Reasons to Delay a Funeral

February 15th, 2017
Reasons to Delay a Funeral

Reasons to Delay a Funeral

Most funeral experts recommend that a funeral should take place as soon after death as possible—usually within a week or so. Not only is this necessary when you’re talking about the disposal of human remains (when burial is the choice), but immediate services can help with the process of grieving. (more…)

Holding a Funeral in the Rain

February 10th, 2017
Holding a Funeral in the Rain

Holding a Funeral in the Rain

It is impossible to “choose” the right day or time of year for a funeral. Not only can we not decide when death occurs, but we are often restricted on time depending on what the funeral home or cemetery has available. The result is that funerals tend to take place no matter what the weather—oftentimes in the middle of a downpour. (more…)

Memorial Tattoos

February 7th, 2017
Memorial Tattoos

Memorial Tattoos

Dealing with grief in the aftermath of funeral planning is, to put it mildly, a difficult task. While the challenges of choosing a casket, paying for a funeral, and coordinating the memorial service can be overwhelming, it is what follows that provides the real struggle. (more…)

Soliciting Funeral Donations

February 2nd, 2017
Soliciting Funeral Donations

Soliciting Funeral Donations

As funeral planning becomes more integrated with technology, it is no surprise that the latest trend in covering funeral costs is crowdsourcing. Websites like Kickstarter have changed the way we look at paying for goods and services—instead of paying a huge chunk of money to create a product, individuals ask to be paid in advance from a wide pool of funders who want to see the product come to light. (more…)

Funeral Etiquette: Is it Okay to Bring a Camera to the Funeral?

January 31st, 2017
Is it Okay to Bring a Camera to the Funeral?

Is it Okay to Bring a Camera to the Funeral?

Funeral planning often comes with difficult questions. Is it better to opt for burial or cremation? What type of casket should I choose? What is the appropriate funeral attire? Should I bring the wide-angle or long-focus lens? (more…)

Sending a Message from Beyond the Grave

January 26th, 2017
Sending a Message from Beyond the Grave

Sending a Message from Beyond the Grave

These days, it is not uncommon for advance funeral planning to take on a macabre kind of entertainment. In an age when some people hold “living funerals” to say their goodbyes while they are still among us, and when you can pre-order a customized casket in bright colors or over-the-top themes, why not also consider sending a message that won’t be received until you have long since passed on? (more…)

Are You an Ideal Candidate for Cremation?

January 23rd, 2017
Are You an Ideal Candidate for Cremation?

Are You an Ideal Candidate for Cremation?

The debate of whether it is better to choose cremation over burial is one that has the potential to divide families and make funeral planning difficult. Unless the deceased was clear about his or her wishes or made advance funeral plans, chances are there will be some family members who feel strongly about cremation—and just as many who feel strongly about burial. (more…)

Funeral Superstitions

January 17th, 2017
Funeral Superstitions

Funeral Superstitions

Funeral superstitions vary by culture and by generation, and what one family believes wholeheartedly, another may consider folly. For example, the Victorians were notorious for their strictures on death and dying, with superstitions that ranged from covering mirrors and stopping clocks at the time of death to building specialty coffins with bells that could ring in case of a live burial. Today’s superstitions have a much more horror-movie feel to them, such as the idea that standing on the street corner when a hearse stops will signal your own impending death. (more…)

Babies at Funerals

January 13th, 2017

Babies at Funerals

Funeral etiquette dictates that families think long and hard before they bring children to a funeral. In addition to questions of whether or not a child is equipped to handle the concept of death (and a possible viewing), there are other attendees to consider. Children can be noisy, disruptive, and irreverent at a time when other people simply want space to grieve. So, too, can kids ask questions—innocent enough on their own—but the way they are asked can evoke strong emotions. (more…)

How Much Does it Cost to Exhume a Body?

January 10th, 2017
How Much Does it Cost to Exhume a Body?

How Much Does it Cost to Exhume a Body?

Most of the time, the only reason we hear of a body being exhumed or a grave dug up is when it is commissioned by the authorities for reasons related to cause of death and solving a crime. Because this process is so invasive and disruptive, it is hard to imagine any other reason to open up a grave. (more…)

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