The Story of the Urn: Unicorn Urns Aren’t Just for Kids; Apparently

​When I first created the Unicorn Urn, I envisioned it as a delicate and magical resting place for the ashes of little girls who had adored unicorns. The first designs, which I called Fairy Unicorns, had soft pink and purple manes and tails, their golden horns adding a touch of ethereal elegance. Later, I introduced Mermaid Unicorns, with oceanic hues of blue and green flowing through their manes and tails, capturing a different kind of whimsy.
I thought they would be the perfect tribute for children who had cherished these mythical creatures in life. But as it turns out, unicorns—and grief—don’t always follow predictable paths.

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A Husband’s Revenge (With Love)
Over the past five years, I’ve only ever sold one Unicorn Urn to a young girl’s family, a beautiful seven-year-old from Townsville. That was what I expected when I created them. What I didn’t expect was that the very first one I ever sold would end up in Melbourne, bought by a grown man in his 40s—with the sad tale, yet with typically Australian humour.
This gentleman had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, and with limited time left, he and his young family—his wife and their eight-year-old daughter—were preparing for the inevitable. Then, in a cruel and unexpected twist, his wife suddenly passed away in her sleep. Devastated, he was left grappling with both his own mortality and the unimaginable loss of his partner.
In his grief, he reached out to me and explained his choice of urn. You see, his wife had always jokingly threatened that if he dared to leave her first, she’d put his ashes in a unicorn urn. So, since she left him first, he figured it was only fair to return the favour. He bought the Fairy Unicorn for her, a tender, mischievous nod to their love and shared humour.
I like to think she would have approved.

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​A Son’s Tribute to His Magical Mother
Another time, I received an order from a young man in the USA. He was looking for an urn for his mother’s ashes and, after some searching, stumbled upon the Fairy Unicorn.
His mother had been a lifelong unicorn lover, the kind who believed in magic and carried it with her everywhere she went. She had always dyed her hair in vibrant shades of pink, blue, and purple—a real-life Fairy Unicorn, in a way. For him, there was no better tribute than an urn that reflected her spirit and colorful personality. It was a choice that made sense to him immediately, and knowing her, I imagine she would have been delighted.

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​A Mother’s Love for Her Beautiful Boy
More recently, a lovely mother from Cairns chose a Fairy Unicorn Urn for her son—a young man who had lived proudly and vibrantly as his authentic self. When he passed away unexpectedly, she wanted to honor him in a way that celebrated who he was: joyful, unique, and unapologetically himself.
She created a stunning memorial altar in her home, placing the unicorn urn atop a custom marble-glazed plinth. Next to it, a smaller matching plinth held his photograph, a heartfelt display of love and remembrance. If you visit my portfolio page, you can see how beautifully it all came together.

​A Unicorn for Every Unique Soul
I never imagined that my whimsical urns would become such a fitting tribute for such a diverse group of people. But in a way, it makes perfect sense. Unicorns are symbols of individuality, wonder, and magic—qualities that don’t belong to any one group but to all of us who embrace the extraordinary.
Because of this, I’ve since developed a larger plinth to house the ashes of a full-grown adult. Now, anyone—child or adult—who has lived a colorful, magical life can choose to rest in a Unicorn Urn. ​And honestly, I think that’s pretty wonderful.

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Author
Rae Delai is an Australian small business owner of White Lily Urns and specializes in custom artisan ceramic funerary art. She has 30 plus years experience as a critical care and palliative care nurse which means she is very comfortable discussing all aspects of death, dying and grief.