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.

Cremation and Religion in the U.S.: What Major Faiths Allow and Common Rules for Ashes

Cremation and Religion in the U.S.: What Major Faiths Allow and Common Rules for Ashes

When a death happens, families often discover that the hardest questions aren’t only logistical. They’re spiritual. A relative may say, “Mom wanted cremation,” while another asks, “Is that allowed in...

Cremation Urn Materials Guide: Metal, Wood, Ceramic, Stone, and Biodegradable Options (Plus What Can Be Buried)

Cremation Urn Materials Guide: Metal, Wood, Ceramic, Stone, and Biodegradable Options (Plus What Can Be Buried)

Choosing an urn can feel strangely difficult. Not because you can’t find something beautiful, but because the object you choose is tied to a decision you didn’t want to have...

When Family Doesn’t Claim Ashes: Timelines, Responsibilities, and Next Steps

When Family Doesn’t Claim Ashes: Timelines, Responsibilities, and Next Steps

When someone dies, the days that follow can feel like a blur of phone calls, paperwork, and decisions no one wanted to make. In the middle of that fog, it...

How Big Is a Cremation Urn? Sizes, Cubic Inches, and What Fits in a Columbarium Niche

How Big Is a Cremation Urn? Sizes, Cubic Inches, and What Fits in a Columbarium Niche

If you’re shopping for cremation urns for the first time, it can feel strangely technical at a moment that’s already tender. A listing might say “200 cubic inches,” while your real...

What to Say at a Funeral: Comforting Words for In-Person Condolences, Sympathy Cards, and Funeral Flowers

What to Say at a Funeral: Comforting Words for In-Person Condolences, Sympathy Cards, and Funeral Flowers

Most people don’t freeze at a funeral because they don’t care. They freeze because they care so much that they’re afraid of making grief worse. You step into a room...

How the Cremation Process Works in the U.S.: Step-by-Step, Crematorium Basics, and Container Options

How the Cremation Process Works in the U.S.: Step-by-Step, Crematorium Basics, and Container Options

When you are grieving, the hardest part is often that everything feels urgent and unfamiliar at the same time. Cremation can be a gentle, practical choice, but families still deserve...

Pet Cremation for Large Dogs: What’s Different (Timing, Cost, Transport & Urn Size)

Pet Cremation for Large Dogs: What’s Different (Timing, Cost, Transport & Urn Size)

The house feels different when a large-breed dog dies. Not only because their presence filled so much space, but because the practical realities arrive fast: a heavy body you can’t...

Backyard Pet Burial Safety Checklist: Depth, Water Table, Wildlife Risks & Legal Basics

Backyard Pet Burial Safety Checklist: Depth, Water Table, Wildlife Risks & Legal Basics

When a beloved pet dies, the urge to bring them home and keep them close can be powerful. For some families, a backyard burial feels like the most natural goodbye—quiet,...

Funeral Attire Etiquette: What to Wear to a Wake, Visitation, and Funeral

Funeral Attire Etiquette: What to Wear to a Wake, Visitation, and Funeral

If you’re reading this with a closet door open and a knot in your stomach, you’re not alone. Grief has a way of making even simple choices feel loaded: shoes,...

How to Become a Funeral Planner: Job Duties, Skills, and Career Path

How to Become a Funeral Planner: Job Duties, Skills, and Career Path

In the U.S., the funeral planner (often called a funeral planning counselor or funeral arranger) helps families turn urgent, emotional decisions into a clear plan. This guide explains what the...

Pet Burial When You Rent: Options for Apartment and Condo Dwellers

Pet Burial When You Rent: Options for Apartment and Condo Dwellers

When a pet dies, many people instinctively imagine a peaceful burial—a small ceremony, a favorite blanket, a place to visit on hard days. But if you live in an apartment,...

Creating a Small Family Pet Cemetery on Private Land: Rules, Records, and Respect

Creating a Small Family Pet Cemetery on Private Land: Rules, Records, and Respect

When a pet dies on rural land, the instinct to bring them home can feel both tender and practical. You know the trees they slept under. You know the paths...

Working with a Pastor or Celebrant for a Scattering of Ashes Ceremony

Working with a Pastor or Celebrant for a Scattering of Ashes Ceremony

A scattering ceremony often starts with a simple wish: to say goodbye in a place that meant something. Then, almost immediately, families realize how many decisions are tucked inside that...

Planning a Pet Funeral on a Budget: Simple, Meaningful Ideas that Don’t Cost Much

Planning a Pet Funeral on a Budget: Simple, Meaningful Ideas that Don’t Cost Much

When a pet dies, grief has a strange way of colliding with paperwork, prices, and decisions you never wanted to make. You might find yourself trying to plan a goodbye...

Funeral Flower Arrangements Explained: Types, Average Costs, and Meaning

Funeral Flower Arrangements Explained: Types, Average Costs, and Meaning

Funeral flowers can feel surprisingly complicated—especially when you’re trying to comfort someone while your own emotions are running high. You may be looking at funeral flower arrangements like wreaths, standing...

Funeral Flower Etiquette: What to Send, When to Send It, and What It Means

Funeral Flower Etiquette: What to Send, When to Send It, and What It Means

When someone dies, flowers can feel like the “safe” thing to do—until you realize how many choices sit behind that simple gesture. Do you send something to the service or...