you may find that a quote from your loved one really helps you to capture what they mean to you and how they will continue to be with you in life.
This is very much a personal decision, and not one you should feel pressured into making if the timing doesn’t quite feel right. You may find it helps to break things up into several key steps if you are unsure of which design you want to choose. Choosing a location on your body that you want to tattoo could help you narrow down the type of imagery you want to add. Once you have chosen the location, you could think more about the size and perhaps the colour.
Some find that the birth flower of the person they love is a fitting choice because it has both artistic merit and a deeper sense of personal meaning. Others find that dates written in an elegant font allow them to think about the legacy of their loved one and what they have left behind. There is the potential for something more detailed and personal, such as a quote from your loved one, or even a photo-realistic portrait of them.
It’s understandable if you find that there is a great deal of emotional pain associated with choosing a memorial tattoo. That said, it is also perfectly fine if you find that you don’t experience a great deal of emotion at the time. As with all tattoos, there will be a degree of physical discomfort and aftercare required, with the precise amount depending on the size and location of the tattoo. Asking your local tattooist for guidance on what to expect if this is your first tattoo may help put your mind at ease.
Yes, memorial tattoos have become an increasingly common form of tribute in recent years, and for good reason. The personal nature of the tattoo and the ability to carry part of your loved one with you for life make memorial tattoos a deeply personal form of expression.
This very much depends on the size and level of detail required, as larger, more intricate tattoos will require more of the tattooist’s time. Small tattoos may cost anywhere from £50 to £150, while larger tattoos could cost £500 or more. Asking for a custom quote for your local tattooist will help you to understand your options.
The direct cremation process renders the ashes safe for use in tattooing ink, provided the ink and ashes are mixed by a licensed tattooist. Cremation ink is just as safe as regular ink and is something your tattooist will be able to talk to you about in detail if you would like a little more reassurance. It’s important to say that any type of tattoo that is applied by someone without the appropriate training increases the risk of infection and skin damage.