Funeral Etiquette

Whether you are planning a service for a loved one or paying respects to a friend or co-worker, funerals can be socially and emotionally challenging. Especially during a sensitive time, funeral etiquette can feel like an insurmountable set of unspoken rules. Our funeral etiquette pages can help. We cover everything from appropriate attire to what to say when offering condolences to navigating different service formats. We’ll offer insight into how you can be respectful and supportive of the grieving family while honoring the memory of the deceased. The information in our guide will help you navigate difficult situations with confidence and compassion. Our tips and advice will help you navigate difficult days if you are mourning and introduce you to the customs and courtesies associated with attending funerals, visitations, and memorials.


Resources for Making Funeral Arrangements

Whether a death has just occurred or you’re planning ahead, we’ll walk you through every decision with compassion and no pressure. Making funeral arrangements can feel overwhelming, especially after a death. There are many decisions to make, often quickly, and it can be hard to know where to begin. Our resources are here to help you take the process one step at a time, with clear information and practical guidance. Tackle the most urgent tasks first. After that, move through the details at a pace that works for you. From the first call to selecting funeral services and products, we’ll help you understand your options and make well-informed decisions with confidence. We also cover what happens after the funeral, including important follow-up tasks such as filing claims, handling paperwork, and managing a loved one’s affairs. If you are planning ahead, our After Me tools can help you organize your wishes


Funeral Insurance and Burial Insurance

Funerals are a significant expense for most of us, and they can arise unexpectedly. This places a financial burden on surviving loved ones during an already difficult time. Funeral insurance is a specialized type of life insurance designed to help cover the costs associated with end-of-life arrangements. Understanding how it works and its pros and cons can help you decide if it's the right choice for you. When considering funeral insurance, it’s essential to understand what type of insurance you are purchasing and what the coverage entails. In this article and our other funeral insurance pages, you will learn if you should buy funeral insurance, and if so, what type of policy and how much to buy. We will also inform you about the biggest mistakes people make when buying funeral insurance and how to avoid them. This guide will clarify the benefits and options available to you when it comes to funeral and burial insurance.


Funeral Cost: What to Expect and How to Get Help

Managing & Understanding Funeral Costs Funeral costs have risen steadily — and for most families, the total comes as a surprise. A traditional funeral with burial now costs $12,000 to $15,000 or more when all expenses are counted. Even a simpler cremation with a memorial service can run $4,000 to $7,000. This section of Funeralwise […]


Celebration of LIfe

Four Funerals And No Wedding

By Guest Contributor Barry Slocombe The life of a funeral celebrant is rewarding. It can also be highly challenging. Earlier this year, Celebrant Barry Slocombe found out just how challenging. He decided to share his experience with us so that we could get a peek behind the curtain. Let’s see just what life can be […]



Multigeneration Family

Are You Taking the Right Approach to Funeral Planning?

RETHINKING FUNERAL PLANNING – Take the same approach you take to planning for retirement. Most of us are accustomed to thinking about retirement planning. Even if retirement is years away, we understand the need to have a firm plan to get to where we want to be and retire comfortably. A good retirement plan includes […]


Focus on Funeral Insurance

May 2021 FUNERAL INSURANCE: PRENEED OR FINAL EXPENSE? What’s right for you? At Funeralwise, we’re all about planning. As we always say, the best time to plan a funeral is BEFORE you need it. Preplanning your funeral doesn’t have to cost you anything (see our Wise Planning System). Still, eventually, you’ll have to think about […]


Having a Cheap Funeral

10 Tips For Having A Cheap Funeral

Lots of people look for ways to have a cheap funeral. It’s not that they don’t care about the funeral, they just can’t afford today’s funeral costs (see how much a funeral costs). Fortunately, with some pre-planning and a little creativity, you can have a nice end-of-life send-off without breaking the bank. In other words, […]


Wise Planning System or Prepaid Funeral Plan

Do I need the After Me Planner if I have a prepaid funeral plan?

Question: Why do I need the After Me Planner and Organizer if I already have a prepaid plan through a funeral home.Answer: The After Me Planner and Organizer is a powerful tool that offers things your prepaid plan doesn’t — like ceremony planning, checklists, storing personal and genealogical information, and more. When you buy a […]


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