How to Prevent Grave Robbers
Once upon a time, grave robbing was a real concern for families, cemeteries, and those who worked in the death industry. If a loved one was buried with any jewelry at all, the family ran the risk of the body being unearthed and the valuables stolen. Before the time of modern medicine, there was even a chance of the body itself being taken, as the number of donated cadavers was incredibly low, and anatomists would go to great lengths to acquire specimens. (more…)
Top 10 funeral songs
In times of heartbreak, music has a way of saying what words cannot. Although planning a funeral doesn’t have to include a musical component, many families opt to have songs played during the memorial service, as guests arrive and depart, or when the casket is lowered. From popular ballads to hymns, music allows guests to tap into their emotions and connect with the deceased.
While many families choose songs that meant something specific to the deceased, others turn to familiar comforts that all guests can identify with. Here are ten of the more popular funeral songs.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Although there are dozens of good versions of this song, one of the most popular is that by Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwoʻole. (more…)
Traveling for the sole purpose of attending a funeral is never fun. In addition to the overwhelming feelings of sadness you may be dealing with, there are last-minute flights to arrange, rental cars to organize, hotels to book, and the actual flight to undergo. Although nothing can take away the pain of your loss, you can at least find ways to ease the burden of travel with these helpful tips.
Contact Individual Airlines. Not every airline offers bereavement rates, but many of them do have built-in specials if you recently lost an immediate member of your family (spouse, parent, child, sibling). You may have to show proof of death (a death certificate) in order to qualify, but you can also get squeezed onto a last-minute flight this way with up to 20% off the price of your ticket. (more…)
Funeral keepsakes often involve jewelry.
It can often be difficult to come to terms with the death of a loved one, especially if the deceased was particularly young or their death was unexpected. Although things like viewing the body or having an open casket can help with the process of saying goodbye, it can sometimes take more than that one final goodbye in order to truly let go.
Funeral keepsakes—ones that provide a physical reminder of the deceased—offer a way to link the past and the present, and to start moving through grief. This type of memento may not be for everyone, but if you’d like to have a more tangible memory, talk with your funeral director to learn more about the following options.
Funeral planning and making key decisions.
As you move through the process of planning a funeral and laying your loved one to rest, you’ll be asked quite a few questions about your wishes and the wishes of the deceased. To avoid decision burnout and falling into the trap of paying for more than you need, it’s best to go to the funeral home with a few choices already in place.
That’s why we recommend you sit down with your family and ask yourselves these funeral planning questions before you head into the visit with your funeral director. Discussion questions for the family meeting include:
What is the budget for the funeral? Know your maximum price tag before you make any other decisions. Your budget will determine what your options are and what kind of choices are available to you. (more…)
Casket and Coffin Furniture
For some people, using a coffin or coffin-shaped item for anything except burial is disrespectful for the deceased. After all, death is no laughing matter, and to make sport of other people’s grief can be a slap in the face during an already difficult time.
However, for other people, turning caskets and coffins into everyday items is a kind of art form. By normalizing death and the accoutrements of burial, they are not only making a statement, but also helping people to come to terms with the idea that we will all eventually move on.
Few pieces of jewelry have more meaning than a wedding ring. Although family heirlooms, class rings, sports jewelry, and other items often have sentimental value of their own (not to mention high price tags), it’s the sign of our lasting commitment that carries the most weight.
When a spouse or parent dies, it can be difficult to know how to handle the issue of the wedding ring. Should it be buried with the deceased? Kept aside to be passed down to the next generation? Otherwise memorialized so that everyone can enjoy it? (more…)
Sending a sympathy card to a family who has just experienced a loss is a kind and low-cost way to show your support. Because too many funeral flowers can be overwhelming—and because many people would rather not receive financial support or gift baskets—sympathy cards allow you to share your regrets without overwhelming the family.
Because of the nature of death and dying, most sympathy cards and the messages for sympathy cards are religious in nature. However, not every family appreciates spiritual sentiments at this time, or you yourself may be agnostic/atheist and don’t wish to send a religious card. (more…)
One of the most difficult thing about mourning the loss of a loved one is the feeling of helplessness that inevitably arises. Immediate family is tasked with the job of planning the funeral, sorting through pictures, preparing for guests, and other funeral-related tasks—which might not be fun, but does have the advantage of keeping individuals busy while they grieve.
For more distant relatives and friends, however, not being able to do more than send flowers or a sympathy card is difficult. They want to feel needed and useful—not just to help the family through their difficulties, but so they can begin their own process of grieving.
Throwing away personal effects can be a difficult process for those in mourning over a loved one. Whether you’re clearing a room or an entire house, discarding cherished memories or donating items to charity can feel like saying goodbye all over again.
If you aren’t quite ready to get rid of the entire closet full of clothes, or if you’d rather not sell off furniture that’s been in your family for years, here are a few creative ways to memorialize your loved one.
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Need to send sympathy flowers today? Our florists offer same day delivery to ANYWHERE and gorgeous arrangements
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Appropriate attire to wear to a funeral For Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, & Hindu funerals
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