There’s a moment that arrives for many families—sometimes quietly, sometimes all at once—when the conversation shifts from “What happened?” to “What do we do now?” In the past, that moment often led straight to decisions about a viewing, a service, and a burial. Today, it’s just as likely to lead to something else: a memorial that feels more personal, more flexible, and more reflective of how someone actually lived.
That change is bigger than any single trend. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025, compared with a projected burial rate of 31.6%. And the Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024 (with continued growth projected). Those numbers don’t just describe disposition choices—they explain why so many families are now navigating memorial options, keepsakes, and decisions about ashes in ways previous generations rarely had to.
In that wider shift, “hologram eulogies” have started to capture attention. The phrase can sound futuristic, even startling. But in most real funerals, a “hologram” isn’t a science-fiction beam. It’s a carefully staged illusion or a high-quality projection that makes a person feel present—sometimes speaking live from another location, sometimes through a message recorded long before. When it’s done well, it can feel surprisingly human: a familiar voice, a familiar cadence, and a moment that lands exactly where it needs to land—right in the hearts of the people listening.
What a “hologram eulogy” usually means in real life
When families say “hologram,” they’re often describing one of three setups. The most common is simply a large-scale stage projection—high-resolution video, good sound, and thoughtful staging so it feels like the speaker is addressing the room rather than playing on a phone in the corner. The second is a “Pepper’s Ghost”-style illusion, which uses angled glass or film and controlled lighting to create a floating, life-size image. (It’s a classic stage technique, not a true hologram, and it requires careful planning to avoid looking gimmicky.) The third category is newer: AI-assisted video or voice tools that help create or enhance a message—sometimes for accessibility, sometimes for translation, and sometimes for something ethically much more complicated.
If you want a practical, plain-language walk-through of what’s actually feasible, Funeral.com’s Journal guide on holograms at funerals and eulogies explains the real-world approaches families use, including what tends to feel meaningful versus what can feel distracting.
It helps to name a simple truth: a compelling “3D funeral message” is less about the visual trick and more about the emotional craft. The tech can make someone appear present, but it can’t decide what should be said, how long it should be, or what tone will comfort rather than shock. Those choices are still deeply human, and they belong in the same conversation as funeral planning and the decisions families make about memory, ritual, and care.
Recording a message for your own funeral: the part that matters most
Some people record a message for practical reasons: they don’t want a loved one to carry the pressure of speaking. Others do it because they’ve lived through a funeral where the words felt incomplete, rushed, or too careful. And some do it simply because they want to offer comfort in their own voice—a final moment of clarity that says, “I’m okay,” or “I love you,” or “Please take care of each other.”
If you’re thinking about recording a farewell, you don’t need a studio. You need a plan. A quiet room, a decent microphone, simple lighting, and a message that fits the people who will hear it. Just as important is the handoff: where the file lives, who can access it, and how it will be delivered when it’s needed. Funeral.com’s Journal has a gentle, practical guide on creating a goodbye video message to send after you die, including privacy considerations and ways to make sure your family can actually find and play it.
This is also where the “hologram” idea becomes less intimidating. A projected message can be powerful even if it’s “just” video. If your goal is presence, clarity and sound matter more than novelty. The right setup can make your voice feel like it fills the room—without turning grief into a tech demo.
Where cremation choices fit into the same conversation
It might seem like a hologram eulogy is all about the service. But for families, the service is often only one chapter. After the gathering is over, there are still decisions to make: what to do with ashes, whether someone wants keeping ashes at home, whether siblings want to share a portion, whether there will be a later scattering, or whether the family hopes for something like a water burial.
That’s why it can help to think of memorial tech and physical memorials together. A recorded message can become the emotional anchor of a service, while an urn, keepsake, or piece of jewelry becomes the steady companion afterward. In many families, those choices aren’t separate—they support each other.
If you’re starting from the beginning and want a broad overview of types and terminology, Funeral.com’s guide to cremation urns is a helpful foundation. And if you’re ready to explore options, you can browse cremation urns for ashes to see the range of styles families typically consider for home display, burial, or long-term placement.
Choosing an urn when grief is loud and time feels short
Most families don’t choose cremation urns in a calm, spacious season of life. They choose them in the middle of shock, scheduling, phone calls, and paperwork. That’s why practical guidance matters. A full-size urn is typically chosen when the plan is to keep the complete remains together. But many families don’t want a single “one-and-done” solution—they want a central place of honor and smaller pieces of remembrance that different people can hold in their own way.
That’s where small cremation urns and keepsake urns can become quietly life-giving. A keepsake may hold only a small portion, but it can ease family tension by allowing more than one person to feel included. It can also support a plan that evolves: a temporary home placement now, a scattering later, and a personal keepsake that remains even after the final ceremony is complete.
Funeral.com offers a dedicated collection of small cremation urns for ashes (often used for sharing or smaller memorial spaces) and keepsake urns designed specifically for symbolic portions. If you want step-by-step decision help, the Journal guide on how to choose a cremation urn walks through size, material, and placement without overwhelming you.
Keeping ashes at home: comfort, safety, and what “normal” looks like
Keeping ashes at home is far more common than many people realize—especially as cremation becomes a majority choice. But common doesn’t always mean easy. Families worry about superstition, about whether it will “freeze” grief, about what to do when moving, or what happens if children or pets might knock an urn over. These are practical worries, not failures of love.
If you’re weighing home placement, Funeral.com’s Journal resources can help you separate myth from reality, including keeping ashes at home and a companion piece on whether it’s bad luck to keep ashes in the house. Many families find that once they choose a stable, respectful location—out of direct sun, away from high-traffic chaos—the anxiety softens and the urn simply becomes part of the home’s story.
And this is where a hologram eulogy can connect in a meaningful way. A projected message might be the “public” moment, but the urn is often the “private” one. The service ends. The house grows quiet. And the way you chose to hold and honor someone’s remains becomes part of how you learn to live with their absence.
Pet urns, pet figurines, and the grief that surprises people
Not all memorial decisions revolve around a human funeral. For many households, the loss that cracks the routine wide open is the death of a dog or cat—the one who was there for breakups, moves, babies, layoffs, and late-night tears. Pet grief is real grief, and it deserves dignity rather than dismissal.
Families often start with a simple question—“Do we want pet urns for ashes?”—and discover there are many gentle options. Some want a clean, classic container. Others want a figurine that captures a familiar pose. Some want a keepsake for a child who is losing a best friend for the first time.
Funeral.com’s collections include pet cremation urns, pet figurine cremation urns, and pet keepsake cremation urns for families who want to share a small portion. If you’re looking for guidance, the Journal’s pet urns for ashes guide can help you choose based on size, style, and what will feel comforting in everyday life.
In families that embrace memorial tech, a pet tribute sometimes becomes part of the same approach: a short recorded montage, a favorite collar displayed beside the urn, a few words spoken aloud in the living room. Whether the loss is human or animal, the goal is the same: to honor love in a way that doesn’t rush the heart.
Cremation jewelry: when a tiny keepsake carries a lot of meaning
Some people find comfort in having a memorial they can hold. Others find comfort in something they can wear. That’s the quiet role of cremation jewelry. A pendant or bracelet doesn’t replace an urn; it complements it. It can be especially meaningful for people who travel, who live far from family, or who don’t have a stable place to set up a memorial shelf right away.
For many families, the first introduction comes through cremation necklaces—pieces designed to hold a very small amount of ashes. Funeral.com’s collection of cremation jewelry and dedicated cremation necklaces offers a range from simple, discreet styles to symbolic designs (crosses, hearts, trees, and more). If you want to understand how the pieces are filled and worn safely, the Journal’s cremation jewelry 101 guide is a reassuring place to start.
This is another place where “future-facing” memorials and traditional remembrance blend naturally. You might record a message for your own funeral, but your family may still want something tangible afterward: an urn for the shared home, a keepsake for a sibling, and a small piece of jewelry for the person who needs closeness on hard days.
Water burial, biodegradable urns, and the question of place
When families ask about water burial, they’re often asking about something deeper: “Where does this belong?” Some people feel most at peace returning to a beloved ocean, lake, or river. Others want the symbolism of a biodegradable container that dissolves gently rather than remaining permanent.
Because water burials involve real-world conditions—wind, currents, timing—planning helps. Funeral.com’s Journal guide to biodegradable water urns explains how different designs float, sink, and dissolve. There’s also a helpful companion on how long water burial urns float, which can matter more than people expect when they’re trying to create a ceremony that feels unhurried.
In a modern memorial, it’s not unusual to see both: a projected message during the service and a water ceremony later with a smaller circle. Technology can help gather people. Place can help settle the heart.
AI, ethics, and the line between comfort and confusion
Not every “hologram” conversation is really about projection. Sometimes, it’s about AI—tools that can animate photos, clone voices, or generate speech that sounds like someone who has died. These tools can be deeply unsettling if used without clear consent. They can also create emotional confusion: is the message real, edited, or invented? Does it honor the person, or does it reshape them into what the living want to hear?
If your family is considering AI-assisted memorial media, it’s worth slowing down and naming the ethical stakes. Funeral.com’s Journal article on AI photo animation and deepfake risks offers a thoughtful framework: consent, transparency, intent, and the emotional impact on the most vulnerable mourners in the room.
A good rule of thumb is simple: the more “lifelike” the effect, the more carefully you should plan the context. A warm recorded video made by the person themselves is usually received very differently than a generated performance built from fragments.
Cost questions: planning a meaningful goodbye without financial shock
Technology can add expense, but it doesn’t have to. Many families create a powerful “hologram-style” moment using professional video, a rented screen, and a strong sound setup—without complex illusions. The larger cost conversation often comes back to disposition and service style: direct cremation versus cremation with a viewing, a memorial venue, catering, travel, and memorial products.
If you’re trying to make decisions with a clear head, Funeral.com’s guide on how much cremation costs breaks down common fees and what tends to change the total. It’s a helpful companion when families are balancing “We want it to be meaningful” with “We can’t create financial harm while we’re grieving.”
It’s also why many people choose to plan ahead. Recording a message, clarifying wishes, and even selecting the kind of memorial items you’d want—like cremation urns for ashes or keepsake urns—can be a gift to the people who will one day be making decisions through tears.
Funeral planning that leaves room for love, not pressure
The best funeral plans don’t try to control every detail. They aim to reduce panic and protect what matters: dignity, clarity, and emotional safety. If you’re considering a hologram eulogy or 3D-style message, it can help to write down a few simple preferences: whether you want the message to feel funny or tender, who should introduce it, and what you hope people feel when it ends.
Then consider the “after” plan, because that’s where families often feel lost. Do you want keeping ashes at home for a season? Do you want a later scattering? Do you want a small cremation urn for each child? Would cremation jewelry help someone who struggles with separation? Those choices can be made gently, without urgency, when you have the right information and a few steady options to choose from.
If you’d like to browse in a calm way—without feeling like you have to decide today—start with the broad collection of cremation urns for ashes, explore small cremation urns and keepsake urns for sharing, and consider cremation jewelry if wearable remembrance feels right. For pet families, the path often starts with pet urns for ashes and becomes more personal from there.
In the end, a hologram eulogy isn’t really about novelty. It’s about presence—about giving people one more honest moment with someone they love. And when that moment is supported by thoughtful funeral planning and a clear plan for what to do with ashes, it can feel less like “the future of funerals” and more like something timeless: a goodbye that fits.
