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.

Memorial Diamonds Made From Ashes: How They’re Created, Costs, and What to Ask Before You Buy

Memorial Diamonds Made From Ashes: How They’re Created, Costs, and What to Ask Before You Buy

When someone you love is cremated, the “next step” can feel strangely heavy. Not because you’re unsure you want to remember them—you do—but because every option carries meaning, permanence, and...

Funeral Order of Service Booklet: What It Is, What to Include, and Examples

Funeral Order of Service Booklet: What It Is, What to Include, and Examples

When you are planning a funeral, you quickly learn that there are two kinds of “paperwork.” There is the kind you never want to see again, like permits, authorizations, and...

Funeral Memorial Cards: Wording, Photo Ideas, and Printing Tips

Funeral Memorial Cards: Wording, Photo Ideas, and Printing Tips

There is a moment in nearly every family’s planning process when something unexpectedly small becomes surprisingly emotional. It might be choosing a song, deciding on a time, or realizing you...

Holy Cards and Prayer Cards: Meaning, History, and Modern Funeral Uses

Holy Cards and Prayer Cards: Meaning, History, and Modern Funeral Uses

At a wake, a visitation, or the quiet moment when guests begin to file out of a church, there is often a small, ordinary exchange that carries surprising weight. Someone...

Funeral Programs: What to Include, Examples, and Printing Options

Funeral Programs: What to Include, Examples, and Printing Options

A funeral program is one of those details that can feel small until you’re the one standing at the door, greeting people, and watching them look for something to hold...

What to Do With a Wedding Ring After a Spouse Dies: Meaningful Options and Practical Next Steps

What to Do With a Wedding Ring After a Spouse Dies: Meaningful Options and Practical Next Steps

In the first weeks after a loss, the smallest objects can feel the heaviest. A wedding ring is one of them. It’s not only jewelry; it’s a daily ritual, a...

Pet Ashes vs Human Ashes: What’s the Same, What’s Different, and What It Means for Memorials

Pet Ashes vs Human Ashes: What’s the Same, What’s Different, and What It Means for Memorials

When a family chooses cremation—whether for a parent, a partner, or a beloved dog or cat—there’s a moment that can feel unexpectedly heavy. The phone call comes. The container is...

How to Pray at a Grave: Simple Approaches for Visits to Cemeteries and Memorial Gardens

How to Pray at a Grave: Simple Approaches for Visits to Cemeteries and Memorial Gardens

If you have ever stood at a headstone and felt the strange mix of love, numbness, and uncertainty, you are not alone. A cemetery can be quiet in a way...

Customizing a Casket: Interiors, Colors, and Personal Touches That Feel Authentic

Customizing a Casket: Interiors, Colors, and Personal Touches That Feel Authentic

When a family starts talking about “customizing a casket,” what they are usually trying to do is not decorate something. They are trying to make a hard day feel less...

Talking to Children About Losing a Pet: Age-Appropriate Words and Comforting Rituals

Talking to Children About Losing a Pet: Age-Appropriate Words and Comforting Rituals

For many families, the death of a pet is a child’s first real encounter with grief. Adults often feel two pressures at once: you want to protect your child from...

Pet Keepsake Urns and Small Pet Memorials: Sharing Ashes, Photo Urns, and Mini Keepsakes

Pet Keepsake Urns and Small Pet Memorials: Sharing Ashes, Photo Urns, and Mini Keepsakes

When a pet dies, it’s common to think you’ll make the memorial decisions right away—choose an urn, choose a spot, choose the words. But grief doesn’t move in neat steps,...

Famous Mothers & Symbols of Motherhood: Memorial Ideas, Flowers, and Meaningful Tributes

Famous Mothers & Symbols of Motherhood: Memorial Ideas, Flowers, and Meaningful Tributes

Some losses split time in two: the life you had with your mother, and the life you’re learning to live without her. When that happens, many families reach for the...

Memorial Photo Necklaces: How to Choose a Picture Pendant That Lasts

Memorial Photo Necklaces: How to Choose a Picture Pendant That Lasts

There are days when you don’t want to “move on,” you just want something steady to hold onto. A memorial photo necklace can be that—quiet, wearable, and close enough to...

Shipping, Returns, and Tracking for Online Memorial Purchases: A Buyer’s Checklist

Shipping, Returns, and Tracking for Online Memorial Purchases: A Buyer’s Checklist

When you’re ordering memorial items online, you’re rarely in a “normal” shopping mindset. You might be making decisions quickly because a service date is approaching, or slowly because you’re still...

15 Famous Mothers in History and Pop Culture—and How Their Memorials Keep Their Stories Alive

15 Famous Mothers in History and Pop Culture—and How Their Memorials Keep Their Stories Alive

Some mothers become famous because history recorded their choices. Others become famous because a story—on a page or a screen—captured a kind of love people recognized instantly. Either way, what...

Designing a Digital Memorial Page that Includes Both Human and Pet Loved Ones

Designing a Digital Memorial Page that Includes Both Human and Pet Loved Ones

Most families don’t set out to create a “combined” memorial. It usually starts with something simple: you want a place where your aunt can share a photo of your dad,...