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.

Unique Ash Scattering & Storage Ideas: Creative Alternatives to the Traditional Urn - Funeral.com, Inc.

Unique Ash Scattering & Storage Ideas: Creative Alternatives to the Traditional Urn

There’s a moment that arrives for many families after cremation—sometimes right away, sometimes weeks later—when the temporary container no longer feels temporary. You might have brought your loved one home...

Are Cremation Ashes Bad for the Environment? Scattering at Sea, Soil, and Best Practices - Funeral.com, Inc.

Are Cremation Ashes Bad for the Environment? Scattering at Sea, Soil, and Best Practices

When a family chooses cremation, the hardest questions often arrive after the practical parts are done. The certificate is signed. The call from the crematory comes in. And suddenly the...

What Are Cremation Ashes Made Of? What “Cremains” Really Are and Why They Look the Way They Do - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Are Cremation Ashes Made Of? What “Cremains” Really Are and Why They Look the Way They Do

The first time many families see cremated remains, it’s not the moment of cremation at all. It’s a quieter moment afterward—someone sets a temporary container on a kitchen table, or...

Cemetery Urn Requirements: Vaults, Materials, Niche Sizes, and What to Ask Before You Buy - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cemetery Urn Requirements: Vaults, Materials, Niche Sizes, and What to Ask Before You Buy

Most families don’t start funeral planning by thinking about measurements. You start with a person you love, a loss you didn’t want, and a decision that may have felt like...

What Size Urn for an Adult? Capacity Basics, Common Ranges, and When to Go Oversized - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Size Urn for an Adult? Capacity Basics, Common Ranges, and When to Go Oversized

Choosing an urn is one of those tasks that sounds simple until you’re staring at product pages and realizing that “full size” can mean wildly different things. A tall, slender...

Is It Okay to Split Ashes After Cremation? Etiquette, Religion, and Practical Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

Is It Okay to Split Ashes After Cremation? Etiquette, Religion, and Practical Tips

For many families, the question arrives quietly. The cremation is complete, the temporary container comes home, and suddenly you’re holding something that feels both ordinary and sacred at the same...

Alternative Urn Ideas: 50+ Unique Containers and Memorial Options for Ashes - Funeral.com, Inc.

Alternative Urn Ideas: 50+ Unique Containers and Memorial Options for Ashes

After cremation, many families discover that the hardest decision isn’t choosing “an urn.” It’s choosing a kind of remembrance that fits a real life: a home with kids and pets,...

Cremation Ashes Explained: What They Are (and Aren’t), Why They Look Like Sand, and Common Myths - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cremation Ashes Explained: What They Are (and Aren’t), Why They Look Like Sand, and Common Myths

Most families don’t expect the first moment with cremated remains to feel so… surprising. The container is heavier than you imagined. The sound is different when you set it down....

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Average Cremains Volume and How to Pick the Right Urn - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Average Cremains Volume and How to Pick the Right Urn

When the crematory hands you the temporary container, it can feel like the moment you’re supposed to “know what to do next.” But the truth is, most families pause right...

Keepsakes & Cremation Jewelry: How Much Ashes You Need and How to Share Safely - Funeral.com, Inc.

Keepsakes & Cremation Jewelry: How Much Ashes You Need and How to Share Safely

The first time a family considers dividing cremated remains, the questions usually arrive in a rush. Someone suggests a necklace so a spouse can keep a loved one close. A...

Cremation Urn Size Calculator: Estimate Capacity from Body Weight and Avoid Common Sizing Mistakes - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cremation Urn Size Calculator: Estimate Capacity from Body Weight and Avoid Common Sizing Mistakes

Choosing an urn can feel like a simple purchase until you realize what you’re really trying to do: protect something irreplaceable, honor a life, and make a decision that won’t...

How Long Do Urns Last? Lifespan by Material, Burial Conditions, and Care Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Long Do Urns Last? Lifespan by Material, Burial Conditions, and Care Tips

Most families don’t start this process thinking about engineering. They start with a moment: a phone call, a quiet ride home from the funeral home, a small bag of paperwork...

What Are Cremation Ashes Made Of? The Simple Science Behind “Ashes” - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Are Cremation Ashes Made Of? The Simple Science Behind “Ashes”

The first time many families see cremated remains, it can feel oddly disorienting. You might be holding a temporary container that’s heavier than you expected, and when you peek inside,...

Small & Mini Urns for Human Ashes: What Sizes Mean and When to Use Them - Funeral.com, Inc.

Small & Mini Urns for Human Ashes: What Sizes Mean and When to Use Them

In the days after a cremation, families often discover something surprising: the hardest questions aren’t always the big ones. It’s the practical details—What size urn do we need? Can we...

Flying With Cremated Remains and Memorial Jewelry: TSA Rules, Airline Tips, and a Packing Checklist - Funeral.com, Inc.

Flying With Cremated Remains and Memorial Jewelry: TSA Rules, Airline Tips, and a Packing Checklist

Most people don’t plan their first trip with ashes. It usually happens because life has shifted, and the travel isn’t optional. You might be bringing a parent home to rest...

Scatter or Bury Ashes? Pros, Cons, Costs, and Practical Planning Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

Scatter or Bury Ashes? Pros, Cons, Costs, and Practical Planning Tips

There is a particular moment after a cremation when families realize they are holding two things at once: a container that can be moved from place to place, and a...