I Am Rotorua – Tania

“We had a lady come in once, and her father had passed. For his casket, they made this beautiful arrangement—driftwood, flowers, real beachy. She brought in some photos, including one of his hand before he passed. We took part of that arrangement and framed it with the photos. She cried when she saw it. Then, she asked if we could do a smaller version for her mum. So we did, with just one photo.”

“Another time, a woman came in because her mum had Alzheimer’s. She brought in number plates from her mum and dad’s first cars, and we framed them. The moment her mum saw them, she remembered. That’s the part of this job I love—the little things that help people hold onto something, even if it’s just a memory. It’s rewarding to be part of that, to frame the moments that matter.”