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.

How to Ask Someone to Speak at a Memorial (Ask to Give a Eulogy)

How to Ask Someone to Speak at a Memorial (Ask to Give a Eulogy)

There’s a particular kind of nervousness that shows up when you’re planning a memorial service. It’s not only the logistics. It’s the human part: deciding who should speak, and then...

How Long Should an Obituary Be?

How Long Should an Obituary Be?

If you’ve found yourself staring at a blank page and wondering how long an obituary is “supposed” to be, you’re in very good company. The question sounds practical, like you’re...

Obituary Writing Templates for Families: Simple Formats, Examples, and What to Include

Obituary Writing Templates for Families: Simple Formats, Examples, and What to Include

The first time you open a blank document to write about someone you love, it can feel like the room gets quieter. Not peaceful—just quiet in the way grief makes...

Framed Handwriting With Vinyl Decals: How to Turn a Loved One’s Note Into Wall Art

Framed Handwriting With Vinyl Decals: How to Turn a Loved One’s Note Into Wall Art

You might find it folded into a cookbook, tucked in a desk drawer, or slipped inside a birthday card you couldn’t throw away. It’s small, ordinary paper—just a quick line,...

How Much Do Digital and Newspaper Obituaries Cost? 2025–2026 Price Ranges and Ways to Save

How Much Do Digital and Newspaper Obituaries Cost? 2025–2026 Price Ranges and Ways to Save

If you have never had to place an obituary before, the pricing can feel like it comes out of nowhere. You may be juggling calls, paperwork, and family logistics, and...

Short Obituary Template: A Fill-In Format That Sounds Human

Short Obituary Template: A Fill-In Format That Sounds Human

If you are trying to write an obituary while you are grieving, it can feel like you are being asked to do something impossible: capture a whole person in a...

How to Write an Inscription for a Marker: Short Wording Examples

How to Write an Inscription for a Marker: Short Wording Examples

There are a few tasks in grief and funeral planning that look simple on a checklist and then feel unexpectedly heavy when you sit down to do them. Writing an...

Funeral Program Examples: Order of Service Layout, Wording, and Template Ideas

Funeral Program Examples: Order of Service Layout, Wording, and Template Ideas

When you’re planning a funeral, it’s easy to feel like you’re juggling two realities at once: the emotional truth that someone you love is gone, and the practical reality that...

Memorial Quotes for Plaques and Headstones: 100+ Short, Meaningful Inscriptions

Memorial Quotes for Plaques and Headstones: 100+ Short, Meaningful Inscriptions

Choosing words for a headstone or plaque can feel strangely hard. You might have written birthday cards, texts, even long letters to the person you love—but now you’re trying to...

Final Letters and Ethical Wills: Passing on Values, Stories, and Messages of Love

Final Letters and Ethical Wills: Passing on Values, Stories, and Messages of Love

Most people know they should have a legal will to say who receives their money and property someday. Far fewer have heard of an ethical will or taken time to...

Headstone Quotes and Sayings: Choosing the Right Words for a Loved One’s Grave

Headstone Quotes and Sayings: Choosing the Right Words for a Loved One’s Grave

Selecting the right headstone quotes and sayings is an emotional journey that combines love, remembrance, and reflection. Every word etched into stone carries the weight of a life lived, preserving...

Headstone Epitaph Ideas: Beautiful Words, Quotes, and Short Sayings for Gravestones

Headstone Epitaph Ideas: Beautiful Words, Quotes, and Short Sayings for Gravestones

Choosing the right words to honor a loved one’s memory can feel overwhelming. In moments of grief, even the simplest decisions, like what to put on a gravestone, can suddenly...

How to Write an Obituary: Step-by-Step Guide with Examples and Templates

How to Write an Obituary: Step-by-Step Guide with Examples and Templates

When someone you love dies, the idea of writing an obituary can feel impossibly heavy. You’re grieving, handling paperwork, answering calls—and now you’re supposed to “sum up” a whole person’s...