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 Does the Bible Say About Cremation? A Christian Guide to Cremation and Ashes

What Does the Bible Say About Cremation? A Christian Guide to Cremation and Ashes

If you’re asking what does the Bible say about cremation, you’re usually not looking for a debate. You’re looking for reassurance. Many Christian families reach this question in the same...

Is It OK to Keep Cremation Ashes at Home? U.S. Rules, Beliefs, and Best Practices

Is It OK to Keep Cremation Ashes at Home? U.S. Rules, Beliefs, and Best Practices

When the funeral home calls to say the cremated remains are ready, it can feel like the first “real” decision arrives before your heart has caught up. Someone drives home...

Keepsake Urn vs Full-Size Urn: What’s the Difference (Sizes, Uses, and How to Choose)

Keepsake Urn vs Full-Size Urn: What’s the Difference (Sizes, Uses, and How to Choose)

When you’re holding the phone after “the cremation is complete,” the questions that follow can feel surprisingly practical—almost jarringly so. Where will the ashes rest? Who will want to be...

Keepsake Urns Explained: What They Are, How Big They Are, and When Families Choose Them

Keepsake Urns Explained: What They Are, How Big They Are, and When Families Choose Them

Most families don’t start out knowing they’ll need a second urn. They begin with one practical question—what happens after cremation?—and then, a little later, another: what do we do with...

Memorial Necklaces Explained: Types of Memorial Jewelry and How to Choose the Right One

Memorial Necklaces Explained: Types of Memorial Jewelry and How to Choose the Right One

There’s a moment many families recognize after a cremation—sometimes days later, sometimes months—when the immediate logistics quiet down and a different question rises up: What do we want to carry...

Pet Loss After Divorce or Breakup: Who Keeps the Ashes, Keepsakes, and What’s Fair

Pet Loss After Divorce or Breakup: Who Keeps the Ashes, Keepsakes, and What’s Fair

Pet loss can be heartbreaking on its own. When it happens during a divorce or breakup, grief can collide with conflict in a way that feels almost surreal: you are...

Pet Ashes vs Human Ashes: What’s the Same, What’s Different, and What It Means for Memorials

Pet Ashes vs Human Ashes: What’s the Same, What’s Different, and What It Means for Memorials

When a family chooses cremation—whether for a parent, a partner, or a beloved dog or cat—there’s a moment that can feel unexpectedly heavy. The phone call comes. The container is...

Scattering Ashes in Parks, Forests, and on Hiking Trails: Permissions and Best Practices

Scattering Ashes in Parks, Forests, and on Hiking Trails: Permissions and Best Practices

Scattering the cremated remains of a loved one can be a deeply meaningful part of funeral planning, but it also raises important questions about legality, respect, and environmental stewardship. Whether...

Scattering Ashes at Sea: Laws, Safety, and Ceremony Ideas for Ocean Farewells

Scattering Ashes at Sea: Laws, Safety, and Ceremony Ideas for Ocean Farewells

For many families, an ocean farewell feels like the most honest kind of goodbye. The sea is vast, rhythmic, and steady. It holds memory without needing a marker. And when...

Cremation Jewelry vs Traditional Urns: Which Memorial Option Fits Your Life Best?

Cremation Jewelry vs Traditional Urns: Which Memorial Option Fits Your Life Best?

When families ask “should I wear ashes or keep them at home?” they are rarely asking only about a container. They are asking how to carry grief through ordinary days,...

What Is a Rental Casket? How It Works for Viewings Before Cremation

What Is a Rental Casket? How It Works for Viewings Before Cremation

When a family chooses cremation, the next question often arrives quickly and quietly: “Can we still have a viewing?” For many people, seeing the person’s face one last time, hearing...

What Is an Ash Necklace Called? Cremation Necklace vs Urn Pendant (Names, Styles, and How to Choose)

What Is an Ash Necklace Called? Cremation Necklace vs Urn Pendant (Names, Styles, and How to Choose)

If you’ve searched for an “ash necklace,” you’ve probably seen a dozen names for what looks like the same thing: cremation necklace, urn necklace, memorial pendant, ashes locket, keepsake jewelry....

What’s an Ash Necklace Called? Cremation Jewelry Terms, Styles, and Buying Tips

What’s an Ash Necklace Called? Cremation Jewelry Terms, Styles, and Buying Tips

If you’re searching what is an ash necklace called, you’re probably not looking for trivia. You’re looking for steadiness—something you can hold onto after the calls are done, the paperwork is...

Do Urns Decompose? Biodegradable Urns, Burial Timelines, and What to Expect Underground

Do Urns Decompose? Biodegradable Urns, Burial Timelines, and What to Expect Underground

After a cremation, a family often finds itself holding something that feels both solid and strange: a container that represents a life, a relationship, a whole history. Some people want...

Ashes Memorial Jewelry: How It’s Made, How Much Ashes You Need, and How to Fill Jewelry at Home

Ashes Memorial Jewelry: How It’s Made, How Much Ashes You Need, and How to Fill Jewelry at Home

There’s a moment after cremation when the practical questions arrive in a wave. The phone call that the remains are ready. The careful handoff of a temporary container. The quiet...

Turning Ashes Into Diamonds: How It Works, How Much Material You Need, and Cost Factors

Turning Ashes Into Diamonds: How It Works, How Much Material You Need, and Cost Factors

When a family chooses cremation, the hardest decisions often arrive after the paperwork is finished and everyone has gone home. There’s a container of remains, a quiet house, and a...