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.
Funeral Planning From Afar: A Checklist for Next of Kin Who Live Out of Town
If you’re next of kin and you live far away, the hardest part often isn’t the distance itself. It’s the feeling that everything is happening without you while you’re trying...
Flying With Cremated Remains: TSA-Friendly Tips + Urn Options for Babies and Children
Traveling after a death is hard enough. Traveling while carrying someone’s cremated remains can feel like you are trying to keep your footing while the world keeps moving. If you...
Scattering Urns Explained: Eco-Friendly Tubes, Water Urns, and How to Scatter Ashes Respectfully
Most families don’t set out to become experts on cremation containers. You arrive here because you’re trying to do something tender and practical at the same time: create a goodbye...
How to Plan a Death Dinner: Conversation Prompts, Menu Ideas, and Hosting Tips
Most families don’t avoid end-of-life decisions because they don’t care. They avoid them because the conversations feel too heavy to start—and too personal to do “the right way.” A death dinner...
Biodegradable Urns Explained: Water Burial, Tree Urns & How Long They Last
Most families don’t begin this search because they want to “shop.” They begin because cremation has happened (or is about to), and now there’s a container in the room—sometimes a...
Biodegradable Urns for Ashes: Water Burial, Tree Urns, and How Long They Last
There is a particular kind of quiet that arrives after cremation. The flurry of decisions slows down, the calls and texts become less urgent, and then there you are—holding a...
How Long Do Cremated Remains Last? Storage, Scattering, Burial, and More
If you’ve found yourself searching how long do cremated remains last, you’re usually not asking a science question. You’re asking a care question. You’re holding something that represents a whole...
How Long Until You Get Ashes Back? Typical Turnaround and What Affects It
If you’re asking, when do you get ashes back, it’s rarely because you’re trying to rush anything. It’s usually because you’re trying to plan a memorial, coordinate travel, or simply...
Eco-Friendly Funeral Planning: Green Vendors, Recycling Options, and Lower-Impact Choices
When a family says they want an eco friendly funeral, they rarely mean they want a perfect funeral. Most mean something simpler: “Can we do this with a little less...
Weather-Proof Funeral Planning: Rain, Heat, Snow, and Backup Plans That Work
When a family chooses an outdoor goodbye, it’s usually for a reason that matters. A graveside service can feel honest and grounded. A park memorial can feel like breathing room....
Scattering Ashes at National Parks: Which Parks Allow It (and How Permits Work)
For a lot of families, the idea of returning someone to a place they loved feels both simple and deeply right. A national park can hold years of meaning in...
Rituals for Scattering Ashes: Music, Poems, Readings, and Timing
When a family chooses cremation, there’s often a quiet second decision that follows: what comes next for the ashes. Some people know right away. Others don’t. Many families sit with...
>Urns for Horses: How to Handle Very Large Cremains Volumes (2,000+ Cubic Inches)
When a horse dies, the loss is rarely “just” a loss. It’s the end of a routine built around feeding times and quiet barn checks, the soft thud of hooves...
The Keepsake Factor: Why You Should Always Size Up for Pet Urns
After a pet dies, the first days can feel like two timelines running at once. There’s the emotional timeline—missing the sound of paws on the floor, reaching for a leash...