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.

Short-Notice Funerals and Quick Cremation Services: What’s Realistic on a Tight Timeline

Short-Notice Funerals and Quick Cremation Services: What’s Realistic on a Tight Timeline

The hours after a death can feel urgent and overwhelming. Families often juggle travel logistics, faith-based timelines, and the emotional weight of saying goodbye. In these moments, questions about short...

Cremation vs Traditional Burial: Pros, Cons, Costs, and Family Considerations

Cremation vs Traditional Burial: Pros, Cons, Costs, and Family Considerations

Deciding between cremation and traditional burial goes beyond logistics—it is a reflection of your family’s values, emotional needs, and how you want your loved one remembered. The choice touches both...

How Quickly Do I Have To Decide About Cremation or Burial?

How Quickly Do I Have To Decide About Cremation or Burial?

Time moves strangely after a pet passes. Minutes stretch into hours, yet decisions can feel rushed. Facing a veterinarian or pet cremation provider, you may be asked where your pet’s...

What Should I Do If My Pet Dies at Home?

What Should I Do If My Pet Dies at Home?

There are moments in life that stop you in your tracks, and noticing that your pet is unusually still is one of them. Perhaps you walk into a familiar room...

What Really Happens When My Vet “Handles the Cremation” for Me?

What Really Happens When My Vet “Handles the Cremation” for Me?

Hearing your veterinarian say, “We can handle the cremation for you,” often brings a wave of relief intertwined with curiosity and even hesitation. There is comfort in knowing that compassionate...

Should I Plan Pet Cremation in Advance, or Just Wait Until My Pet Dies?

Should I Plan Pet Cremation in Advance, or Just Wait Until My Pet Dies?

Facing the eventual death of a beloved pet is a heart-wrenching reality that many of us hope never comes. Our pets are not just animals, they are family members, companions,...

Keepsake Urns and Sharing Urns: When Families Want to Divide Ashes

Keepsake Urns and Sharing Urns: When Families Want to Divide Ashes

When a loved one is cremated, the small, heavy container that holds their remains carries immense emotional weight. Families often realize that a single urn cannot reflect complex relationships, geographic...

My Pet Is Getting Older and Declining: What Should I Be Thinking About Now?

My Pet Is Getting Older and Declining: What Should I Be Thinking About Now?

There is a tender awareness that washes over you when your beloved pet begins to move more slowly, lingers in longer naps, or gazes at you with eyes that seem...

Graveside Service Guide: What Happens at the Cemetery and How to Plan One

Graveside Service Guide: What Happens at the Cemetery and How to Plan One

When you picture saying a final goodbye, you may imagine a quiet gathering at the cemetery, with friends and family standing together beneath a tent, words spoken softly, and the...

Plants and Flowers for Graves: Low-Maintenance Choices to Honor a Loved One

Plants and Flowers for Graves: Low-Maintenance Choices to Honor a Loved One

Visiting a grave or memorial garden is about more than the stone itself; it is a place to feel connected to a loved one. Thoughtfully chosen plants for graves, gentle...

Is Embalming Required for a Funeral? Laws, Myths, and Alternatives Explained

Is Embalming Required for a Funeral? Laws, Myths, and Alternatives Explained

When a death occurs, one of the first questions families often hear from a funeral home is whether they want embalming. In the middle of grief and shock, it can...

Average Funeral and Cremation Costs Today: Updated Price Guide and Ways to Compare

Average Funeral and Cremation Costs Today: Updated Price Guide and Ways to Compare

Hearing funeral costs for the first time can feel overwhelming. One funeral home may quote a packaged service while another provides a long, itemized sheet. Articles online reference the average...

How Much Does It Cost to Cremate a Cat? Average Prices, Options, and What to Expect

How Much Does It Cost to Cremate a Cat? Average Prices, Options, and What to Expect

The passing of a beloved cat can leave a sudden emptiness in your home. One day there is a familiar presence on the couch or at the end of the...

Pet Loss & Memorial Center

Pet Loss & Memorial Center

Grieving is a journey you never expected to take—but one that can reshape every corner of your life. The quiet in your home feels heavier, routines feel disrupted, and even...

How Can I Explain a Pet’s Death to Children?

How Can I Explain a Pet’s Death to Children?

For many children, a pet is their first encounter with deep loss. They curl up with them during storms, whisper secrets into fur, and count on that steady presence in...

How Can I Support an Older Adult Who Has Lost a Pet?

How Can I Support an Older Adult Who Has Lost a Pet?

For many older adults, a pet is more than a companion, it is daily structure, emotional grounding, and often their most consistent source of affection. When a pet dies, life...