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.

Should You Buy a Headstone Before You Need It? Pros, Cons, and Planning Tips

Should You Buy a Headstone Before You Need It? Pros, Cons, and Planning Tips

For most families, a headstone is something you choose after a death—when the grave is fresh, the paperwork is still unfolding, and the emotional weight of “making it final” feels...

Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space

Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space

There are places that ask something quiet of us the moment we arrive. A national cemetery is one of them. Even before you read a sign or see a uniform,...

Understanding Your Cemetery Contract: Plot Rights, Fees, and Long-Term Obligations

Understanding Your Cemetery Contract: Plot Rights, Fees, and Long-Term Obligations

In a season of loss—or even in the quieter months of funeral planning—a cemetery contract can feel like a different language. The words look familiar: plot, deed, perpetual care, interment. But...

What to Do If a Headstone Is Leaning, Cracked, or Damaged

What to Do If a Headstone Is Leaning, Cracked, or Damaged

You might notice it from a distance first: a headstone that doesn’t look quite square anymore, a tilt that wasn’t there last time, a corner that seems chipped, or a...

Military Headstone Symbols and Abbreviations: How to Read a Veteran’s Grave

Military Headstone Symbols and Abbreviations: How to Read a Veteran’s Grave

The first time you stand in front of a veteran’s grave, you might notice how much is said in so few lines. A name. Two dates. A short row of...

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings

If you’ve ever walked through a veterans cemetery or a section of military graves on Memorial Day, you’ve probably noticed how quiet the details can be. A small flag placed...

Headstone Wording for Dad: Examples Ranging from Traditional to Personal and Lighthearted

Headstone Wording for Dad: Examples Ranging from Traditional to Personal and Lighthearted

There’s a particular kind of silence that shows up when a family starts choosing a headstone inscription for a father. You can talk about stone color, shape, and layout with...

Short Bible Verses for Headstones: Faith-Filled Epitaph Ideas for Christian Families

Short Bible Verses for Headstones: Faith-Filled Epitaph Ideas for Christian Families

The day you choose a headstone inscription is rarely the day you feel ready. It might be weeks after the funeral, when the flowers are gone and the house has...

What Is a Headstone, Exactly? Definitions, Types, and Cemetery Rules in Plain English

What Is a Headstone, Exactly? Definitions, Types, and Cemetery Rules in Plain English

When you’re grieving—or trying to plan ahead—cemetery language can feel like a second loss: unfamiliar terms, rules you didn’t know existed, and decisions that suddenly carry a lifetime of permanence....

What Do the Colors of the American Flag Mean? Red, White, and Blue Explained

What Do the Colors of the American Flag Mean? Red, White, and Blue Explained

Some symbols feel louder in grief than they ever did in ordinary life. A folded flag at the end of a service. A small flag tucked into flowers at a...

Is It Possible for Pets to Return as Spirits? How Different Traditions View Ghost Stories and Hauntings

Is It Possible for Pets to Return as Spirits? How Different Traditions View Ghost Stories and Hauntings

In the first quiet days after a pet dies, the house can feel strangely loud. The empty food bowl. The missing click of nails on the hallway floor. The space...

Memorials for Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death: Gentle Ideas for Honoring Very Short Lives

Memorials for Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death: Gentle Ideas for Honoring Very Short Lives

Some losses arrive with a public script. Other losses happen quietly—sometimes before anyone else knew you were pregnant, sometimes after you had already made space in your mind and home...

Grieving a "Soul Pet": Why This Loss Feels Different Than Others

Grieving a "Soul Pet": Why This Loss Feels Different Than Others

There are losses that arrive like weather—hard, undeniable, and shared by everyone around you. And then there are losses that feel strangely private, even when people are kind. The death...

Identity Crisis: Who Am I If I’m Not a "Dog Mom" Anymore?

Identity Crisis: Who Am I If I’m Not a "Dog Mom" Anymore?

For a long time, being a “dog mom” (or “dog dad,” or simply “their person”) wasn’t just something you did. It was the way your days were structured, the way...

Pre-Grieving: Why You Feel Guilty for Thinking About Life After They're Gone

Pre-Grieving: Why You Feel Guilty for Thinking About Life After They're Gone

If you’re caring for an aging or terminally ill pet, you may be living in two timelines at once. In one, you’re still measuring medications, counting breaths, watching appetite, celebrating...

Healing Together: Family Rituals for Pet Loss

Healing Together: Family Rituals for Pet Loss

The first quiet after a pet dies can feel louder than anything. A water bowl sits untouched. The leash hangs where it always did. Someone in the family reaches for...