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.
Embalming vs. Refrigeration: Environmental Impact, Cost & When Each Makes Sense
Most families don’t expect to be weighing body preparation choices while they’re still trying to catch their breath. The first calls are made, the timeline starts to form, and suddenly...
Funeral Home Price Lists: How to Read a GPL (Funeral Home General Price List)
The first time most people see a funeral home’s General Price List, it doesn’t feel like “help.” It feels like a binder full of decisions you didn’t want to make,...
Aquamation vs. Flame Cremation Cost: Typical Price Ranges & What Affects Them
When a family is deciding between aquamation and flame cremation, the question is rarely “Which is better?” It’s usually “Which choice fits what we can manage right now—financially, emotionally, and...
Crowdfunding Funeral Expenses: What Works and What Backfires
Most families don’t set out to start a fundraiser. They arrive there because loss happened fast, and the practical bills arrived even faster. In the same week you’re trying to...
What a Funeral Director Wishes Families Knew
Most families I meet don’t walk into a funeral home expecting to talk about containers. They expect to talk about a person. And yet, somewhere between the phone calls, the...
Arriving Late to a Funeral: Seating Etiquette and What to Do at the Door
Traffic happens. Parking lots fill up. Schedules collide. If you are arriving late to a funeral, the worry is usually not “Will anyone notice?” so much as “How do I...
Cell Phone Etiquette at Funerals: Silence, Photos, Emergencies, and When It’s Okay to Text
A funeral has a particular kind of silence—one built from respect and the effort people make to hold themselves together. A ringtone or bright screen can cut through that quiet...
Tipping Clergy for a Funeral in 2026: Honorariums, Typical Ranges, and What’s Actually Expected
In the middle of grief, it can feel strangely awkward to ask a practical question like tipping clergy funeral. Families often worry they’ll offend someone by offering money—or offend someone...
Do You Need to Wear a Yarmulke at a Jewish Funeral? Kippah Etiquette for Guests
You walk in, lower your voice, and try to find a seat without interrupting anyone’s grief. Then you spot a basket of small skullcaps near the entrance. If you’re new...
What to Wear to a Winter Funeral: Coats, Boots, and Graveside Weather Tips
Winter services can feel like two events happening at once: the emotional weight of showing up for someone you care about, and the very real logistics of cold, wind, snow,...
Do Caskets Have Warranties? What’s Usually Covered (and Why “Sealer” Claims Matter)
When someone dies, families often find themselves making choices that feel both deeply personal and unexpectedly technical. A casket can look like a simple decision—wood or metal, classic or modern,...
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 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 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...