What is the Difference between a Mortuary and a Funeral Home?

March 29th, 2013

What is the Difference between a Mortuary and a Funeral HomeWhen it comes to the funeral industry, there are more providers involved than most people realize. From hospitals and mortuaries to funeral homes and crematoriums, the disposition of a body requires careful processing and handling.

Most people are aware of the role a funeral home plays in traditional funeral planning proceedings. This facility, usually visible in the community, is your point of contact with the death care industry. Funeral homes employ funeral directors, who serve as the guide for your family’s decision-making process and provide you with the services and products you need. You can buy caskets, choose burial or cremation, pay for the funeral, and hold a service all on site.

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Buying or Selling a Pre-Owned Burial Plot

March 27th, 2013

Buying or Selling a PreOwned Burial PlotIf you’re getting ready to pre-plan a funeral and are looking to save some money on burial costs, it might be a good idea to look into pre-owned cemetery plots. Although the name is a bit macabre (bringing to mind burial plots that have already seen bodies come and go), the concept of a pre-owned plot is actually quite normal.

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Funeral Order of Service Suggestions

March 21st, 2013

Funeral Order of Service SuggestionsWhen it comes to funeral planning, there are no strict rules when it comes to how you set up the memorial service—but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few guidelines you can rely on to help. The order of service (also known as the funeral service sheet or funeral program) is a sort of itinerary for the memorial service, outlining what your guests can expect and providing a memento to take home after the service completed. Religious in nature (but not required to be), this is a great way to organize the day so that you don’t become overwhelmed by decisions.

Because the order of service is such a standard practice for religious memorial services, there are plenty of places you can turn to find more information. You can ask for help and support from your funeral director, religious officials, or even your own ideas of what should or should not be included.

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Sympathy Gifts for Men

March 19th, 2013

Sympathy Gifts for MenMost funeral gifts and sympathy offerings are geared toward a female population. Whether due to the natural progression of funeral trends or the fact that many types of comforting gift ideas are feminine in nature, the reality is that funeral gifts geared specifically for men tend to be more difficult to come by.

Grief and Gender

Men and women grieve differently—and there’s no time that this becomes more apparent than following the death of a loved one. As a general rule, women are more likely to reach out to family and friends for support, and to make a physical show of their bereavement. Men, on the other hand, might withdraw or isolate themselves (and their grief), trying to be strong for others.

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Funeral Planning Help: How to Get over Your Fear of Cemeteries

March 17th, 2013

Funeral Planning Help: How to Get over Your Fear of CemeteriesThe fear of cemeteries (coimetrophia) or tombstones (placophobia) is a very real thing—just as real as the fear of heights or crowds or any of those things that inhibit a person’s ability to cope in this world. For most people, a fear of cemeteries can be avoided by simply not going to burial grounds or being in any way affiliated with them. Though difficult, life can still go on as normal.

However, when funeral planning becomes necessary or when a loved one dies, these fears can come to the forefront. And because the fear is often so debilitating it’s not possible to go anywhere near the funeral plans, it can lead to quite a bit of unresolved grief and emotions.

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Is It Possible to Have a Viking Funeral?

March 8th, 2013

Is It Possible to Have a Viking Funeral?When it comes to unique funeral traditions, no one does it quite like ancient Vikings. We’ve all seen depictions of Viking funerals in movies…the longboats with the deceased laid reverently across the prow as a fiery arrow is shot to the deck, the rafts with huge pyres that burst into flames at sea. It’s romantic and dramatic and a proper sendoff for a warrior culture that so many people these days glorify.

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Should You Take Out a Funeral Loan?

March 6th, 2013

Should You Take Out a Funeral Loan?Paying for a funeral is an issue everyone will need to deal with at some point in their lives. Whether the death of a loved one moves the subject to the forefront, or if you are estate planning and want to make advance arrangements, you will soon find yourself surrounded by funeral payment options.

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Green Funeral Options: Funeral Plants

February 26th, 2013

Green Funeral Options: Funeral PlantsFuneral flowers are one of those things that almost everyone associates with the traditional funeral setting. From huge commemorative wreaths to the casket flowers that add a touch of color and brightness to a memorial service, many people find that sending sympathy flowers is a great way to show your love and help support the bereaving family.

However, with green funerals on the rise, it might not feel right to spend money on a display that will only last for a few days. While some families preserve funeral flowers or turn the blooms into potpourri, others end up throwing the decaying flowers out. That’s why alternative funeral flower options like funeral plants exist.

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Funeral Mediation: When Families Disagree

February 23rd, 2013

Funeral Mediation: When Families DisagreeDeath and funeral planning have the tendency to bring out the best and the worst in people. While families might hope that the loss of a loved one will bring them together as a cohesive unit, it is often found that the reverse is true. From disagreements about money issues to the actual funeral planning process (including how the body is disposed of, what kind of funeral service is held, religious preferences, and even flower choices), it often comes to pass that individuals simply cannot agree on how to proceed.

Understandably, this can quickly make a bad situation even worse—especially if there are no pre-arranged funeral plans in place and there has not been an Executor to the Estate named.

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Sympathy Gift Ideas: Funeral Quilt

February 21st, 2013

Sympathy Gift Ideas: Funeral QuiltIt’s becoming increasingly more common for families to take comfort during the funeral planning process with unique gifts and tributes. While many people still hold fast to funeral traditions, there is something to be said for receiving a unique, personalized sympathy gift that honors the deceased. Providing comfort during what is unarguably one of the most difficult times, funeral quilts and blankets are a great new option on the funeral gift market and for use as a memorial service display.

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