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.

Most Appreciated Funeral Food: What to Bring (and What to Skip) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Most Appreciated Funeral Food: What to Bring (and What to Skip)

When someone dies, people often want to do something tangible. They want to show up with their hands full, because words feel thin and grief feels heavy. Food becomes the...

10 Things to Bring a Grieving Family Besides Flowers (Practical & Kind) - Funeral.com, Inc.

10 Things to Bring a Grieving Family Besides Flowers (Practical & Kind)

If you’re trying to figure out what to bring a grieving family, you’re already doing something meaningful: you’re showing up. The hard part is choosing something that feels kind without...

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Oklahoma (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Choose a Funeral Home in Oklahoma (2026): GPL Price List, Licensing, Questions & Red Flags

Choosing a funeral home is one of those decisions you make while your mind is already carrying too much. You might be grieving, trying to coordinate family, and learning new...

Choosing Funeral Readings and Music: Balancing Personal Meaning and Guest Expectations - Funeral.com, Inc.

Choosing Funeral Readings and Music: Balancing Personal Meaning and Guest Expectations

When you’re planning a service, funeral readings and music can feel like “small” decisions—until you realize they set the emotional temperature for everyone in the room. A familiar hymn can steady...

How to Livestream a Funeral: Tech Setup, Privacy, and Including Remote Guests - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Livestream a Funeral: Tech Setup, Privacy, and Including Remote Guests

When someone you love dies, distance can feel like a second loss layered on top of the first. A cousin who can’t get a flight in time. A grandparent whose...

Weather-Proof Funeral Planning: Rain, Heat, Snow, and Backup Plans That Work - Funeral.com, Inc.

Weather-Proof Funeral Planning: Rain, Heat, Snow, and Backup Plans That Work

When a family chooses an outdoor goodbye, it’s usually for a reason that matters. A graveside service can feel honest and grounded. A park memorial can feel like breathing room....

Planning a Funeral on a Holiday Weekend: Availability Challenges and Practical Workarounds - Funeral.com, Inc.

Planning a Funeral on a Holiday Weekend: Availability Challenges and Practical Workarounds

A holiday weekend can feel like the worst possible time for loss—not because grief follows a calendar, but because everything else suddenly does. Phones go to voicemail. Offices close early....

Living Funerals: What They Are, Why People Hold Them, and How to Plan One - Funeral.com, Inc.

Living Funerals: What They Are, Why People Hold Them, and How to Plan One

A living funeral is one of those phrases that can sound unusual until you hear it described in plain language: it’s a gathering held while someone is still alive, so...

Delayed Memorial Service: How to Plan a Meaningful Ceremony Weeks or Months Later - Funeral.com, Inc.

Delayed Memorial Service: How to Plan a Meaningful Ceremony Weeks or Months Later

In the first days after a death, families often do what they can with what they have: limited time off, scattered relatives, a heart that can’t fully process what’s happened,...

Open vs Closed Casket: How to Decide, What to Expect, and How to Tell Family - Funeral.com, Inc.

Open vs Closed Casket: How to Decide, What to Expect, and How to Tell Family

Most families do not start funeral planning expecting to weigh something as intimate as open casket vs closed casket. It can feel like you are choosing between two different kinds of...

Working With Clergy or an Officiant: Planning a Service That Honors Religious Traditions (and Still Feels Personal) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Working With Clergy or an Officiant: Planning a Service That Honors Religious Traditions (and Still Feels Personal)

In the middle of grief, “planning a service” can sound like a task you’re supposed to be good at. But most families aren’t. You’re trying to honor someone you love,...

Small Funeral vs Large Service: How to Decide What’s Right for Your Family - Funeral.com, Inc.

Small Funeral vs Large Service: How to Decide What’s Right for Your Family

When a death happens, many families assume there’s a single “correct” kind of service—until they realize they’re trying to solve two different problems at once. You’re trying to honor a...

Planning a Funeral From Out of Town: How to Arrange Services Remotely - Funeral.com, Inc.

Planning a Funeral From Out of Town: How to Arrange Services Remotely

Planning a funeral from out of town can feel like two hard things stacked together: grief, and the helplessness of being far away. You might be in another state, overseas,...

25 Ways to Personalize a Funeral or Memorial Service (Simple, Meaningful Ideas) - Funeral.com, Inc.

25 Ways to Personalize a Funeral or Memorial Service (Simple, Meaningful Ideas)

When you’re planning a funeral or memorial, it can feel like you’re trying to do two hard things at once: make practical decisions while also trying to honor a life...

How to Write a Funeral Plan: Documenting Your Final Wishes Step by Step - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Write a Funeral Plan: Documenting Your Final Wishes Step by Step

Most families don’t struggle because they don’t love each other enough. They struggle because grief is disorienting, time-sensitive decisions show up fast, and important details end up scattered across texts,...

How to Talk to Family About Funeral Wishes: A 5-Step Conversation Guide - Funeral.com, Inc.

How to Talk to Family About Funeral Wishes: A 5-Step Conversation Guide

Most people don’t avoid talking about funeral planning because they don’t care. They avoid it because it feels like bringing a storm cloud into an ordinary day. It can feel...