funeral
Funeral, Graveside Service, Or Memorial Service?
There are three types of ceremonies for remembering someone who has died: funerals, graveside services, and memorial services.
Eulogies, Tributes, And Other Speeches
A eulogy is a speech given at a funeral to fondly remember the life of the person who died. In addition to eulogies, there are...
How To Choose Funeral Music
Many people choose to incorporate music into the funeral or memorial service. Music can take the form of a church choir, a friend...
Using Photographs And Portraits For A Funeral
For closed-casket funerals, or memorial services that take place after burial or cremation, a photograph of the person who died...
7 Helpful Funeral Etiquette Tips For The Bereaved
Though you can never fully prepare yourself for the emotionality of a funeral, there are some things you can be aware of to make...
Should Children Attend A Funeral Or Memorial Service?
It is entirely appropriate to have children present at a funeral or memorial service, and can often be a good way for a child to...
Three Important Things To Know About Choosing Pallbearers
Pallbearers help to carry or escort the casket at the funeral. There are generally 6 to 8 pallbearers at a funeral, and you can...
What Does A Funeral Conductor Or Funeral Officiant Do?
The role of the funeral conductor is to preside over the funeral or memorial service.
How To Plan A Graveside Service
A graveside service is a funeral service held at the gravesite at a cemetery.
An Overview Of Events Surrounding A Funeral
In many traditions, religions, and cultures it is customary to have events both before and after the funeral or memorial service...
Before The Funeral: Viewings, Wakes And Visitations
A common practice in many cultures is to spend time with the body before the funeral or disposition.
What To Expect At A Post-Funeral Reception
After a funeral, burial, or memorial service, it is customary to have a reception where people can gather, and often eat and...
How To Choose The Right Outer Burial Container
Burial vaults and grave liners are outer burial containers that enclose a casket in a grave. In the case of ground...
How To Choose Funeral Flowers
Flowers are often purchased both by the family for the funeral service and for the family as a token of condolences.
A Complete List of Funeral Transportation Options
Coordinating transportation with the funeral home you're working with is often the easiest way to make these arrangements, though...
How To Understand Funeral Home Costs
If you are working with a funeral home to plan a funeral or memorial service, the cost of the funeral can be broken down into...
Participation Of Family And Friends In The Funeral Service
A funeral or memorial service is a time to remember and honor the life of the person who died, and as such it should reflect what...
Checklist: Pre-Planning Your Funeral or Memorial Service
Planning your own funeral or memorial service can provide peace-of-mind to you and your family.
How To Write A Death Notice Or Obituary
All the information you need to know to craft the perfect death notice or obituary.
A Quick Overview Of Funerals
A funeral is a ceremony for memorializing someone who has died.
Memorial Service Etiquette
Memorial services are emotional events, and it can be hard to know how to act, especially if you are grieving.
A Dignified Funeral In The Face Of Adversity
No one can guarantee a peaceful death, but an undisturbed funeral should be a given. Here are a few things to keep in mind to...
How Funerals Are Handled In Comic Books
There’s no such thing as a simple goodbye for superheroes…
Be Smart When Pre-Purchasing Your Funeral
It's very thoughtful to pre-arrange your funeral, just be smart when putting money down to pay for it.
How To Plan A Jewish Funeral In 7 Steps
Planning a traditional Jewish funeral, which has so many specific rules and rituals, can feel like a daunting task if you don’t...
Mad Men Makes End-Of-Life Planning Elegant And Personal
Warning: There’s a major character spoiler ahead. Proceed only if you are up-to-date on the show or don’t care about spoilers.
Guide: How To Invite People To A Funeral Or Memorial Service
Once the funeral or memorial service has been scheduled, you'll want to invite people to the service and let them know when and...
Guide: Hiring A Musician, Soloist, Or Band
Many people choose to incorporate music or songs into a funeral or memorial service. This can take the form of a church choir, a...
How To Pre-Plan Your Funeral
Imagine and pre-plan your funeral, even if it's 50 years away, and tell your family what you want.
10 Things To Do After A Death
It’s a difficult time, emotions are raw and there’s a lot to organize.
How To Conduct A Post-Funeral Memorialization
Remember the person who died through physical objects, such as a headstone, or events, such as scattering ashes. Observe any...
Checklist: Plan a Funeral or Memorial Service
When planning a funeral or memorial service, there are many aspect of the service that you can plan and personalize, from...
Guide: Finding A Funeral Home
The role of a funeral home is to coordinate funeral arrangements, including preparing the body, working with you to plan the...
Military Funeral Customs Explained
Courageous service members in the U.S. Armed Forces don’t ask for any special recognition. But it’s important we keep them in our...
FTC Funeral Rule: What Funeral Homes Need To Tell You
In an effort to protect consumers, the Federal Trade Commission enforces a law known as the Funeral Rule, which ensures your...
Pre-Purchase Goods And Services from A Funeral Home
Making funeral arrangements for yourself is a way to take some of the logistical and financial stresses off of your family and...
How To Send The Right Condolence Gift
When someone has experienced a loss, it is common to want to reach out and offer your help. If you do not live near the bereaved...
How You Can Help During A Funeral Or Memorial Service
The best way you can help during the funeral is to attend the funeral, participate when appropriate, and let the bereaved person...
How You Can Help At A Post-Service Reception
Many funerals are followed by receptions or gatherings, or religious events such as a shiva. While the most important thing you...
How To Make Donations In The Name Of A Person Who Died
Sometimes after a death, the family will ask that donations be made to a charity or foundation in the name of the person who died...
How To Know If You Should Attend A Funeral
Historically, formal invitations are not sent out for funerals or memorial services, which can make it hard to know if you should...
How To Manage Complex Relationships At A Funeral
If you had a complex relationship with the person who died or with surviving family members, knowing whether or not you should...
A Quick Overview Of Proper Funeral Etiquette
Funerals are emotionally complex, and knowing how to act can present a challenge, or at least be confusing. Issues such as what...
What To Wear To A Funeral Or Memorial Service
Traditionally, in many cultures, black is the color of mourning, and those attending a funeral were expected to wear black...
When To Arrive To A Funeral Or Memorial Service
As a rule, you should arrive to a funeral or memorial service on time and stay for the entire service.
How To Help Someone Grieving Prepare For A Funeral
Getting emotionally and physically prepared for a funeral or memorial service is often an overlooked part of the planning process...
Helping A Grieving Person Make Funeral Arrangements
While the grieving family will likely be making the bulk of the funeral or memorial service arrangements, there are some...
Pre-Pay For Funeral Arrangements With A Trust
If you want to pay for your funeral arrangements ahead of time, one way to pay is through a Trust that the funeral home sets up....
Pre-Pay For Funeral Arrangements With A Totten Trust
If you're interested in setting money aside for your funeral but aren't interested in pre-paying any funds to a funeral home, a...
Pre-Pay For Funeral Arrangements with Funeral Insurance
A simple funeral insurance policy can be purchased, with the funeral home as the beneficiary. This way, upon your death, the...
Pay For Funeral Arrangements With Medicaid
If you are covered by Medicaid, you are allowed to set money aside for future funeral expenses.
How To Pre-Plan A Funeral Service
There are three main types of ceremonies to consider when thinking about pre-planning your funeral arrangements: funerals,...
Pre-Planning A Funeral Service
By making these decisions now, your family doesn't have to make them, which can relieve a lot of stress.
Pre-Planning A Home Funeral Service
Home funerals take place at a family home, rather than a cemetery chapel, religious place of worship, or a funeral home.
How To Pre-Plan A Post-Funeral Reception
After a funeral or memorial service it is customary to have a reception where people can gather, spend time together, and...
How To Offer Help When Someone Experiences A Loss
The instinct to offer help is very common when someone has experienced a death, but there are more and less helpful ways of...
How To Sign The Guestbook At A Funeral Or Memorial Service
Many people set out guestbooks at funerals and memorial services to have a record of who attended the service.
Where To Sit At A Funeral Or Memorial Service
The question of where to sit at a funeral or memorial service can feel overwhelming when walking into a chapel or event space,...
What To Expect When Attending A Religious Funeral
If the funeral will be held at a religious place of worship or will follow religious traditions, you may want to learn a little...
What Personal Items Should You Bring To A Funeral?
If you will be providing the funeral venue with personal objects, such as photographs, guestbooks, or other personal items,...
How To Choose A Funeral Home
When choosing a funeral home, it’s important that the funeral home you choose can meet all your needs and accommodate your...
How To Compare Funeral Homes
Comparing funeral homes is one of the most effective ways to choose between funeral homes.
Reasons To Plan Your Own Funeral Or Memorial Service
Planning your own funeral or memorial service can provide peace-of-mind to you and your family.
Choosing A Funeral Conductor Or Officiant In Advance
The role of the conductor or officiant is to preside over the funeral or memorial service.
Choosing People To Deliver Eulogies And Speeches
At your funeral or memorial service, people can deliver eulogies and other speeches reflecting on you and your life.
How To Choose Music For Your Funeral Or Memorial Service
Many people choose to incorporate music and singing into a funeral or memorial service. At your funeral or memorial service,...
Choosing Your Clothing For Your Funeral
Whether the casket at your funeral will be open or closed, you may want to choose the clothing you wear for your funeral ...
Creating A Guest List For Your Funeral
In order to make sure the people most important to you are informed of your death, it can be helpful to your family to create a...
How To Prepare Yourself For A Funeral
It’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself for the funeral mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Three Important Things To Do Before A Funeral
The things you’ll need to take care of before the funeral depend on the nature of your loss and the situation you’re in. In...
What To Expect When Attending An Open-Casket Funeral
Many funerals feature an open casket, where part or all of the body of the person who died will be on view.
How To Interact With A Grieving Family At A Funeral
Knowing how to interact with someone who has just experienced a loss can be challenging, especially at the funeral or memorial...
How To Introduce Yourself At A Funeral Or Memorial Service
Depending on your relationship to the person who died or the family of the person who died, you many not know many people at the...
Post-Funeral Reception Etiquette
Post-funeral receptions offer guests and family members a chance to spend time together and remember the person who died in a...
How To Show Your Support Beyond The Funeral
As a friend or family member of someone who has experienced a death, your role does not end with the funeral.
Who Has The Right To Make Funeral Decisions?
In some situations the party responsible for making decisions about the funeral can be unclear and even contested.
The Difference Between An Obituary And A Death Notice
Different newspapers have different terminology for obituaries and death notices, so you should check with the specific...
Death Notice Templates And Obituary Templates
To help you write a death notice or obituary, here are a number of templates. The information in [brackets] and bold is for you...
How To Submit A Death Notice Or An Obituary
A death notice is a paid announcement in a newspaper that gives the name of the person who died and details of the funeral or...
How To Pick The Right Funeral Home Location
If the person who died will be buried in the city in which he or she died, you will likely want to choose a funeral home in that...
From our Blog
Putting the "Fun" in Funeral
We're very interested in the idea of highly personalized funeral and memorial services, which is why this story caught our...
Home Funerals: Personal Ways of Saying Goodbye
In the Huffington Post today, religion reporter Jaweed Kaleem looks at the rise in home funerals, and offers a number of...
Burger King Funeral
After David S. Kime Jr.'s funeral, as his family and friends made their way to the cemetery, they made a pit stop in Kime'...
Beautiful Funeral Home Ad
How does a funeral home advertise its services without being crass, creepy, or morbid? A Japanese funeral home, Nishinihon...
SCI Acquires Stewart, and Why You Should Care
On May 29, 2013, an event that many in the funeral industry had been anticipating for years finally came to fruition:...
What People Wear to a Funeral...on Instagram
We know that deciding what to wear to a funeral can be a challenge. To help you figure out what to wear to a funeral or...
Will there Be an Open Casket at a Catholic Wake?
A viewer of my videos wrote in: "I'm going to a Catholic wake for the first time. Will there be an open casket? What if I'm...
Why Do We Have Funerals?
It's traditional to have a funeral or memorial service when someone dies. But why? What purpose does a funeral serve? Check...
Death Over Dinner Gets Props on Bloomberg
Death + Dinner = Delicious. Bloomberg Media recently highlighted the “death dinners,” which recently collaborated with...
A Scandal in the Funeral Industry No One Talks About
Source: Flickr/Gerald Pereira
When I tell people that I worked in the funeral industry, I’m always asked if it’s...
Hackers Using Real Funeral Homes To Kill Your Computer
It’s bad enough when hackers steal credit card information from shopping sites, but now they’re targeting grieving friends...
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