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.

Should Children Attend Funerals? Age-by-Age Considerations, Preparation, and Alternatives

Should Children Attend Funerals? Age-by-Age Considerations, Preparation, and Alternatives

When someone dies, adults often struggle with one big question: Should the kids come to the funeral? You might worry that it will be too scary or sad, or that...

Advance Directives and Living Wills: Making Medical Wishes Clear Before the End of Life

Advance Directives and Living Wills: Making Medical Wishes Clear Before the End of Life

Most families don’t start talking about end-of-life medical care because everything feels urgent and frightening. They start talking because of something quieter: a news story that hits close to home,...

Organ Donation and Body Donation to Science: How They Affect Funeral and Cremation Plans

Organ Donation and Body Donation to Science: How They Affect Funeral and Cremation Plans

When you say yes to donation, you are really saying two things at once: “I want to help someone after I’m gone,” and “I still want my family to have...

Life Insurance and Funeral Costs: How Payouts Can Help and What to Watch For

Life Insurance and Funeral Costs: How Payouts Can Help and What to Watch For

When someone dies, two hard realities often arrive at the same time: grief, and bills. Families are suddenly trying to make decisions about funeral arrangements, cremation services, travel, and memorial...

Memorial Donations in Lieu of Flowers: How to Request and Manage Gifts in Someone’s Honor

Memorial Donations in Lieu of Flowers: How to Request and Manage Gifts in Someone’s Honor

When someone dies, flowers often arrive before the words do. They are beautiful, comforting, and traditional. But more and more families are choosing memorial donations in lieu of flowers, asking...

How Much Does a Funeral Cost? Complete Funeral Price Breakdown and Ways to Save

How Much Does a Funeral Cost? Complete Funeral Price Breakdown and Ways to Save

When someone dies, the question how much does a funeral cost often arrives right alongside shock and grief. It can feel jarring to talk about money when what you really...

How to Write an Obituary: Step-by-Step Guide with Examples and Templates

How to Write an Obituary: Step-by-Step Guide with Examples and Templates

When someone you love dies, the idea of writing an obituary can feel impossibly heavy. You’re grieving, handling paperwork, answering calls—and now you’re supposed to “sum up” a whole person’s...

How to Transport Human Remains

How to Transport Human Remains

When a loved one passes away away from home, families are often faced with an unexpected and emotionally complex task: arranging to bring their remains to the place where final...

What Is Embalming? Process, Safety, and When It’s Needed

What Is Embalming? Process, Safety, and When It’s Needed

Understanding what embalming is can bring clarity during one of life’s most difficult moments. In times of loss—when emotions are heavy and decisions feel overwhelming, knowing what this process truly...

Understanding Where Do People Get Cremated: Options and Processes

Understanding Where Do People Get Cremated: Options and Processes

Cremation is a deeply personal decision that reflects respect, love, and remembrance for a life well-lived. It is a choice that allows families to honor their loved one’s wishes while...

What Is Direct Burial? How It Works, Who It’s For, and How It Differs From Cremation

What Is Direct Burial? How It Works, Who It’s For, and How It Differs From Cremation

Direct burial is a simple, dignified alternative to a traditional funeral. Instead of planning a full ceremony with embalming, public viewing, and multiple events at the funeral home, families who...

How Much Does Cremation Cost? Average Prices and Budget-Friendly Options

How Much Does Cremation Cost? Average Prices and Budget-Friendly Options

When you are already grieving, trying to figure out how much cremation costs can feel like one more burden you do not have the energy to carry. Quotes from different...

Graveside Service, Cremation Service, or Celebration of Life?

Graveside Service, Cremation Service, or Celebration of Life?

When a loved one passes away, one of the earliest decisions a family faces is choosing the type of service that best reflects their values, beliefs, and the personality of...

Traditional Burial vs. Cremation

Traditional Burial vs. Cremation

Updated: November 20, 2025 Saying goodbye to someone you love is one of the heaviest experiences we face. In that season of grief, even practical decisions—like choosing between a traditional burial...

Why Pre-Planning a Funeral Is a Gift to Your Family

Why Pre-Planning a Funeral Is a Gift to Your Family

Updated: November 20, 2025 When considering meaningful gifts for those we love, most think of celebrations like birthdays or holidays. Yet pre-planning a funeral stands out as one of the most...

Writing a Eulogy: How to Capture a Life in Words

Writing a Eulogy: How to Capture a Life in Words

Updated: November 25, 2025 There are moments in life when words feel both powerful and impossibly small. Standing before family and friends to speak about someone who has passed is...