The Funeral.com Journal

Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.

Urn vs Vase: What’s the Difference—and How to Repurpose an Urn After Scattering Ashes - Funeral.com, Inc.

Urn vs Vase: What’s the Difference—and How to Repurpose an Urn After Scattering Ashes

If you’ve found yourself searching urn vs vase, you’re not alone. It’s one of those questions that looks simple until you’re the person holding an urn in your hands—especially if...

How Long Do Cremation Urns Last? Lifespan by Material, Burial Durability & Care Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Long Do Cremation Urns Last? Lifespan by Material, Burial Durability & Care Tips

Families ask how long do cremation urns last because they’re really asking a bigger question: “If we choose this, will it still be safe, intact, and meaningful years from now?”...

What If the Urn Is Too Small for the Ashes? Simple Options Families Can Choose - Funeral.com, Inc.

What If the Urn Is Too Small for the Ashes? Simple Options Families Can Choose

Discovering that an urn too small for ashes can feel like a punch in the stomach, especially if you were already doing your best to make careful decisions in a...

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Typical Weight, Volume, and What to Expect - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Typical Weight, Volume, and What to Expect

After a cremation, families often ask a practical question: how much ash left after cremation is normal? The answer matters because it helps you choose cremation urns for ashes that fit,...

Can You Open a Sealed Urn? What to Know Before You Unseal, Transfer, or Split Ashes - Funeral.com, Inc.

Can You Open a Sealed Urn? What to Know Before You Unseal, Transfer, or Split Ashes

If you’re asking can you open a sealed urn, it usually isn’t because you want to “mess with” something sacred. It’s because life has moved, plans have changed, or your...

57 Things to Put Ashes In: Creative, Meaningful Ideas (Urns, Keepsakes, and Alternatives) - Funeral.com, Inc.

57 Things to Put Ashes In: Creative, Meaningful Ideas (Urns, Keepsakes, and Alternatives)

If a traditional urn doesn’t feel right, you’re not doing anything wrong. When you’re grieving, the idea of choosing a “forever” container can feel strangely heavy, like you’re being asked...

Best Places to Keep or Scatter Cremains: Home Display, Columbariums, and Nature Options - Funeral.com, Inc.

Best Places to Keep or Scatter Cremains: Home Display, Columbariums, and Nature Options

There is a moment many families describe after a cremation that no one really prepares you for. The paperwork is signed. The phone calls slow down. The rush of decisions...

What Does Scattering Ashes Mean? Symbolism, Etiquette, and Ash-Scattering Ceremony Ideas - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Does Scattering Ashes Mean? Symbolism, Etiquette, and Ash-Scattering Ceremony Ideas

There is a moment many families describe after cremation: the practical steps are done, the paperwork is signed, and the world goes quiet again. The ashes are in a container—sometimes...

Can Spouses’ Ashes Be Kept Together? Companion Urns vs Commingling Remains - Funeral.com, Inc.

Can Spouses’ Ashes Be Kept Together? Companion Urns vs Commingling Remains

When two people build a life side by side, it’s natural to wonder what it means to rest side by side, too. After a cremation, that question often shows up...

What to Do With the Urn After Scattering Ashes: 12 Meaningful Options - Funeral.com, Inc.

What to Do With the Urn After Scattering Ashes: 12 Meaningful Options

There is a moment families don’t always expect. The scattering is finished. The wind settles. People hug, pack up flowers, and start walking back to the car—and in someone’s hands...

What to Do With Cremation Ashes Besides an Urn: 36+ Meaningful Ideas - Funeral.com, Inc.

What to Do With Cremation Ashes Besides an Urn: 36+ Meaningful Ideas

After cremation, many families experience an unexpected pause. The practical part is straightforward: you receive cremated remains (often in a temporary container), you choose where they will go, and you...

Best Urn Material for Home Display (Humidity, Sunlight, Accident Risk) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Best Urn Material for Home Display (Humidity, Sunlight, Accident Risk)

When families ask for the best urn material for home display, they’re usually asking a practical question that’s wrapped in an emotional one: “Can we keep this here and feel...

Where Can You Scatter Ashes? Key U.S. Rules for Land, Water, and National Parks - Funeral.com, Inc.

Where Can You Scatter Ashes? Key U.S. Rules for Land, Water, and National Parks

After cremation, many families find themselves standing in a quiet, unfamiliar space between “the service is over” and “what happens next.” The urn or temporary container is in your hands,...

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Average Weight, Volume & Urn Fit - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Average Weight, Volume & Urn Fit

There’s a moment many families don’t expect: after all the big decisions, the question that suddenly feels urgent is the practical one—how much ash after cremation is there, and will...

Marble and Stone Urns for Ashes: Benefits, Weight, Care, and When to Use Them - Funeral.com, Inc.

Marble and Stone Urns for Ashes: Benefits, Weight, Care, and When to Use Them

There’s a reason many families pause when they see a marble urn in person. Even through a screen, stone has a quiet authority: natural veining, a cool smooth surface, a...

Ashes vs Ashtrays vs Urns: What ‘Ash Holder’ Means and What Families Actually Need - Funeral.com, Inc.

Ashes vs Ashtrays vs Urns: What ‘Ash Holder’ Means and What Families Actually Need

If you searched for ash holder while grieving or planning ahead, you probably felt the internet do something unhelpful: it mixed together cigarette ashtrays, fireplace accessories, and cremation memorials as if...