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.

Scattering Ashes Ideas: Ceremonies, Etiquette, and U.S. Rules (Land, Water, and Air)

Scattering Ashes Ideas: Ceremonies, Etiquette, and U.S. Rules (Land, Water, and Air)

There is a particular moment many families describe after cremation: the paperwork is done, the phone stops ringing quite as much, and then a quiet question settles in—now what? The...

What Is IAOPCC Accreditation? A Plain-English Guide for Pet Families (and How to Verify It)

What Is IAOPCC Accreditation? A Plain-English Guide for Pet Families (and How to Verify It)

If you are reading this, there is a good chance you are carrying two things at once: love and responsibility. Love, because you have lost (or are about to lose)...

Flying With Ashes Checklist: TSA Screening, Airline Requirements, and What to Expect

Flying With Ashes Checklist: TSA Screening, Airline Requirements, and What to Expect

Airports have a way of turning even simple errands into something that feels high-stakes. When you’re traveling with a loved one’s ashes, the pressure can feel even heavier—not because you’re...

Pet Loss After Divorce or Breakup: Who Keeps the Ashes, Keepsakes, and What’s Fair

Pet Loss After Divorce or Breakup: Who Keeps the Ashes, Keepsakes, and What’s Fair

Pet loss can be heartbreaking on its own. When it happens during a divorce or breakup, grief can collide with conflict in a way that feels almost surreal: you are...

Headstone Requirements in U.S. Cemeteries: Size, Material & Installation Rules

Headstone Requirements in U.S. Cemeteries: Size, Material & Installation Rules

Most families don’t start this process thinking about paperwork. You start with a name you want to honor, a set of dates that still feel unreal, and a quiet desire...

Scattering Ashes in Parks, Forests, and on Hiking Trails: Permissions and Best Practices

Scattering Ashes in Parks, Forests, and on Hiking Trails: Permissions and Best Practices

Scattering the cremated remains of a loved one can be a deeply meaningful part of funeral planning, but it also raises important questions about legality, respect, and environmental stewardship. Whether...

Scattering Ashes at Sea: Laws, Safety, and Ceremony Ideas for Ocean Farewells

Scattering Ashes at Sea: Laws, Safety, and Ceremony Ideas for Ocean Farewells

For many families, an ocean farewell feels like the most honest kind of goodbye. The sea is vast, rhythmic, and steady. It holds memory without needing a marker. And when...

Cemetery Rules and Regulations 101: What Families Need to Know Before Buying a Plot or Headstone

Cemetery Rules and Regulations 101: What Families Need to Know Before Buying a Plot or Headstone

Most families don’t walk into a cemetery office expecting a lesson in contracts, property rights, landscaping policies, and concrete foundations. They walk in because someone they love has died, or...

Flying With Cremated Remains: TSA Rules, Airline Tips, and Travel-Friendly Urns

Flying With Cremated Remains: TSA Rules, Airline Tips, and Travel-Friendly Urns

Traveling with someone’s ashes can feel oddly heavy in a way that isn’t just physical. You’re carrying love, responsibility, and a plan you don’t want to mess up—while moving through...

New Hampshire Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

New Hampshire Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 23, 2025 for 2026. Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about cremation can feel overwhelming. This guide explains pet cremation in New Hampshire in clear,...

Nevada Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Nevada Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 23, 2025 for 2026. Pet Cremation Overview in Nevada Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about cremation can feel overwhelming. This guide explains pet cremation...

Nebraska Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Nebraska Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 23, 2025 for 2026. Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about cremation can feel overwhelming. This guide explains pet cremation in Nebraska in a clear,...

Montana Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Montana Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 23, 2025 for 2026. Pet Cremation Overview in Montana Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about cremation can feel overwhelming. This guide explains **pet cremation...

Missouri Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Missouri Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 23, 2025 for 2026. Pet Cremation Overview in Missouri Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about cremation can feel overwhelming. This guide explains pet cremation...

How to Mail Cremation Ashes Safely for Jewelry or Other Memorial Services

How to Mail Cremation Ashes Safely for Jewelry or Other Memorial Services

If you are reading this, you may be holding something that feels both precious and overwhelming. Maybe a jeweler has sent you a small kit for a ring or pendant....

When a Death Involves Crime or Legal Investigation: Navigating Media, Courts, and Delays

When a Death Involves Crime or Legal Investigation: Navigating Media, Courts, and Delays

When a death is connected to a crime, suspected foul play, or an active legal investigation, grief rarely arrives on its own. It comes layered with shock, fear, and the...