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 Say When Someone Dies: Condolence Text Messages, Sympathy Card Wording, and Examples

What to Say When Someone Dies: Condolence Text Messages, Sympathy Card Wording, and Examples

When someone dies, the first problem is rarely “What is the perfect thing to say?” The first problem is that you care, and your care collides with shock. You pick...

Cardinal Sympathy Quotes: Comforting Messages When ‘A Loved One Is Near’

Cardinal Sympathy Quotes: Comforting Messages When ‘A Loved One Is Near’

In the first days after a loss, language can feel strangely inadequate. You want to say something that matters, but your mind keeps circling the same few phrases that suddenly...

Preserving Funeral Flowers With Silica Gel: Drying Steps, Timing, and Common Mistakes

Preserving Funeral Flowers With Silica Gel: Drying Steps, Timing, and Common Mistakes

The days around a funeral are full of moments that pass too quickly. You might remember a hug in the parking lot, a hymn that caught in your throat, or...

Garden Flowers for Funerals: DIY Arrangements That Look Beautiful Without Floral Foam

Garden Flowers for Funerals: DIY Arrangements That Look Beautiful Without Floral Foam

There are moments in grief when you want something you can do with your hands. Not because you’re trying to “stay busy” or avoid feeling, but because love needs a...

Cell Phone Etiquette at Funerals: Silence, Photos, Emergencies, and When It’s Okay to Text

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...

Virtual Funerals on Zoom: Step-by-Step Setup, Privacy Settings, and Host Checklist

Virtual Funerals on Zoom: Step-by-Step Setup, Privacy Settings, and Host Checklist

A zoom funeral or virtual memorial service Zoom can feel surprisingly intimate. When travel isn’t possible, when health concerns make gathering complicated, or when family is spread across time zones,...

Digital Vaults for Final Messages: Storing Voice Memos, Videos, and Instructions Securely

Digital Vaults for Final Messages: Storing Voice Memos, Videos, and Instructions Securely

Most families don’t lose a loved one’s final messages because they weren’t recorded. They lose them because they were recorded “somewhere,” and then that somewhere becomes surprisingly hard to reach....

“In Lieu of Flowers”: How Memorial Donations Work and What to Write in the Card

“In Lieu of Flowers”: How Memorial Donations Work and What to Write in the Card

When you are trying to show up for someone in grief, it is normal to reach for what you know. Flowers. A casserole. A card that says, “I’m so sorry,”...

Where Should Flowers Go? Sending to the Funeral Home vs. Sending to the Family’s Home

Where Should Flowers Go? Sending to the Funeral Home vs. Sending to the Family’s Home

If you have ever found yourself staring at a checkout page thinking, “I want to be kind, but I do not want to make this harder,” you are in very...

Sympathy Money Gifts: When Cash (or Checks) Are Appropriate and How to Give Them Respectfully

Sympathy Money Gifts: When Cash (or Checks) Are Appropriate and How to Give Them Respectfully

When someone dies, the instinct to help is immediate. You want to lift something—anything—off the family’s shoulders. Food is comforting, flowers are beautiful, and words can matter more than we...

Funeral Thank-You Cards: Who Should Receive One (Gifts, Meals, Flowers, Donations, and Help)

Funeral Thank-You Cards: Who Should Receive One (Gifts, Meals, Flowers, Donations, and Help)

When you’re grieving, thank-you notes can feel like a chore you didn’t volunteer for. You may be staring at a stack of cards, a list of names, and a calendar...

What to Write When Someone Gives Money or Food: Thank-You Scripts for Cards, Texts, and Emails

What to Write When Someone Gives Money or Food: Thank-You Scripts for Cards, Texts, and Emails

When someone shows up after a death with a meal, a grocery delivery, a gift card, or a cash gift, the kindness can land in a complicated place. You may...

Is It Too Late to Send Funeral Thank-You Notes? Timing Guidelines That Work in Real Life

Is It Too Late to Send Funeral Thank-You Notes? Timing Guidelines That Work in Real Life

If you are asking whether it’s is it too late to send funeral thank you notes, you are probably carrying two things at once: gratitude for the people who showed...

Holiday Cards After a Death: What to Write (and How to Avoid Painful Phrases)

Holiday Cards After a Death: What to Write (and How to Avoid Painful Phrases)

The first holiday season after a death can feel like walking into a room that looks familiar, but doesn’t feel familiar at all. The calendar keeps moving, store windows keep...

Leaving a Funeral Early: How to Slip Out Quietly and Respectfully

Leaving a Funeral Early: How to Slip Out Quietly and Respectfully

There are moments when you walk into a funeral service with your whole heart fully present, and yet your calendar, your body, or your responsibilities are not. A work shift...

What to Wear to a Winter Funeral: Coats, Boots, and Graveside Weather Tips

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,...