Memorial Wind Chimes

Choosing a Memorial Wind Chime

Tone. Longer, thicker tubes give deeper and slower notes; short thin tubes give a brighter jingle. Deeper tones suit mourning better for most families and carry less far, which also makes them kinder to a close-set street.

Material. Aluminum holds its tune and stands up to weather, which is why most serious chimes use it. Copper weathers to a patina some families love and others do not expect.

Size and placement. Match the chime to where it is going — a large chime overwhelms a small courtyard, and a small one is inaudible on an exposed hillside. Hang it where air moves but weather does not punish it, and not directly outside a bedroom window. At a cemetery, check the rules on hanging items before you hang anything.

Engraving. Keep an inscription short enough to read at arm's length, name one concrete detail such as a nickname or a date, and check every spelling twice — engraving cannot be undone. If the chime is a gift rather than something for your own home, consider leaving it blank; it can always be engraved later.

Our guide to what wind chimes symbolize after death covers where the tradition comes from, why chimes are given at funerals, and what to have engraved on one. For other remembrance pieces, see our memorial keepsake gifts and the wider range of sympathy gifts.