Keepsake gifts for the family
Gifts that are still treasured long after the wrapping paper’s gone. Memory gifts for every budget, and how to make one the whole family keeps.
What makes a keepsake worth keeping
Think about the things families actually hold on to. The handwritten recipe card. The birthday card from a grandparent who’s gone. The old video of a wedding nobody watches for years, then everybody watches at once.
The keepsakes that last have something of the person in them. Their handwriting, their face, their voice, their way of telling a story. Price has very little to do with it.
So the question to ask is simple: what about this person would you most want to keep? Then choose a gift that captures it.
Keepsake gift ideas, by kind
From free to a family heirloom. Mix and match.
A photo book with the stories written in
Not just the pictures. Names, dates and the story behind each one, written with the person in the photos. Without the captions, old photos lose their meaning in a generation.
A framed print of an old family photo
The wedding photo, the first house, the family on the beach in 1974. Restored, printed well and framed. Simple, and often the one that makes people cry.
A memory book, filled in by them
A book of questions about their life, written in their own hand. Our Story Books are coming soon, with a QR code so they can record their favourite answers out loud too.
Letters for the future
A letter from a parent to each of their children or grandchildren, sealed and kept for a birthday, a wedding or a new baby.
The family recipe book
Gran’s recipes, typed up with a photo of each dish and a copy for every branch of the family. Keep a scan of the original handwriting.
A recording of their voice
Even a phone recording of a grandparent reading a bedtime story or telling a favourite tale is precious. Voices are the thing families miss most.
A life story film
Their story, their face and their voice, filmed properly and edited into a keepsake. This is the one we make, and it’s the closest thing to sitting down with them again.
Why voice and film matter
Photos show you what someone looked like. Film shows you who they were. The way they laugh, the pauses before the good bit, the phrases only they use.
When we filmed Moira and her daughter Gill making the family Bolognese in their own kitchen, it was meant to be about the cooking. It ended up being about everything else: growing up without much, Moira’s own parents, and how Grandad met Gran. The bits of family history that only come out when your hands are busy.
Watch real family storiesThe keepsake box
Every Memory Room film is delivered as something to hold, not just a link. You get:
- The finished film, carefully edited in 4K
- A USB in a keepsake box, made to sit on a shelf and be passed down
- A private link so family anywhere in the world can watch
- With the Signature Story, two boxes: one for them, one for the family
If you’d like the film kept safe for the long term, our Memory Vault stores it for 25 years for a one-off £195.
Keepsakes for families who live apart
If the family is spread across the country or the world, choose keepsakes that can be shared. A film with a private link reaches everyone at once. A photo book can be printed several times. Letters can be scanned and sent. The aim is that every branch of the family has its own copy.
Keepsake gifts
What is a good keepsake gift for family?
One that keeps something of the person: their handwriting, their photos, their voice or their story. Photo books with captions, memory books and life story films are all lasting choices.
What is the most meaningful keepsake?
For most families it’s a recording of a loved one telling their own story. It’s the thing people most often wish they had once it’s too late.
How much does a life story film cost?
The Studio Story is £295 and the Signature Story is £595. Families can split the cost, and Klarna is available. See our full guide to costs.
Can I give a life story film as a gift?
Yes. Gift vouchers come by email or as a printed card, and are valid for 12 months.
Their story, in their own voice.
Life story films from £295, delivered in a keepsake box.