Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Funeral Flower Crafts

Wednesday, February 17th, 2016
Funeral Flower Crafts

Funeral Flower Crafts

After the funeral has come to an end and all the out-of-town guests have departed, you may find yourself facing an abundance of leftovers. From too many cakes and casseroles to vases full of funeral flowers, there tends to be quite a bit of overflow after the death of a loved one. (more…)

How to Write a Funeral Absence Letter

Tuesday, February 16th, 2016
How to Write a Funeral Absence Letter

How to Write a Funeral Absence Letter

When a death occurs in your family, you may be required to notify your place of business or school that you will need a leave of absence for bereavement purposes. Although many companies have policies in place for bereavement leave, not all of them do, and you may or may not be granted the time off depending on how you craft your request. (more…)

Hiring Clergy or a Celebrant for a Funeral

Monday, February 15th, 2016

Hiring Clergy or a Celebrant for a Funeral

Funeral services and memorial services are almost always overseen by a member of the clergy or other religious leader. Because so much about death has to do with spiritual customs and religious traditions, it is comforting to have someone who is able to not only hold the service in accordance with your beliefs, but who can also provide the spiritual guidance you need during this difficult time. (more…)

Activities for Kids at a Funeral

Thursday, February 11th, 2016
Activities for Kids at a Funeral

Activities for Kids at a Funeral

Although bringing kids to a funeral is something not everyone agrees on, there are times and places when children either must be or choose to be present. No one knows your child as well as you do, and the decision to bring them along rests entirely with you and the immediate family of the deceased. (more…)

Gravestone Decorating Ideas

Monday, February 1st, 2016

Gravestone Decorating IdeasOne of the reasons we have cemeteries and headstones as a culture is because of how important it is to have a physical place to grieve. Regardless of your beliefs about the afterlife, being able to make a connection to a grave, a physical location, or a columbarium niche is part of the grieving process. You can talk with your loved one, reflect on your loss, and decorate the spot—all of which help you to heal and move through your grief. (more…)

When is the Best Time to Scatter Ashes?

Thursday, January 28th, 2016

When is the Best Time to Scatter Ashes?One of the primary benefits of cremation is that you don’t have to hold a memorial service right away. With cremated remains, you can take days, weeks, months, or even years to get everyone together to hold a scattering ceremony. This kind of flexibility is important in our modern society, when families are spread out over the globe and can’t always rearrange their plans to travel to a funeral. (more…)

How to Get a Burial Flag

Friday, January 22nd, 2016

How to Get a Burial FlagWhen planning a funeral for a United States veteran, you may be eligible to receive a U.S. flag to be draped over the casket or to accompany the urn. This service is provided free of charge and with a great respect for the service provided by the deceased.

Although burial flags are most often offered when an individual is having a traditional military funeral or burial, this doesn’t have to be the case. You may be able to receive a flag even if you don’t hold a service at all. (more…)

Establishing a Family Cemetery

Thursday, January 7th, 2016

Establishing a Family CemeteryOne of the oldest and longest-standing funeral traditions is that of buryingfamily members in a private cemetery on your own land—but it’s a tradition few people uphold today. What was once a common practice started to disappear as national regulations intervened and required that burials were overseen by local health and sanitation codes. The prevalence of convenient funeral homes also provided an affordable alternative. The result is that these days, burying a loved one anywhere but an official cemetery is a tricky business.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a family cemetery on private land. Although you will be restricted by the laws in your particular state and county, there are steps you can take to begin establishing a private cemetery. (more…)

Burial Insurance, Part Three: Buying Burial Insurance through a Funeral Home

Friday, December 4th, 2015
Burial Insurance, Part Three: Buying Burial Insurance through a Funeral Home

Burial Insurance 3 of 3

There are two primary ways to buy burial insurance. The first operates like any other kind of life insurance policy, in which you name a loved one as the beneficiary who receives the payout when you die. The second option allows you to name a funeral home as the beneficiary, in which case they receive the insurance money directly.

This second option may seem a bit strange—after all, a funeral home isn’t your family, and you haven’t worked hard your whole life so they can receive a payout. However, it’s actually a quite common occurrence, and it can work out in your favor. Here’s how. (more…)

Herbal Funeral Flowers

Wednesday, July 8th, 2015

 

Herbal Funeral Flowers

Herbal Funeral Flowers

One of the biggest trends in the funeral planning industry is to find ways to combine the traditions we’ve all come to recognize with more earth-friendly memorial options. From cremation to direct burial, there are dozens of ways you can reduce the strain on the environment when a loved one dies.

Funeral flowers are part of this trend toward simpler, cleaner burial, and many families opt to have “in lieu of” donations made or to cut out the flowers altogether. Another option is to give potted plants or useful funeral bouquets—ones that show your sympathy but also provide a secondary service. Funeral flowers that are also herbs or fruit-bearing plants do just that. (more…)