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.
Weekend vs Weekday Funerals: Scheduling Pros, Cons, and Typical Cost Factors
When someone dies, the calendar suddenly becomes a source of stress. Families often describe it the same way: time feels both too fast and too slow. The phone calls start,...
Embalming Explained: When It’s Required, Alternatives, and How It Affects Timing
In the first hours after a death, families are often asked a question that feels oddly technical for such an emotional moment: “Will you be embalming?” It can sound like...
Transporting a Loved One Home: Costs, Paperwork, and Customs Rules for Destination Services
If you’re reading this, you’re probably dealing with two realities at once: the emotional shock of a death, and the logistical pressure of distance. When someone dies in another state—or...
Memorial Societies and Funeral Co-ops: How Membership Can Reduce Funeral Costs
When a death happens—or when you’re trying to plan ahead—money can become part of the conversation in a way that feels unfair. Even families who are financially stable can feel...
Burial vs. Cremation Costs: What’s Cheaper and What Changes the Price
If you’re comparing burial vs cremation cost, you’re probably trying to do two things at once: make a loving decision and protect your family from financial shock. That tension is...
What to Do With Ashes: A Calm Guide to Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, Keepsakes, and Cremation Jewelry
After a cremation, families often describe an unexpected quiet. The urgent decisions may be done, but a new question arrives—softly at first, and then more insistently when you see the...
Urn Vaults: Do You Really Need One for Cemetery Burial?
Most families don’t begin funeral planning expecting to learn new vocabulary. You make the big decisions first—cremation or burial, a service now or later, a cemetery plot or a place that...
What to Do With Ashes: A Gentle, Practical Guide to Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, Keepsakes, Jewelry, and Next Steps
If you’re holding a temporary container (or waiting for it to arrive), you may be feeling two things at once: the weight of what happened, and the pressure to “figure...
10 Creative Ways to Display an Urn on a Bookshelf (That Still Feels Like Home)
There’s a moment many families don’t expect: the day the ashes come home, and suddenly you’re holding a container that represents someone you love. You might feel grateful to have...
Mid-Century Modern Urns: 2026 Design Trends (Shapes, Materials, and Where to Shop)
If you’ve been searching for a mid century modern urn, you’re probably not looking for something that feels like it belongs in a showroom of “funeral objects.” You’re looking for...
What to Do With Ashes: A Gentle Guide to Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, Cremation Jewelry, and Funeral Planning
There’s a moment many families recognize after a cremation, even if no one says it out loud. The hardest phone calls have been made. The paperwork is moving. And then...
How to Choose the Right Cremation Urn: A Simple Size Guide + 4 Rules to Follow
Choosing an urn can feel like an oddly technical task in a season that is anything but technical. You may be grieving, trying to keep up with paperwork, or simply...
How Much Do Cremation Ashes Weigh? Urn Size and Capacity Tips for Families
If you’ve been typing how much do cremation ashes weigh into your phone late at night, you’re not alone. This question tends to land in families’ laps at an emotionally...
Choosing a Proper Urn for Cremated Remains: Materials, Safety, and Faith-Based Guidance
There is a moment after a cremation when the practical question lands with surprising weight: what counts as a proper container for cremated remains? Sometimes that question comes from a...