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.

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Typical Amounts and Urn Sizing Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Much Ash Is Left After Cremation? Typical Amounts and Urn Sizing Tips

One of the first surprises many families experience after cremation is that the remains don’t come back as “dust.” What you receive is usually a blend of fine, sand-like particles...

Who Owns Cremation Ashes? Custody, Permissions, and Scattering Laws Explained - Funeral.com, Inc.

Who Owns Cremation Ashes? Custody, Permissions, and Scattering Laws Explained

When a family is getting along, questions about cremated remains often feel simple: “What did they want?” When there’s disagreement, the question changes quickly into something more tense and technical:...

How Long Do Cremated Ashes Last? Storage, Scattering at Sea & Environmental Notes - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Long Do Cremated Ashes Last? Storage, Scattering at Sea & Environmental Notes

When families ask how long do cremated ashes last, what they usually mean is, “Will anything happen to them if we keep them for years?” The reassuring answer is that...

Urn Size Calculator Guide: How to Choose the Right Cremation Urn Capacity - Funeral.com, Inc.

Urn Size Calculator Guide: How to Choose the Right Cremation Urn Capacity

There’s a moment after cremation when grief and logistics meet. You might be holding a temporary container, staring at a product page, and wondering why you suddenly have to do...

Who Gets Custody of Cremated Remains? Next-of-Kin Rules, Disputes, and What to Do - Funeral.com, Inc.

Who Gets Custody of Cremated Remains? Next-of-Kin Rules, Disputes, and What to Do

When a family is grieving, legal questions can feel almost offensive at first. And yet they arrive quickly: who owns cremation ashes, who gets custody of cremated remains, and what...

What Are Cremation Ashes Made Of? Cremains Explained (Bone Fragments, Minerals, and Myths) - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Are Cremation Ashes Made Of? Cremains Explained (Bone Fragments, Minerals, and Myths)

The phrase “cremation ashes” is so common that most families don’t question it until the moment it becomes personal. Then you hold the container, you notice the texture, you see...

Does Cremation Happen Before or After the Funeral? Timeline Options Explained - Funeral.com, Inc.

Does Cremation Happen Before or After the Funeral? Timeline Options Explained

One of the first questions families ask—sometimes quietly, sometimes in the middle of a dozen urgent decisions—is whether cremation happens before the funeral or after it. It’s a simple question...

Does Cremation Happen Before or After the Funeral? A Clear Timeline (Plus Common Exceptions) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Does Cremation Happen Before or After the Funeral? A Clear Timeline (Plus Common Exceptions)

When someone dies, families often get hit with two hard realities at once: grief, and logistics. One of the most common questions sounds simple, but it carries a lot of...

Cheapest Way to Be Cremated: Direct Cremation, Assistance Programs, and Cost-Saving Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cheapest Way to Be Cremated: Direct Cremation, Assistance Programs, and Cost-Saving Tips

When someone dies, families often find themselves doing math through tears. The questions can feel blunt: What can we afford? What has to happen right away? What can wait? If...

Cremation Timeline: How Long It Takes, When You Get Ashes, and What Delays It - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cremation Timeline: How Long It Takes, When You Get Ashes, and What Delays It

If you are planning a cremation, you are probably holding two clocks at once. One is practical: paperwork, scheduling, phone calls, and the question everyone asks in a low voice—when...

Cremation Costs Breakdown: Average US Prices, Fees, and Add-Ons to Watch - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cremation Costs Breakdown: Average US Prices, Fees, and Add-Ons to Watch

When a family starts calling around after a death, the first question is often the one that feels the least emotional and the most urgent: how much does cremation cost? People...

What Happens at a Cremation Service: Ceremony Options, Timeline, and Etiquette - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Happens at a Cremation Service: Ceremony Options, Timeline, and Etiquette

If you’ve never attended a cremation service before, the uncertainty can feel heavier than it should. Families often imagine they’re supposed to “know” what happens—when to show up, what to...

How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? Average Prices, Common Fees, and Ways to Save (2025 Guide) - Funeral.com, Inc.

How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? Average Prices, Common Fees, and Ways to Save (2025 Guide)

If you’re pricing cremation after a death or trying to plan ahead, you’ll notice something right away. The numbers are rarely simple. Two families in the same city can receive...

What Is the Cheapest Way to Plan a Funeral? - Funeral.com, Inc.

What Is the Cheapest Way to Plan a Funeral?

The most cost-effective approach to planning a funeral often involves separating the disposition from the ceremony. By choosing the simplest professional disposition option, most commonly a direct cremation, families can...

Direct Cremation: What’s Included, What’s Not, and How Families Can Personalize Later - Funeral.com, Inc.

Direct Cremation: What’s Included, What’s Not, and How Families Can Personalize Later

For many families, direct cremation feels like the least complicated option at a time when everything already feels complicated. There is no pressure to pick a date for a formal...