Budgeting COVID-19 planning Ceremony planning Communication Disposition Grief and loss Religion

Advice

Step-by-step guide to planning a funeral

COVID-19 Planning

How to hold a funeral safely

Covid-19 has changed funerals dramatically. Would-be funeral goers are staying home, faced with not wanting to jeopardize friends or family.

Practical tips for live streaming a funeral

Holding a live streaming funeral takes a lot of planning, whether you choose to do it yourself or make arrangements through a funeral home or private company.

Ways to make a postponed service special

Families that cannot hold traditional services due to the pandemic now are planning for later funerals and celebrations of life -- and thinking about linking them to birthdays, wedding anniversaries or other dates of special significance.

Budgeting

Buying a casket or urn on your own for a funeral

Shopping on your own for items like caskets or urns can be a way to cut down costs of a funeral. Here are some guidelines to follow.

All about the Funeral Rule

Funeral providers are required by federal law to provide price information for goods and services. This is to protect consumers and ensure they can make informed decisions.

How to shop for a casket or urn

Shopping for and purchasing a casket or urn is emotional even when done in advance; it's all the harder when you have to plan an immediate funeral.

Disposition

How to choose a funeral home

It’s best to choose a funeral home based on a recommendation by someone you trust. Don’t feel immediate pressure to choose quickly. Take time to speak with your close circle for a choice or two.

The pros and cons of burial

Deciding if a burial is the best choice will hinge on several factors, including religion or similar beliefs, cost, and family dynamics. While it’s considered a more traditional choice, fewer than half of deaths now end in traditional burials.

The pros and cons of cremation

Cremation is now the most popular option for final disposition. Cremation was used in 54 percent of deaths in 2019, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. They project that to rise to around 78 percent by 2040.

Ceremony Planning

Tips to choose music for memorial events

While grieving the loss of your loved one, music can be a comforting celebratory backdrop for honoring and remembering your friend or family member - whether as part of a formal funeral, a less-formal celebration of life or other type of event.

Creative tributes in place of a traditional memorial service

There’s a reason people huddle around photo displays or pore over pictures in printed programs at funerals.

An overview of final arrangement options

Here is a summary of final arrangement options and the advantages to each.

Communication

Experts share advice on writing a memorable obituary

You volunteered (or have been volunteered) to write an obituary. How do you sum up the life of a loved one in a few words? Try thinking of it as putting together a puzzle, one piece at a time.

How to let others know of a death

The first step in the process of handling a death is quickly and compassionately sharing the news. The vital first decisions - even as you're grappling with the death yourself – is deciding who gets told first, and how.

What to do if someone dies at home

When someone dies at home, these steps can ensure that your loved one is handled with dignity -- and you follow state and local laws.

Grief and loss

When you can’t be with a loved one who’s dying

Restrictions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus have robbed some families of being at the bedside of critically or terminally ill loved ones.

Helping a grieving person when you have to be socially distant

Often, the best thing we can offer a grieving friend or loved one is our physical presence: a hug, holding a hand, shedding tears together. The COVID-19 pandemic has made that impossible in some cases

Coping with grief when a traditional funeral isn’t possible

A few weeks before the country started to shut down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Mark Busch’s 87-year-old father died.

Religion

Overview of religious funeral traditions

Funeral traditions vary by faith. Preparing the body for a funeral, how the beloved is remembered, interment or cremation and tributes are important parts of end-of-life practices. We’ve compiled brief overviews of how major religions honor the deceased.

Religious funeral customs are adapting to COVID-19

COVID-19 has disrupted everyday life, changing how people socialize, shop, work -- and worship. Health laws and pandemic restrictions can make it challenging to honor a particular religion’s death practices.

Start Planning

Start Planning a Memorial

I need to plan a funeral now

A loved one recently passed away and I need to plan services and write an obituary.

I need to prepare for the future

I want to give my loved ones everything they'll need in the event of my passing.