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 Jewelry vs. Cremation Urns: Which Option Honors Them Best (and When You Might Want Both)

Memorial Jewelry vs. Cremation Urns: Which Option Honors Them Best (and When You Might Want Both)

In the days after a cremation, many families find themselves holding two truths at once. You want something practical that keeps the ashes protected, and you want something personal that...

Funerary Art 101 — Symbols, Styles, and How Urns Became Memorial Objects

Funerary Art 101 — Symbols, Styles, and How Urns Became Memorial Objects

Walk through an older cemetery—especially one with nineteenth-century sections—and you’ll start to notice a quiet visual language. An angel leans forward as if listening. A dove rests in stone, wings...

Yellow Meaning & Symbolism: Color Psychology, Spiritual Associations, and Memorial Uses

Yellow Meaning & Symbolism: Color Psychology, Spiritual Associations, and Memorial Uses

Yellow can feel like sunlight made visible. It’s the color of morning windows, fresh lemons, school buses, caution tape, and the last warm bloom in a garden that’s starting to...

Prayer Candles Explained: Catholic & Anglican Traditions + How to Light One in Memory

Prayer Candles Explained: Catholic & Anglican Traditions + How to Light One in Memory

In the first days after a loss, people often reach for something simple and physical—something that doesn’t require the “right words.” A phone call can feel too heavy. A sympathy...

Cremation Rings and Ashes Jewelry: Resin vs Stone Settings, Pros/Cons, Costs, and Care

Cremation Rings and Ashes Jewelry: Resin vs Stone Settings, Pros/Cons, Costs, and Care

A cremation ring can be one of the most private forms of remembrance. It’s close enough to feel in ordinary moments—hand on a steering wheel, fingers wrapped around a coffee...

Cremation Urn Necklaces for Ashes: Best Styles, Questions to Ask, and How to Buy Quality Jewelry Online

Cremation Urn Necklaces for Ashes: Best Styles, Questions to Ask, and How to Buy Quality Jewelry Online

There’s a moment many families recognize: the cremation is complete, the phone call comes, and suddenly the choices shift from paperwork to something more personal. You may be deciding what...

Condolence Messages That Actually Help: Short Texts, Cards, and Flower Notes

Condolence Messages That Actually Help: Short Texts, Cards, and Flower Notes

There’s a quiet panic that can hit the moment you hear someone has died. You want to reach out, immediately and sincerely, but your mind goes blank. A message feels...

Symbols of Sadness and Grief: Flowers, Colors, and Meaningful Memorial Ideas

Symbols of Sadness and Grief: Flowers, Colors, and Meaningful Memorial Ideas

Grief has a way of stealing language. In the days after a death—when you’re answering texts you can barely read, choosing dates you can’t quite feel, and trying to make...

Red Tulips Meaning: Love, Remembrance, and When to Use Them in Memorial Flowers

Red Tulips Meaning: Love, Remembrance, and When to Use Them in Memorial Flowers

There are moments when flowers do what words can’t. They sit quietly on a table, fill the air with color, and give people something gentle to look at when their...

What to Say at a Funeral: Simple Condolences, What Not to Say, and Supportive Phrases

What to Say at a Funeral: Simple Condolences, What Not to Say, and Supportive Phrases

If you’re reading this before a wake, funeral, or memorial, you’re not alone in the worry: What if I say the wrong thing? Grief can make ordinary conversation feel fragile....

What Happens During Cremation: A Detailed Family Guide, FAQs, and Modern Options Like Water Cremation

What Happens During Cremation: A Detailed Family Guide, FAQs, and Modern Options Like Water Cremation

Cremation can feel straightforward in conversation, but when it becomes your family’s real decision, the questions get specific fast. What happens to someone’s body? How long does it take? What...

Cremation Preplanning and Prepaid Plans: How It Works, What to Ask, and How to Compare Options

Cremation Preplanning and Prepaid Plans: How It Works, What to Ask, and How to Compare Options

Most families don’t think about cremation preplanning because they’re eager to “get it over with.” They think about it because they love someone and they know what grief does to...

Famous Mothers in History and Pop Culture: Iconic Moms, Their Legacies, and Ways to Remember Your Own

Famous Mothers in History and Pop Culture: Iconic Moms, Their Legacies, and Ways to Remember Your Own

There is a reason mother stories stick. Even when you do not share the same background, era, or circumstance, you can still recognize the invisible work: the steady presence, the...

Urn Vaults Explained: When You Need One, Types of Burial Vaults for Cremation Urns, and How to Choose

Urn Vaults Explained: When You Need One, Types of Burial Vaults for Cremation Urns, and How to Choose

Most families don’t begin funeral planning thinking they’ll need to learn a new vocabulary. You may start with a simple question—what to do with ashes—and suddenly you’re comparing urn styles,...

Cremation Jewelry Care Guide: Cleaning Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver & Gold (Do’s & Don’ts)

Cremation Jewelry Care Guide: Cleaning Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver & Gold (Do’s & Don’ts)

There are a lot of reasons someone chooses cremation jewelry, but “because I want to think about cleaning it” usually is not one of them. Most people arrive here after...

How to Clean & Care for a Pet Urn: Wood, Ceramic & Metal (Do’s, Don’ts & Quick Fixes)

How to Clean & Care for a Pet Urn: Wood, Ceramic & Metal (Do’s, Don’ts & Quick Fixes)

When a pet urn comes home, it often becomes one of the most emotionally significant objects in the house. It is not just décor, and it is not “just a...