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.

Collecting Ashes After Cremation: Who Can Pick Them Up, What to Bring, and What Happens Next

Collecting Ashes After Cremation: Who Can Pick Them Up, What to Bring, and What Happens Next

When a funeral home or crematory tells you the remains are ready, it can feel like one more errand—and also like a moment you were not emotionally prepared for. If...

Interment vs. Internment: The Right Term for Ashes (Plus How to Plan an Interment Ceremony)

Interment vs. Internment: The Right Term for Ashes (Plus How to Plan an Interment Ceremony)

If you’ve ever typed “interment” into a message and watched autocorrect fight you, you’re not alone. In the days after a death—or while you’re trying to plan ahead—small words can...

Scattering Ashes Ideas: Ceremonies, Etiquette, and U.S. Rules (Land, Water, and Air)

Scattering Ashes Ideas: Ceremonies, Etiquette, and U.S. Rules (Land, Water, and Air)

There is a particular moment many families describe after cremation: the paperwork is done, the phone stops ringing quite as much, and then a quiet question settles in—now what? The...

What Happens to Unclaimed or Uncollected Cremation Ashes (And How to Claim Them)

What Happens to Unclaimed or Uncollected Cremation Ashes (And How to Claim Them)

Most families who choose cremation never imagine a day when the cremation ashes might sit unclaimed. But it happens more often than people realize, not because families do not care,...

Funeral Order of Service Booklet: What It Is, What to Include, and Examples

Funeral Order of Service Booklet: What It Is, What to Include, and Examples

When you are planning a funeral, you quickly learn that there are two kinds of “paperwork.” There is the kind you never want to see again, like permits, authorizations, and...

Holy Cards and Prayer Cards: Meaning, History, and Modern Funeral Uses

Holy Cards and Prayer Cards: Meaning, History, and Modern Funeral Uses

At a wake, a visitation, or the quiet moment when guests begin to file out of a church, there is often a small, ordinary exchange that carries surprising weight. Someone...

Funeral Programs: What to Include, Examples, and Printing Options

Funeral Programs: What to Include, Examples, and Printing Options

A funeral program is one of those details that can feel small until you’re the one standing at the door, greeting people, and watching them look for something to hold...

What to Wear to a Memorial Service or Celebration of Life: Modern Etiquette & Outfit Ideas

What to Wear to a Memorial Service or Celebration of Life: Modern Etiquette & Outfit Ideas

If you’ve ever stared into your closet before a memorial and felt your stomach drop, you’re not alone. The hard part isn’t the clothing—it’s the fear of getting it wrong...

What to Wear to a Funeral: Dress Code Basics for Men, Women & Kids

What to Wear to a Funeral: Dress Code Basics for Men, Women & Kids

If you’re staring at your closet and feeling unsure, you’re in good company. Most people don’t attend funerals often, and the rules can feel both unspoken and high-stakes—especially when you’re...

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...

What Does “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” Really Mean at a Funeral?

What Does “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” Really Mean at a Funeral?

There is a particular kind of quiet that falls over a graveside. Even if the day has been full of movement—cars arriving, greetings exchanged, tissues offered, people trying to say...

Flag Folding and Presentation at a Veteran’s Funeral: Meaning and What to Expect

Flag Folding and Presentation at a Veteran’s Funeral: Meaning and What to Expect

There is a particular kind of quiet that settles in at the end of a veteran’s funeral. It might be at the graveside, at a committal shelter, or at the...

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...

Funeral Flowers and Color Meanings: How to Choose the Right Sympathy Arrangement

Funeral Flowers and Color Meanings: How to Choose the Right Sympathy Arrangement

Standing in front of a florist’s cooler—or scrolling through pages of arrangements late at night—can make grief feel even louder. You want to show up with something kind, something appropriate,...

How Long Can You Wait to Hold a Memorial After Cremation?

How Long Can You Wait to Hold a Memorial After Cremation?

In the days after a death, families often expect that there is a “right” order of events: a service, a burial, a gathering, a clear ending. But cremation changes the...

How to Write and Deliver a Eulogy: Simple Structure, Examples, and Speaking Tips

How to Write and Deliver a Eulogy: Simple Structure, Examples, and Speaking Tips

If you’re writing a eulogy, this beginner-friendly guide walks you through a clear structure (opening, stories, values, closing) and practical speaking tips for a calm, heartfelt delivery. You’ll also find...