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.

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...

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...

Maintaining Bonds After Loss: Continuing Connections and Memory Rituals

Maintaining Bonds After Loss: Continuing Connections and Memory Rituals

The quiet shock of losing a pet is often followed by an even quieter question: What happens to the relationship now? In the days after a goodbye—whether it came after...

Family Pet Memorial Ceremony: Simple Ideas Kids Can Help Lead (Readings, Rituals, and Keepsakes)

Family Pet Memorial Ceremony: Simple Ideas Kids Can Help Lead (Readings, Rituals, and Keepsakes)

A pet memorial ceremony doesn’t have to be elaborate or formal to carry deep meaning. For many families, the gentlest farewell is often the simplest: a short gathering at home,...

What Are Human Ashes, Really? Composition, Appearance, and What You Can Do with Them

What Are Human Ashes, Really? Composition, Appearance, and What You Can Do with Them

When a loved one is cremated, the moment the cremated remains come home can feel strangely quiet. There’s often a temporary container, a simple bag inside a box, and a...

Handling Pet Loss Anniversaries With Grace

Handling Pet Loss Anniversaries With Grace

The first time the date shows up on your calendar—one year since the day you said goodbye, or the week your pet stopped eating, or the morning you brought them...

How to Make a Picture Board for a Funeral

How to Make a Picture Board for a Funeral

Creating a picture board for a funeral is a deeply personal way to celebrate the life of a loved one. It allows friends and family to connect with memories, honor...

Cremation Diamonds and Gemstones: How They’re Made, Costs, and Key Questions to Ask

Cremation Diamonds and Gemstones: How They’re Made, Costs, and Key Questions to Ask

If you’ve been looking at cremation diamonds and thinking, “Is this real… and is it something we should actually do?” you’re in very good company. This is one of those...

Keeping Your Pet’s Memory Alive in Everyday Life

Keeping Your Pet’s Memory Alive in Everyday Life

In the first days after a pet dies, memory can feel like a wave—beautiful, relentless, and exhausting all at once. You might catch yourself listening for familiar footsteps, reaching for...

Creating a Goodbye Ritual for Your Pet: Ideas for a Peaceful Final Day

Creating a Goodbye Ritual for Your Pet: Ideas for a Peaceful Final Day

There’s a particular kind of heartbreak that comes with knowing your pet’s time is near. You may be balancing medical decisions, scheduling a euthanasia appointment, watching energy fade, and trying...

Hair Memorial Jewelry: From Victorian Traditions to Modern Lock-of-Hair Keepsakes

Hair Memorial Jewelry: From Victorian Traditions to Modern Lock-of-Hair Keepsakes

There’s a particular kind of comfort in what’s small. In the days after a death, families often move through big decisions—paperwork, phone calls, schedules, costs—while the heart keeps reaching for...

Pet Memorial Stones and Garden Markers: Engraving Ideas and Placement Tips

Pet Memorial Stones and Garden Markers: Engraving Ideas and Placement Tips

A pet memorial doesn’t have to be elaborate to feel deeply meaningful. In fact, many people find the most comfort in simplicity. A small marker you can touch, a name...

Pet Cremation for Birds & Small Pets: Options When Ashes Are Minimal (and How to Memorialize)

Pet Cremation for Birds & Small Pets: Options When Ashes Are Minimal (and How to Memorialize)

If you’ve ever loved a bird, a hamster, a guinea pig, a gecko, or any of those small companions who somehow take up an enormous amount of space in your...

What Is the Point of a Memory Box?

What Is the Point of a Memory Box?

Grief can feel overwhelming, and finding a way to hold onto memories without being consumed by them is often challenging. A memory box provides a personal and intentional space to...

Turning Ashes into Diamonds, Glass, and Vinyl Records

Turning Ashes into Diamonds, Glass, and Vinyl Records

In the first days after a pet dies, many families expect the hardest decisions will be medical. But grief has a way of saving a few choices for later—quiet, practical...

Creating a Ritual: Lighting a Candle Every Monday

Creating a Ritual: Lighting a Candle Every Monday

The first Monday after a pet dies can feel strangely loud. The weekend is gone, routines restart, and the places your companion used to “be” in the week suddenly stand...