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.

Online Memorial Websites: How They Work, What to Include, and Privacy Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

Online Memorial Websites: How They Work, What to Include, and Privacy Tips

In the first days after a death, families often find themselves holding two very different kinds of weight at the same time: the emotional shock of what’s happened, and the...

Embalming: What It Is, When It Helps, and When You Can Skip It - Funeral.com, Inc.

Embalming: What It Is, When It Helps, and When You Can Skip It

If you’ve found yourself searching for information about embalming during a period of grief or urgent funeral planning, you’re not alone. Most families aren’t curious about the technical process, they...

Bereavement Leave and Time Off Work After a Death: What Employees Should Know - Funeral.com, Inc.

Bereavement Leave and Time Off Work After a Death: What Employees Should Know

Experiencing a death in the family can make work feel both distant and urgent at the same time. Balancing funeral arrangements, paperwork, and family communications while managing job responsibilities often...

Is Embalming Required for a Funeral? Laws, Myths, and Alternatives Explained - Funeral.com, Inc.

Is Embalming Required for a Funeral? Laws, Myths, and Alternatives Explained

When a death occurs, one of the first questions families often hear from a funeral home is whether they want embalming. In the middle of grief and shock, it can...

Pet Burial Laws by State: What You Need to Know Before Burying a Pet - Funeral.com, Inc.

Pet Burial Laws by State: What You Need to Know Before Burying a Pet

When a beloved dog or cat dies, many families instinctively picture a resting place under a favorite tree or near the back fence. Home burial can feel intimate and deeply...

Scattering Pet Ashes: Legal Guidelines, Meaningful Locations, and Ceremony Ideas - Funeral.com, Inc.

Scattering Pet Ashes: Legal Guidelines, Meaningful Locations, and Ceremony Ideas

Finding yourself with a small container of cremated pet ashes can feel both surreal and heavy with emotion. Many pet owners want to honor their companion in a way that...

Is Backyard Pet Burial Legal? Pet Burial Laws by State and Safer Alternatives - Funeral.com, Inc.

Is Backyard Pet Burial Legal? Pet Burial Laws by State and Safer Alternatives

When a pet dies, many families have the same first instinct: bring them home and bury them in the yard they loved. You might imagine a quiet spot under a...

Pet Cremation Cost by State: What to Expect and How to Compare Quotes - Funeral.com, Inc.

Pet Cremation Cost by State: What to Expect and How to Compare Quotes

When a pet dies, most people are not thinking about line items and taxes. They are thinking about the collar by the door, the empty food bowl, and how quickly...

Home Burial vs. Pet Cremation: Legal and Emotional Considerations - Funeral.com, Inc.

Home Burial vs. Pet Cremation: Legal and Emotional Considerations

Every pet leaves a unique mark on your home and heart, creating memories that stay long after they are gone. Choosing how to honor those memories—whether to bury them at...

Scattering Pet Ashes: Places, Permissions, and Emotional Meaning - Funeral.com, Inc.

Scattering Pet Ashes: Places, Permissions, and Emotional Meaning

There is a particular moment after a pet has passed and their ashes have returned home when you find yourself standing before the pet urn and wondering what comes next....

Honoring a Pet in Your Will or Estate Plan - Funeral.com, Inc.

Honoring a Pet in Your Will or Estate Plan

For many people, a dog, cat, or other companion animal is woven into daily life as deeply as any human family member. You notice it in small routines: the expectant...

Is It Okay to Bury Your Pet at Home? Legal, Safety, and Emotional Considerations - Funeral.com, Inc.

Is It Okay to Bury Your Pet at Home? Legal, Safety, and Emotional Considerations

When a beloved dog, cat, or other companion animal dies, many families feel a strong pull to lay them to rest at home. The backyard is where they chased balls,...

Social Security and Death: Survivor Benefits, One-Time Payments, and What to Report - Funeral.com, Inc.

Social Security and Death: Survivor Benefits, One-Time Payments, and What to Report

The days following the loss of a loved one can feel disorienting and emotionally heavy. Families often find themselves juggling numerous responsibilities at once, arranging a service, coordinating with a...

Death Certificates: Why You Need Them, How Many Copies to Order, and How to Get Replacements - Funeral.com, Inc.

Death Certificates: Why You Need Them, How Many Copies to Order, and How to Get Replacements

Life can change in an instant. One moment, everyday routines carry on as usual; the next, you are faced with the sudden absence of someone who shaped your world. Amid...

Losing a Pet During a Divorce: The Battle for Ashes - Funeral.com, Inc.

Losing a Pet During a Divorce: The Battle for Ashes

Losing a pet is heartbreaking in any season of life. Losing a pet in the middle of a divorce or separation can feel almost unbearable. You may already be arguing...

Scattering Ashes vs Keeping an Urn at Home: Emotional, Practical, and Legal Things to Consider - Funeral.com, Inc.

Scattering Ashes vs Keeping an Urn at Home: Emotional, Practical, and Legal Things to Consider

When someone you love is cremated, you don’t just receive a container of ashes. You receive a new kind of responsibility: deciding what to do with ashes in a way...