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.

Understanding the Cremation Process: From Preparation to Memorial

Understanding the Cremation Process: From Preparation to Memorial

Cremation is a deeply personal way to honor a loved one’s life, providing families with flexible options for memorialization. While the idea of cremation may feel clinical at first, it...

The History of Cremation: From Ancient Practices to Modern Memorialization

The History of Cremation: From Ancient Practices to Modern Memorialization

Since ancient times, people have sought meaningful ways to honor their loved ones, and cremation has been a central practice for centuries. In ancient Greece, cremation celebrated the valor of...

How to Get a Death Certificate: A Step-by-Step Guide for Families

How to Get a Death Certificate: A Step-by-Step Guide for Families

Losing a loved one is overwhelming, and one of the first practical steps families face is obtaining a death certificate. This official document verifies a person’s passing and is essential...

How to Get a Death Certificate: A Family Guide

How to Get a Death Certificate: A Family Guide

Losing a loved one is a profound experience, and amidst the grief and remembrance, there are practical steps families must take. One of the most essential documents is the death...

Scattering a Loved One’s Ashes: A Guide to Meaningful Remembrance

Scattering a Loved One’s Ashes: A Guide to Meaningful Remembrance

Scattering a loved one’s ashes can be a deeply emotional and spiritual experience. Many families find comfort knowing their loved one returns to nature, symbolizes freedom, or reaches a place...

Funerals: A Comprehensive Consumer Guide to Planning and Memorializing

Funerals: A Comprehensive Consumer Guide to Planning and Memorializing

When a loved one passes, families face a range of decisions that can feel overwhelming. Choosing the right funeral involves evaluating services, personal preferences, and legal requirements. Options often include...

Hindu Funeral Guide: Honoring Life, Death, and the Soul’s Journey

Hindu Funeral Guide: Honoring Life, Death, and the Soul’s Journey

Hindu funerals reflect centuries of spiritual and cultural heritage, offering a framework for families to honor their loved ones. Central to Hinduism is the belief in samsara, the cycle of...

How to Find an Obituary and Honor the Ones You Love

How to Find an Obituary and Honor the Ones You Love

When someone you care about passes, an obituary becomes more than just a public notice — it’s a heartfelt snapshot of a life well lived. An obituary shares the name...

Honoring Loved Ones: Death Rituals From Around the World

Honoring Loved Ones: Death Rituals From Around the World

Across the globe, families navigate the delicate journey of mourning loss in ways that reflect their culture, faith, and personal beliefs. Each death ritual carries a profound meaning, offering comfort...

When Love Outlives a Wedding Ring: Meaning, Memory, and Moving Forward

When Love Outlives a Wedding Ring: Meaning, Memory, and Moving Forward

There is a quiet moment after loss when a widow looks down at her wedding ring and wonders what it means now. The ring once symbolized partnership, shared plans, and...

Planning a Memorial Walk/Run or Sports Tournament: An Annual Tribute That Builds Community

Planning a Memorial Walk/Run or Sports Tournament: An Annual Tribute That Builds Community

A memorial event starts the way so many meaningful things do: with a small group of people realizing they miss someone in the same place, on the same calendar day,...

Augmented Reality Memorials: Using AR to Share Life Stories at Gravesites (and What’s Next)

Augmented Reality Memorials: Using AR to Share Life Stories at Gravesites (and What’s Next)

There are places that hold a kind of silence you can feel. A cemetery in late afternoon. A small family plot where the ground is still new. A veteran’s section...

Memorials in the Metaverse: Virtual Cemeteries, Online Shrines, and Digital Grief Spaces

Memorials in the Metaverse: Virtual Cemeteries, Online Shrines, and Digital Grief Spaces

In the hours and days after a death, many families discover something unexpected: grief now has an address. Sometimes it is a familiar one—an old voicemail saved on a phone,...

Drones at Funerals: Aerial Video, Tribute Moments, and the Rules to Know Before You Book

Drones at Funerals: Aerial Video, Tribute Moments, and the Rules to Know Before You Book

On some days, a family wants the world to stay small. A few chairs, a familiar song, the simple steadiness of being together. On other days, families want proof that...

Deepfakes of the Deceased: Ethics, Consent, and the Risks of AI Recreation

Deepfakes of the Deceased: Ethics, Consent, and the Risks of AI Recreation

Not long after a death, families often find themselves in two worlds at once. One world is intensely practical: phone calls, paperwork, decisions about disposition, and the quiet question of...

Eco Memorials: Eternal Reefs, Tree Planting, and Other Earth-Friendly Ways to Remember Someone

Eco Memorials: Eternal Reefs, Tree Planting, and Other Earth-Friendly Ways to Remember Someone

In the days after a death—or in the quieter months when grief shows up in unexpected ways—many families find themselves wanting two things at once: a way to keep someone...