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.

Final Letters and Ethical Wills: Passing on Values, Stories, and Messages of Love

Final Letters and Ethical Wills: Passing on Values, Stories, and Messages of Love

Most people know they should have a legal will to say who receives their money and property someday. Far fewer have heard of an ethical will or taken time to...

Memorial Day Cemetery Decorations: Creative Tips for Honoring Loved Ones

Memorial Day Cemetery Decorations: Creative Tips for Honoring Loved Ones

Memorial Day can bring a quiet ache long before you reach the cemetery gates. You might find yourself wondering what to bring, how much to decorate, or whether your choices...

Traveling with Cremated Remains: TSA Rules, Airline Policies, and Practical Tips

Traveling with Cremated Remains: TSA Rules, Airline Policies, and Practical Tips

Families often travel with a loved one’s ashes for deeply personal reasons, fulfilling a final wish to return home, scattering the remains in a place filled with meaning, or bringing...

Religions and Cremation: How Different Faiths View Cremation vs Burial

Religions and Cremation: How Different Faiths View Cremation vs Burial

When families start talking about cremation vs burial, the conversation rarely stays purely practical. Very quickly, it touches on religious views on cremation, beliefs about the body and the soul,...

Cat Euthanasia and Cremation Costs: What to Expect at the Vet and Crematory

Cat Euthanasia and Cremation Costs: What to Expect at the Vet and Crematory

Understanding the Emotional and Financial Landscape Saying goodbye to a cat is one of the hardest experiences a pet parent can face. When illness, pain, or age has taken away...

What to Wear to a Funeral, Wake, or Celebration of Life: Dress Code Made Simple

What to Wear to a Funeral, Wake, or Celebration of Life: Dress Code Made Simple

Grief does not come with a wardrobe checklist. Most people only attend a few services in their lifetime, so it is completely normal to wonder what to wear to a...

Preplanning a Funeral: Benefits, Costs, and Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Preplanning a Funeral: Benefits, Costs, and Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Thinking about your own funeral is not easy. But for many people, preplanning a funeral is less about focusing on death and more about giving a practical, lasting gift to...

Mailing Cremated Remains: USPS Rules, Required Kits, and How to Ship Ashes Safely

Mailing Cremated Remains: USPS Rules, Required Kits, and How to Ship Ashes Safely

When families talk about funeral planning today, the conversation often includes distance. Adult children may live in other states, a memorial service might be scheduled months after a death, or...

Gravesite Decoration Ideas: Flowers, Flags, and Seasonal Tributes That Last

Gravesite Decoration Ideas: Flowers, Flags, and Seasonal Tributes That Last

When it comes to gravesite decoration ideas, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. From flowers for graves and artificial flowers for headstones to flags on graves and seasonal grave...

Headstone Quotes and Sayings: Choosing the Right Words for a Loved One’s Grave

Headstone Quotes and Sayings: Choosing the Right Words for a Loved One’s Grave

Selecting the right headstone quotes and sayings is an emotional journey that combines love, remembrance, and reflection. Every word etched into stone carries the weight of a life lived, preserving...

Burying a Pet at Home: Legal Rules, Safety Tips, and Alternatives to Consider

Burying a Pet at Home: Legal Rules, Safety Tips, and Alternatives to Consider

Sometimes the quiet after a pet’s final breath feels heavier than words can hold. The house changes, its corners softer, its routines quieter, and yet their presence stays woven into...

Pet Cremation Cost by Size: Small, Medium, and Large Dog and Cat Price Guide

Pet Cremation Cost by Size: Small, Medium, and Large Dog and Cat Price Guide

Caring for a pet’s final arrangements is an important step in honoring the life and companionship they’ve shared with you. When considering pet cremation cost by size, many pet owners...

Headstone Epitaph Ideas: Beautiful Words, Quotes, and Short Sayings for Gravestones

Headstone Epitaph Ideas: Beautiful Words, Quotes, and Short Sayings for Gravestones

Choosing the right words to honor a loved one’s memory can feel overwhelming. In moments of grief, even the simplest decisions, like what to put on a gravestone, can suddenly...

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...