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.

Nighttime Is the Hardest: Coping With Pet Loss When the House Feels Too Quiet

Nighttime Is the Hardest: Coping With Pet Loss When the House Feels Too Quiet

Why Evenings Hurt So Much After a Pet Dies After a pet dies, many people say the same thing: “I can get through the day, but at night, everything falls...

Online Grief Groups vs In-Person Support: Which Works Better After a Loss?

Online Grief Groups vs In-Person Support: Which Works Better After a Loss?

In the weeks after a death, many people describe their world as split in two. On one side are the practical tasks: calling relatives, making funeral planning decisions, choosing between burial...

How to Know When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Making End-of-Life Decisions for a Pet

How to Know When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Making End-of-Life Decisions for a Pet

When Love and Responsibility Collide There is a particular kind of silence that settles over a home when a pet is nearing the end of life. The sound of nails...

Coordinating Memorial Dates for Both Pets and People: Avoiding Overwhelm While Honoring Everyone

Coordinating Memorial Dates for Both Pets and People: Avoiding Overwhelm While Honoring Everyone

When the Calendar Starts to Feel Heavy For many families, loss does not happen just once. A parent dies, then years later a spouse. A beloved dog is euthanized after...

Why Losing a Pet Hurts So Deeply (and Why Your Grief Is Real)

Why Losing a Pet Hurts So Deeply (and Why Your Grief Is Real)

If you are reading this after losing a pet, there is a good chance you are surprised by how hard it is hitting you. You might find yourself crying in...

Going Back to Work After a Death or Pet Loss: Managing Grief in a Workplace Setting

Going Back to Work After a Death or Pet Loss: Managing Grief in a Workplace Setting

Going back to work after someone you love has died—whether that is a parent, partner, friend, or a beloved pet—can feel like stepping onto a moving treadmill when you are...

Is It Okay to Take Photos at a Funeral? Etiquette, Boundaries, and Alternatives

Is It Okay to Take Photos at a Funeral? Etiquette, Boundaries, and Alternatives

Why This Question Comes Up So Often In the past, funerals were private, camera-free spaces. Today, nearly everyone carries a phone with a high-quality camera, and moments of grief often...

Talking About Pet Loss in Therapy: What to Expect and How It Can Help

Talking About Pet Loss in Therapy: What to Expect and How It Can Help

When a beloved dog, cat, or other companion animal dies, the grief can feel just as intense as losing a person you love. Research backs this up: surveys show that...

Explaining Pet Euthanasia to Children: Gentle Language for a Very Hard Topic

Explaining Pet Euthanasia to Children: Gentle Language for a Very Hard Topic

When a beloved pet is very sick or in pain, adults often find themselves wrestling with two heartbreaks at once: the decision to choose euthanasia, and the question of explaining...

Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry: A Practical Guide for Real Families

Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry: A Practical Guide for Real Families

The moment a loved one passes, families are faced with a mix of practical and emotional decisions. Cremation brings choices that extend beyond paperwork, deciding where ashes will live, how...

cremation urn on the table

Siblings and Inheritance: Preventing Conflict Over Money, Keepsakes, and Care Decisions

Family dynamics are complex, and they become even more intricate when questions of inheritance arise. Stories unfold not just around bank accounts or property, but around who showed up when...

Companion Urns and Double Headstones: Planning Memorials for Two People

Companion Urns and Double Headstones: Planning Memorials for Two People

Honoring the bond between two people in life can extend meaningfully into their memorials, creating a lasting tribute that reflects the depth of their relationship. Companion urns and double headstones...

What to Do When Someone Dies at Home: Step-by-Step Guide for Expected and Unexpected Deaths

What to Do When Someone Dies at Home: Step-by-Step Guide for Expected and Unexpected Deaths

Knowing what to do when someone dies at home can feel overwhelming, especially when emotions run high and decisions need to be made quickly. Whether facing an expected death at...

Veterans Funeral Benefits and Military Honors: What Families Need to Know

Veterans Funeral Benefits and Military Honors: What Families Need to Know

For those who have served in the military, the sacrifices made extend far beyond the battlefield. Veterans dedicate years of their lives to protect their country, and in return, the...

Preplanning Your Own Funeral or Cremation: Benefits, Decisions, and What to Put in Writing

Preplanning Your Own Funeral or Cremation: Benefits, Decisions, and What to Put in Writing

There’s a moment when you realize that preplanning your own funeral or cremation isn’t morbid, it’s practical, protective, and deeply loving. Thinking about it isn’t about dwelling on the end;...

Green Burial and Natural Burial Grounds: Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Funerals

Green Burial and Natural Burial Grounds: Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Funerals

The growing awareness of environmental issues has reshaped how many people approach end-of-life planning. Increasingly, families are turning to green burial guide options as a way to honor loved ones...