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.

What to Do With Pet Ashes: Options, Rituals, and Meaning

What to Do With Pet Ashes: Options, Rituals, and Meaning

When a beloved pet dies, the quiet that follows can feel unreal. And then, often sooner than you’d like, something tangible arrives: a container, a box, a bag inside a...

Where Can You Bury a Dog Legally? Home, Pet Cemetery, or Private Land Explained

Where Can You Bury a Dog Legally? Home, Pet Cemetery, or Private Land Explained

When a dog dies, families often feel two strong urges at the same time: the need to do something loving right now, and the fear of getting it wrong. Burial...

Home Pet Burial Laws in the U.S.: Distance, Depth, and When You Need to Choose Another Option

Home Pet Burial Laws in the U.S.: Distance, Depth, and When You Need to Choose Another Option

When a beloved pet dies, the first instinct is often simple: bring them home, choose a quiet place in the yard, and give them a resting place you can visit...

Pet Cemetery Burial Guide: Plots, Headstones, and What to Expect at a Pet Graveyard

Pet Cemetery Burial Guide: Plots, Headstones, and What to Expect at a Pet Graveyard

When a pet dies, families often describe a strange split reality. One part of you is grieving in a way that feels quiet but physical, like your body is missing...

Helping Children Cope With the Death of a Pet: Age-by-Age Guidance for Parents

Helping Children Cope With the Death of a Pet: Age-by-Age Guidance for Parents

For many children, a pet is their first best friend. Pets are there for sleepy mornings, hard school days, and the quiet in-between moments when a child just needs company...

How to Create a Simple Pet Memorial Ceremony at Home

How to Create a Simple Pet Memorial Ceremony at Home

The days after a pet dies can feel strangely quiet. The leash still hangs by the door. The food bowl hasn’t moved. Even when you’re “doing okay,” your body notices...

Seasonal Grave Decorations: Ideas for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Within Cemetery Rules

Seasonal Grave Decorations: Ideas for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Within Cemetery Rules

A gravesite changes with the seasons, even when nothing “new” is added. Grass grows fast in spring, heat bakes flowers in summer, leaves pile up in fall, and winter can...

Should You Buy a Headstone Before You Need It? Pros, Cons, and Planning Tips

Should You Buy a Headstone Before You Need It? Pros, Cons, and Planning Tips

For most families, a headstone is something you choose after a death—when the grave is fresh, the paperwork is still unfolding, and the emotional weight of “making it final” feels...

Burial in a National Cemetery: Eligibility, Costs, and How to Apply

Burial in a National Cemetery: Eligibility, Costs, and How to Apply

When a loved one served, families often carry two realities at the same time: pride and grief, gratitude and paperwork, the desire to honor a life well-lived and the need...

Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space

Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space

There are places that ask something quiet of us the moment we arrive. A national cemetery is one of them. Even before you read a sign or see a uniform,...

Understanding Your Cemetery Contract: Plot Rights, Fees, and Long-Term Obligations

Understanding Your Cemetery Contract: Plot Rights, Fees, and Long-Term Obligations

In a season of loss—or even in the quieter months of funeral planning—a cemetery contract can feel like a different language. The words look familiar: plot, deed, perpetual care, interment. But...

What to Do If a Headstone Is Leaning, Cracked, or Damaged

What to Do If a Headstone Is Leaning, Cracked, or Damaged

You might notice it from a distance first: a headstone that doesn’t look quite square anymore, a tilt that wasn’t there last time, a corner that seems chipped, or a...

Marking the Anniversary of a Pet’s Death: Gentle Ideas for a Day of Remembrance

Marking the Anniversary of a Pet’s Death: Gentle Ideas for a Day of Remembrance

The first time the date comes back around, it can feel surprisingly sharp. You may be doing “okay” in the practical sense—going to work, answering messages, even laughing again—and then...

Minnesota Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Minnesota Pet Cremation Guide: Laws, Costs & Options

Updated December 22, 2025 for 2026. Losing a pet is never easy, and making decisions about cremation can feel overwhelming. This guide explains pet cremation in Minnesota in a clear,...

Military Headstone Symbols and Abbreviations: How to Read a Veteran’s Grave

Military Headstone Symbols and Abbreviations: How to Read a Veteran’s Grave

The first time you stand in front of a veteran’s grave, you might notice how much is said in so few lines. A name. Two dates. A short row of...

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings

If you’ve ever walked through a veterans cemetery or a section of military graves on Memorial Day, you’ve probably noticed how quiet the details can be. A small flag placed...