What to Bring to a Prearrangement Meeting
March 23rd, 2016
We all know that one of the best ways to save money on burial costs and ensure that your wishes are carried out is to preplan a funeral. However, the act of preplanning a funeral can be pretty stressful. After all, you might be setting up huge financial payments, confronting your own feelings regarding death, and making important decisions all at the same time. (more…)
Ethically Sourced Funeral Flowers
March 22nd, 2016
Whenever we talk about green funerals, we tend to pay attention to things like what kind of material is being used for the casket, the benefits of cremation over burial, and avoiding potentially harmful activities like embalming. Another popular option is to consider “in lieu of” donations instead of having funeral flowers sent. Because florists typically have to order their blooms from places like South America (especially in the off season), these displays can be a drain on the environment and come from farms where workers receive substandard wages. (more…)
Popular Tourist Cemeteries in the United States
March 21st, 2016
Although few people associate cemeteries and death with their ideal vacation plans, visiting local cemeteries is actually a popular tourist practice. Fusing history and nature, cemeteries have a way of capturing a city’s culture in ways that more traditional tourist sites do not—and because they are almost always free to the public, they provide a low-cost alternative to many kinds of national monuments, museums, and theme parks. (more…)
Ten Things to Do at a Cemetery besides Mourn
March 16th, 2016
As some of the largest, most well-tended parklands this country has to offer, cemeteries are not just for families of the deceased. While every visit to a cemetery should be taken with reverence and respect in mind, you do not have to know someone buried there to make the most of it. (more…)
Do You Have to Disclose a Recent Death when Selling a House?
March 15th, 2016
When a parent or loved one dies, their home is often one of the first items to be put on the market. Because a house is considered part of their estate, the sale of the house can be used to help pay for the funeral, settle debts, and serve as an inheritance for the family left behind. (more…)
Pros and Cons of Living by a Cemetery
March 14th, 2016
We all know that cemeteries are some of the most beautiful places a city has to offer. Lush and green, secluded and historic, protected from development…if you want somewhere to be alone with your thoughts (and with nature), you can’t do much better than a cemetery. (more…)
Five Most Famous Mausoleums in the United States
March 9th, 2016
Mausoleums are one of the most iconic cemetery features. Known alternately as tombs, vaults, catacombs, and crypts, the term is used to describe any place of burial that stands as a separate building. They are often large enough to hold multiple bodies, and it is common for families to own their own mausoleums as a way to bury several generations in one location. (more…)
How to Plan a Funeral Quickly
March 7th, 2016
There are times when planning a funeral is something that needs to happen quickly and with a minimal hassle. Whether you are dealing with a busy schedule of your own, you have family coming in from out of town and can’t commit to a lengthy funeral planning process, or you simply cannot handle the idea of lingering over the details, there are ways to cut back on the time required—and to still enjoy a beautiful, memorable goodbye. (more…)
Funeral Planning Trends: Funeral Karaoke
March 4th, 2016
Playing music at a funeral is something almost all cultures and religions do in some form or another. Pianos or organs, a vocalist or harpist, pre-recorded songs that accompany the procession—there is something about music that speaks to the soul and helps communities to heal. (more…)
Types of Biodegradable Urns
March 2nd, 2016
Biodegradable urns provide a green funeral option that gives back to nature and the environment. Cremation is already a smart choice if you are looking for ways to reduce the impact of a loved one’s death on the eco-system, so opting for an urn that will break down and leave virtually no trace makes sense. (more…)