When a beloved pet dies, saying goodbye with a formal funeral can be necessary to get the proper closure. This is especially true for animals like dogs, who often spend entire lifetimes by our side, providing comfort and protection.
Whether you plan a pet funeral at a pet cemetery or in your own backyard, the proper sendoff can make all the difference. That’s why many people are turning to casket manufacturers and online pet funeral vendors to supply them with all the necessary materials…including dog caskets.
(more…) Caskets for Dogs
May 29th, 2013When a beloved pet dies, saying goodbye with a formal funeral can be necessary to get the proper closure. This is especially true for animals like dogs, who often spend entire lifetimes by our side, providing comfort and protection.
Whether you plan a pet funeral at a pet cemetery or in your own backyard, the proper sendoff can make all the difference. That’s why many people are turning to casket manufacturers and online pet funeral vendors to supply them with all the necessary materials…including dog caskets.
(more…) Celebrate Life not Death with a Living Funeral
May 27th, 2013
iMortuary welcomes guest contributor, Dennis Aimes. Dennis Aimes is a writer and insurance advisor that specializes in the GIO funeral insurance product for his Australian based clientele.
The end of life can be a time of great sadness. It should also be a time of joy, as we not only mourn the passing of a cherished loved one but celebrate the accomplishments of their life. The celebration is one reason why the living funeral has been rising in popularity as an alternative to the traditional funeral.
Why a living funeral?
When someone is born we celebrate their entrance into our world and our lives. We feast and celebrate when a child is born. We celebrate each year that passes with birthday parties, marking the annual ceremony of when someone’s life began. This is where the logic behind having a living funeral comes from. Why should the end of life be any different, why focus on the negative aspect of a person leaving us when we should look back and celebrate all that they have accomplished?
When to have one
(more…) Items to Include in the Casket
May 24th, 2013
If you are planning a traditional funeral for a loved one, you may be asked what kinds of personal effects you’d like to have buried with the deceased. Today’s caskets come equipped with drawers and special pockets designed for things like jewelry and other mementos, making it easy and elegant to bury the deceased with their favorite items. You can also place items directly into the casket, where they can be near the deceased as he or she is entered into the ground.
Why Bury Personal Items?
(more…) Funeral Planning How-To: Getting Ready to Send Sympathy Flowers
May 22nd, 2013
When we hear of a loved one passing, one of the first thoughts to spring up is whether or not to send sympathy flowers. For centuries, flowers have been a part of the funeral planning process, providing beauty and comfort to the family in what is obviously a high-stress situation.
However, with so many funeral flower providers and funeral etiquette rules to follow, it can be difficult knowing where to start. Here are a few guidelines for selecting the perfect arrangement and for making sure your flowers arrive on time for the funeral.
When to Send Funeral Flowers
Ideally, you should arrange for the purchase and delivery of funeral flowers as soon as possible—but not so early the flowers arrive before the funeral occurs. The best idea is to wait until the funeral home and date of service have been arranged. Most funeral flower companies can use that information to coordinate the delivery with the funeral director, ensuring that your gift arrives on time to be showcased at the memorial service.
Of course, there is no time limit on this sort of thing. If you live out of town or were away when the death announcement was originally made, you can arrange for a sympathy arrangement to be sent to the family well after the service. In fact, since they may be overwhelmed with flowers immediately after the funeral, this slight delay can provide comfort in the weeks following the death.
(more…) Cremation Urn Alternatives
May 16th, 2013
Funeral planning traditions exist for a reason—to provide a time-honored and familiar ritual for those who are lost in their bereavement. People derive quite a bit of comfort from familiarity, and even though funerals tend to be somber affairs, they provide a place for people to turn when they need it most.
So what do you do when it’s not tradition that brings you joy? What funeral options are available to you if you’d rather not perform the same rituals being done all over the world?
(more…) Planning an Outdoor Memorial Service
May 14th, 2013
The majority of funeral and memorial services are held indoors. Although many people opt to include an outdoor gravesite service in addition to a more formal indoor event, the most traditional funeral planning option is to hold a memorial service in a church, funeral home, or private home. This indoor environment means that it’s easy to control the temperature, ensure that any audio-visual equipment is protected from the elements, and know that everyone will be comfortable as they prepare to say their farewells.
Because death occurs rain or shine, getting outdoors to enjoy a memorial service under the sun might seem like a challenge. However, with the right kind of planning, you can hold a memorial service outside and enjoy a different, more natural kind of funeral.
(more…) Anniversary Memorial Services
May 9th, 2013
The average American puts quite a bit of time and expense into funeral planning, usually to the tune of about one week and $10,000. And for the most part, this is considered well-spent. After all, we constantly hear about how this is the last chance to say farewell and a reason to gather the entire family together at one time—even if it is with a somber note to the event.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the commemoration of a loved one’s life has to stop the day after the funeral takes place. A growing trend in the death care community is to follow up on a funeral one, two, three, or even ten years later with an anniversary memorial service.
What is an Anniversary Memorial Service?
(more…) What You Should Know about Funeral Makeup
May 7th, 2013
When you opt for a body viewing or an open casket during funeral planning, there is quite a bit of preparation that has to go in to making the body of the deceased presentable. In addition to techniques like embalming, it is the job of a funeral makeup artist to provide a serene, lifelike pallor to the deceased’s face and hands.
Most people accept funeral makeup as part of the funeral planning process, and one of the many items you’ll be asked to bring (in addition to the clothes you wish the deceased to be buried in as well as jewelry and other personal effects for display) is a photograph of the deceased that depicts her favored type of makeup. In some cases, you may even bring in the actual makeup, since it can be used to recreate the deceased’s normal appearance.
(more…) What Type of Sympathy Flower Display Should I Send?
April 23rd, 2013
Once you’ve decided that you’d like to send funeral flowers to commemorate the passing of a loved one, you’ll need to decide what type of spray or arrangement to choose. In addition to individual flower meaning, it’s important to consider the uses and types of each type of bouquet. Some are designed to be placed on the casket (and are usually purchased by the family), while others are meant to stand around the casket during a memorial service. Depending on the type of service being held, you may find several types that suit your purpose.
(more…) Planting Flowers at a Grave
April 18th, 2013
These days, most cemeteries have strict regulations regarding what types of flowers you can put on a grave and how long they can remain before being removed. This is done not to inconvenience families, but to ensure that the grounds remain beautiful for all the visitors stopping by.
Although it is much more common to find artificial flowers and wreaths at a gravesite than it is too see an actual flowering plant in the ground, some cemeteries do hold on to the older traditions that allow you to plant. If you’re fortunate enough to have a loved one buried in this type of cemetery, here are a few tips for planting the right kinds of flowers to ensure year-round beauty.
(more…) 
