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.

Cardinal Meaning After a Loss: Comforting Quotes, Messages, and the Real-Life Symbolism

Cardinal Meaning After a Loss: Comforting Quotes, Messages, and the Real-Life Symbolism

After a death, ordinary life can feel unfamiliar. The house sounds different. Time moves strangely. And a small, vivid moment—like a bright red bird landing where you can see it...

DIY Pottery Urns: Ceramic Basics, Glaze Safety, and Crematory Questions

DIY Pottery Urns: Ceramic Basics, Glaze Safety, and Crematory Questions

A handmade urn can feel like the opposite of “a product.” It can feel like a story you can hold—clay shaped by a person who loved the person (or pet)...

DIY Pottery Urns: Ceramics Basics, Food-Safe vs. Ash-Safe Glazes, and What to Ask the Crematory

DIY Pottery Urns: Ceramics Basics, Food-Safe vs. Ash-Safe Glazes, and What to Ask the Crematory

In the weeks after a loss—or in the quieter months when you’re planning ahead—many families find themselves drawn to something handmade. A ceramic urn shaped by someone who loved the...

Poetry and Readings for Home Ceremonies: Short Selections That Work for Mixed Beliefs

Poetry and Readings for Home Ceremonies: Short Selections That Work for Mixed Beliefs

In many families, the hardest part of planning a home ceremony is not the food, the chairs, or even the timing. It’s the silence that arrives when everyone realizes the...

What to Say During a Scattering: Short, Nonreligious Readings

What to Say During a Scattering: Short, Nonreligious Readings

If you are planning to scatter ashes, you are probably carrying two things at once: a very personal goodbye, and a very practical moment that happens outside—where wind, water, footing,...

Funeral Order of Service: What to Include + Sample Layouts and Templates

Funeral Order of Service: What to Include + Sample Layouts and Templates

A funeral order of service—often called a funeral program—is one of the simplest things you can provide guests, and also one of the most helpful. When people arrive at a...

When a Cardinal Appears: Sympathy Quotes & Sayings About Loved Ones in Heaven

When a Cardinal Appears: Sympathy Quotes & Sayings About Loved Ones in Heaven

It often happens in an ordinary moment. You’re standing at the sink, pulling into the driveway, or staring out the window because sleep won’t come, and a bright red cardinal...

How to Give Condolences in Spanish: What to Say, What to Avoid, and Helpful Phrases

How to Give Condolences in Spanish: What to Say, What to Avoid, and Helpful Phrases

If you are trying to figure out como dar el pesame, you are probably in the most human place there is: you care, you want to show up well, and...

What to Write on Facebook After Someone Dies: Condolence Posts That Are Respectful

What to Write on Facebook After Someone Dies: Condolence Posts That Are Respectful

Facebook is often where people learn about a death now—sometimes before a family has even had time to call everyone privately. That’s why posting feels delicate. You want to express...

How to Write a Sympathy Note: Dos and Don’ts + Condolence Message Templates (Spanish & English)

How to Write a Sympathy Note: Dos and Don’ts + Condolence Message Templates (Spanish & English)

Most people don’t avoid writing because they don’t care. They avoid it because they care—and they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. If you’re staring at a blank card, a...

Funeral Prayer Cards: What They Are, What to Write, and Where to Order Personalized Cards

Funeral Prayer Cards: What They Are, What to Write, and Where to Order Personalized Cards

There are a few funeral details that look small on the surface but carry surprising weight once the service is over. Funeral prayer cards are one of those details. They...

Funeral Thank-You Note Templates: Examples for Flowers, Food, Donations, and Special Help

Funeral Thank-You Note Templates: Examples for Flowers, Food, Donations, and Special Help

After a loss, thank-you notes can feel like one more impossible task stacked on top of paperwork, phone calls, and the strange quiet that follows a service. And yet, many...

Funeral Guest Books: What to Choose, What to Write, and Digital Alternatives That Actually Work

Funeral Guest Books: What to Choose, What to Write, and Digital Alternatives That Actually Work

A funeral guest book is one of the few items at a service that quietly keeps working after everyone goes home. In the moment, it feels simple: a table near...

Memorial Verses and Funeral Quotes: What to Write on Memorial Cards, Programs, and Keepsakes

Memorial Verses and Funeral Quotes: What to Write on Memorial Cards, Programs, and Keepsakes

When you’re staring at a blank memorial card template or the inside cover of a funeral program, it can feel like the smallest decision is suddenly the hardest one. You...

Pet Loss Quotes and Readings: Comforting Words for a Memorial or Card

Pet Loss Quotes and Readings: Comforting Words for a Memorial or Card

When a pet dies, the quiet can feel unreal. A food bowl that doesn’t need refilling, a leash that stays on the hook, a familiar spot on the couch that...

What Is the Dog’s Prayer Poem?

What Is the Dog’s Prayer Poem?

The connection between a dog and their human is a profound and irreplaceable bond, one that often defies explanation. It is a relationship built on unwavering loyalty, playful companionship, and...