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.

What to Do When a Columbarium Has a Waitlist: Interim Options

What to Do When a Columbarium Has a Waitlist: Interim Options

You thought the hard decisions were behind you. The cremation is complete. The paperwork is mostly signed. You have the urn in your hands, and you can finally picture what...

Renting a Casket for a Home Vigil: Is It Possible, and When It Makes Sense

Renting a Casket for a Home Vigil: Is It Possible, and When It Makes Sense

In the first quiet hours after a death, families often discover that grief and logistics arrive together. Someone says, “We want a vigil at home,” and another person asks, “Does...

Doorway Width for Body Removal: Clearance, Turns, and Stairs for Home Death Care

Doorway Width for Body Removal: Clearance, Turns, and Stairs for Home Death Care

When someone dies at home, the first hours can feel both intimate and unreal. There may be a hush in the house that’s unlike any other quiet you’ve known—gentle, heavy,...

New York Home Funeral Laws: Why a Licensed Funeral Director Is Usually Required

New York Home Funeral Laws: Why a Licensed Funeral Director Is Usually Required

When someone you love dies, your first thoughts are rarely about forms, permits, and who is “allowed” to do what. You’re thinking about the person. About the quiet in the...

Home Funeral Guides vs. Funeral Directors: Roles, Boundaries, and When You Still Need a Pro

Home Funeral Guides vs. Funeral Directors: Roles, Boundaries, and When You Still Need a Pro

In the first hours after a death, families often discover how quickly grief becomes practical. Someone is crying in the kitchen. Someone else is on the phone. A hospice nurse...

Crowdfunding for Funeral Costs: What Helps, What Hurts, and What to Say

Crowdfunding for Funeral Costs: What Helps, What Hurts, and What to Say

Most families don’t start a fundraiser because they want to make grief public. They start one because someone they love is gone, the bills are real, and the timing is...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Alaska (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions, and Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Alaska (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions, and Red Flags

If you are searching how to choose a funeral home Alaska, you are probably doing two hard things at once: caring for someone you love and trying to make practical...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Arizona (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Arizona (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you are searching how to choose a funeral home Arizona, there is a good chance you are doing it under pressure. The phone is in your hand, family members...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Arkansas (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Arkansas (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you’re reading this in the first hours or days after a death, it may feel unfair that you’re expected to make big, expensive decisions while you’re grieving. Most families...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in California (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in California (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

Choosing a funeral home is one of those decisions families often make while exhausted, grieving, and trying to do the “right” thing quickly. In California, the choices can feel endless...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Alabama (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Alabama (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

Most Alabama families do not choose a funeral home in ideal conditions. It happens in the middle of grief, uncertainty, and time pressure. This guide is designed to help you...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Colorado (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Colorado (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you are reading this because someone has just died, or because you are trying to plan ahead so your family will not have to guess later, you are not...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Connecticut (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Connecticut (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you are reading this in the middle of a hard week, you are not alone. Choosing a funeral home in Connecticut can feel like you are expected to make...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in District of Columbia (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in District of Columbia (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you are searching how to choose a funeral home District of Columbia in 2026, there is a good chance you are doing it in a week you never wanted...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Florida (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Florida (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you are looking for a funeral home in Florida, there is a good chance you are doing it under pressure: a hospital call, a sudden loss, family flying in,...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Georgia (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Georgia (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

If you are trying to choose a funeral home in Georgia, you are likely doing two hard things at once: carrying grief (or anticipatory grief) and making decisions that have...