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.

Solar “Eternal Flames”: Sustainable Memorial Lighting Options for Graves and Gardens - Funeral.com, Inc.

Solar “Eternal Flames”: Sustainable Memorial Lighting Options for Graves and Gardens

The idea of an eternal flame is simple and powerful: love stays present. But open-flame candles can blow out, require refills, and may be restricted by cemetery policies. A solar...

Joss Paper and “Spirit Money”: Why Families Burn Offerings and What It Means - Funeral.com, Inc.

Joss Paper and “Spirit Money”: Why Families Burn Offerings and What It Means

In many Chinese and East or Southeast Asian families, grief doesn’t only ask for tears. It asks for care. It asks for action that says, in the most human way...

Butterfly Memorial Gardens: Host Plants, Nectar Plants, and Simple Layout Ideas - Funeral.com, Inc.

Butterfly Memorial Gardens: Host Plants, Nectar Plants, and Simple Layout Ideas

Sometimes grief asks for something that isn’t a phone call or a form. It asks for a place. A small corner of sun where your hands can do something gentle...

Obon Lantern Rituals: Toro Nagashi, Ancestor Welcome, and the Meaning of Floating Lights - Funeral.com, Inc.

Obon Lantern Rituals: Toro Nagashi, Ancestor Welcome, and the Meaning of Floating Lights

There are summer nights in Japan when the air feels warm and still, and then a river begins to glow. One lantern becomes ten, then hundreds—soft squares of light drifting...

Memorial Day Poppies and Colors: What They Mean and Thoughtful Ways to Honor a Loved One - Funeral.com, Inc.

Memorial Day Poppies and Colors: What They Mean and Thoughtful Ways to Honor a Loved One

Memorial Day can feel like two realities at once. On the surface, it is a national holiday with familiar sights: flags, parades, cemetery visits, and the bright, unmistakable red of...

The Meaning of Coins on Headstones: Pennies, Nickels, Dimes, and Quarters Explained - Funeral.com, Inc.

The Meaning of Coins on Headstones: Pennies, Nickels, Dimes, and Quarters Explained

If you have ever walked through a cemetery and noticed a few coins resting on a grave marker, you are not alone. The moment can stop you in your tracks,...

Moon Burial Services: Sending DNA (or Ashes) to Lunar Orbit or the Moon’s Surface - Funeral.com, Inc.

Moon Burial Services: Sending DNA (or Ashes) to Lunar Orbit or the Moon’s Surface

In the middle of grief, families often find themselves holding two truths at once: a love that feels too big for the room, and a stack of practical decisions that...

Cardinal Facts, Myths, and Quotes: What “Cardinals Appear” Really Means - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cardinal Facts, Myths, and Quotes: What “Cardinals Appear” Really Means

When someone says, “A cardinal showed up right when I needed it,” they’re usually talking about two things at once: a real bird in a real moment, and the meaning...

Celebration of Life Quotes: Uplifting Words for Tributes, Programs, and Speeches - Funeral.com, Inc.

Celebration of Life Quotes: Uplifting Words for Tributes, Programs, and Speeches

A celebration of life often asks for a different kind of language than a traditional funeral. The tone is still tender, but many families want it to feel warm, hopeful,...

Inurnment Ceremony Meaning and Ideas: What It Is, Where It Happens, and What to Wear - Funeral.com, Inc.

Inurnment Ceremony Meaning and Ideas: What It Is, Where It Happens, and What to Wear

An inurnment ceremony is often quieter than a funeral, but that doesn’t make it less meaningful. For many families, it’s the moment that turns cremation from “the process” into “the...

Headstone and Memorial Quotes: Short Epitaphs, Inscriptions, and ‘In Loving Memory’ Lines - Funeral.com, Inc.

Headstone and Memorial Quotes: Short Epitaphs, Inscriptions, and ‘In Loving Memory’ Lines

Finding the right words for a headstone, grave marker, or plaque is one of those tasks that looks simple until you sit down to do it. You’re trying to honor...

Praying Hands Meaning: Symbolism, Tattoo Ideas, and Praying Hands Memorial Urns - Funeral.com, Inc.

Praying Hands Meaning: Symbolism, Tattoo Ideas, and Praying Hands Memorial Urns

The image of two hands pressed together is instantly recognizable, even when words feel hard to find. For many people, that is the point. The praying hands meaning is often...

Death Anniversary Ideas: 35+ Meaningful Ways to Remember a Loved One - Funeral.com, Inc.

Death Anniversary Ideas: 35+ Meaningful Ways to Remember a Loved One

A death anniversary can bring a complicated mix of feelings—grief that surprises you, love that feels close, and memories that arrive without asking permission. The first year can feel especially...

Guitar Cremation Urns: Memorial Options for Musicians (Full-Size and Keepsake) - Funeral.com, Inc.

Guitar Cremation Urns: Memorial Options for Musicians (Full-Size and Keepsake)

When someone’s life revolved around music, a memorial can feel more meaningful when it reflects that identity in a quiet, recognizable way. A guitar cremation urn is often chosen for...

Memorial Plaque Wording: Short, Beautiful Inscriptions + Layout Tips - Funeral.com, Inc.

Memorial Plaque Wording: Short, Beautiful Inscriptions + Layout Tips

Choosing words for a plaque can feel deceptively hard. A plaque is small, the space is limited, and the emotions behind the decision are anything but small. If you’re searching...

Cremation Headstones and Columbarium Niches: Memorial Options, Designs, and Costs - Funeral.com, Inc.

Cremation Headstones and Columbarium Niches: Memorial Options, Designs, and Costs

Choosing a cemetery memorial after cremation can feel like an unexpected second set of decisions. Many families assume cremation automatically means scattering, and then discover they still want a place...