In times of loss, words can be inadequate to express the depth of our emotions. That’s why we often turn to flowers to convey messages of solace, empathy, and remembrance. With that in mind, it is important to consider the symbolism associated with flowers when selecting funeral floral arrangements. The following is a brief overview of the language of funeral flowers. We hope it will make choosing funeral flowers easier and more satisfying. A History Rooted in Ritual Funeral flower arrangements have been an essential part of farewell rituals for centuries. They are beautiful, but more importan ..read more

You might remember flipping through the newspaper obituary section or watching your parents and grandparents do this while telling stories about the familiar names they spotted. In fact, before social media, obituaries were the primary way we kept up with the passing of friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Indeed, throughout history, preparing an obituary has held a special place in the traditions used to commemorate the death of a loved one. This unique remembrance allows us to celebrate and honor the deceased, inform the community, preserve family history, and begin the difficult journey t ..read more

Search for the “best funeral insurance” plans, and you’ll get plenty of results. Most of these results will talk about policies offered by specific insurance companies. There are so many options; how do you choose? Well, you start by creating a funeral plan. Your funeral plan is the key to finding the best funeral insurance policy. Here’s Why You Need a Funeral Plan With any type of insurance policy you buy, you need to know how much coverage you will need. If you are buying homeowners insurance, you must know the value of your home and possessions. Likewise, when you buy a funeral insurance ..read more

Losing a loved one, whether human or animal, is a deeply emotional experience. As we navigate through the grieving process, finding meaningful ways to honor and remember them becomes paramount. This holds true whether you buy memorial items for loved ones as a gift for someone close to the deceased. Memorial gifts serve as tangible reminders of the cherished moments we shared and the love that will forever remain in our hearts. Let’s explore some popular memorial items to honor beloved family members and cherished pets. MEMORIAL ITEMS FOR LOVED ONES 1. Personalized Jewelry: Pieces of jewelry i ..read more

It started with a simple search–funeral potatoes. Since our funeral food pages are popular, we thought our readers might enjoy a pithy little feature highlighting our recipes and funeral food customs. Having crossed paths with an article or two about the traditions behind potatoes at funerals, that seemed like a good place to start.  Hailing from the South, I already knew that funeral comfort food is quite a thing, and a tasty thing at that. I’ve been to plenty of funerals where the golden cheesy deliciousness of potato casseroles was on full display, but I had no idea that this otherwise ..read more

Most of us know what wedding officiants do. They work with couples to design the perfect wedding ceremony and then conduct the proceedings. But did you know there are also funeral officiants—professionals who are trained to help plan and conduct funeral ceremonies? These experts are called Funeral Celebrants. What does a Funeral Celebrant do? Funeral Celebrants collaborate with the family to create a personalized ceremony that truly reflects the life of the person being memorialized. The celebrant gets to know the deceased by asking questions, listening to stories, and curating the information ..read more

For many people, Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate and show appreciation for all our mothers do for us. And heaven knows, all those mothers out there deserve to be celebrated. For others, however, Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder of a mother no longer with them. If you’re struggling to cope with grief on Mother’s Day, here are some tips to help you move through the grief and onto a path to healthy healing. Tips for Coping with Mother’s Day Grief Acknowledge your feelings. Your feelings about the loss of your mother are very real. It’s important to acknowledge them and allow yourself t ..read more

For many people, the first thing that comes to mind when running across an article like this is that you have no intention of dying anytime soon. We agree! But, and it’s a big but, as much as you don’t want to think about it, you don’t want to wait until it’s absolutely necessary to make sure that your family has everything they need when the unthinkable happens. NOT SURE IF YOUR FAMILY IS PREPARED FOR YOUR END OF LIFE? Take our 5-minute quiz to find out. We do get it; preparing your family for your end of life can be difficult and emotional. However, it is important to ensure that your loved ..read more

It’s a New Frontier in Artificial Intelligence A new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) is all the rage now. AI programs have been used for years, but the latest technological breakthrough is “generative” AI programs. These new AI programs, also known as chatbots, can respond to virtually any query. They can answer questions, hold a conversation, compose essays, and even create computer code. Predictably, major tech companies Alphabet and Microsoft are developing ways to incorporate AI into their search engines (Google and Bing, respectively). Microsoft has invested billions in the art ..read more

My dad passed away in 2001, and my nephew, Brandt, was about 4 years old. He called my dad Pepaw, thought he hung the moon. He wanted to do everything Pepaw did. At the wake, my mother was sitting in a chair at the head of the casket and Brandt asked if he could get up on her chair to see Pepaw. Looking over into the casket Brandt whispered, “Pepaw, Pepaw”! Getting no response Brandt reached over and smacked Pepaw’s forehead and said loudly, “Wake up, Pepaw!” That drew some laughs, even from mother! The post Wake up, Pepaw! appeared first on Funeralwise ..read more