What Is a Memorial Service?

This article explains what a memorial service is and how it differs from a traditional funeral, helping first-time attendees know what to expect. It outlines why memorial services are held without the body present, how their timing can be flexible, and why they are often more informal and personalized. Emphasizing remembrance and celebration of life, the guide describes common elements such as shared stories, music, and opportunities to connect with other attendees. It also offers practical etiquette tips on participation and expressing condolences, highlighting how personal memories can bring lasting comfort to the family.

Funeral Pre-Planning

Why it's important to think about the end of life and plan ahead.

What Are Your Options for a Green Funeral?

Five approaches for a more environmentally friendly end of life.

Take the Time to Talk

For most of us, talking about end-of-life issues with loved ones isn’t easy. But it can be a rich and rewarding experience that connects families and strengthens relationships.

Why We Don't Talk About Death (But Should)

There are a number of conversations that are inherently difficult — that first romantic breakup as a teenager, having the birds-and-bees talk with your children or telling loved ones about a divorce. The most difficult conversation, however, might just be talking about the end of your life — talking about death. There are a number of reasons people avoid this discussion. Understanding why you’re avoiding it can help you work up the courage to have this important conversation with people who are close to you. Here are six reasons why people avoid this topic: 

How to Shop for a Funeral Home

Compare costs and services to figure out what makes the most sense for your family.

How to Plan a Funeral After a Death

A loved one has died, and now it’s up to you to plan the funeral. It is challenging to plan a service and grieve at the same time, You don’t have to do it alone — expert funeral directors are available to help. Use Legacy’s checklist to guide you as you find a funeral home and   that is meaningful and comforting.

This Therapy Dog Works in a Funeral Home

"Ally" the goldendoodle is trained to comfort people as they grieve.

What Is a Eulogy?

A eulogy is a remembrance speech that pays tribute to someone who has died.

Sikh Funeral Service Rituals

Will you be attending a Sikh funeral for the first time? Here is an overview of the general Sikh customs and traditions surrounding death, burial, and mourning to be aware of when attending a funeral.

What to Expect at a Memorial Service Held at Home

A casual setting can make it more comfortable to share memories.

The Embalming Process: How it Works

Embalming is a process performed by licensed funeral professionals that slows the decomposition of a human body after death by adding chemicals to replace bodily fluids. It's typically chosen by families that wish to have an open-casket funeral service.

What Is a Green Burial or Natural Funeral?

The basic point of a natural or "green" burial is to tread as lightly on the earth as possible with the way we lay a body to rest.

How to Qualify for Bereavement Flights

There was a time when most airlines offered bereavement flights, a discounted fare for those needing last minute flights to attend the funeral of an immediate family member. Most airlines discontinued bereavement flights around 2004 but a few airlines still offer them for attending a funeral or to visit a loved one who is near death.

Top Funeral Songs 🎵

This article examines the deep emotional connection between music and funerals, explaining how songs and hymns help families honor loved ones, process grief, and find comfort during memorial services. It presents a curated list of 76 popular funeral and celebration-of-life songs, organized by themes such as remembering parents, partners, or children, as well as religious, uplifting, humorous, love, and alternative music choices. The article serves as a practical guide for selecting meaningful music that reflects personal memories and supports emotional healing.

Military Funeral Service Rituals

One of the most revered traditions of military life, a military funeral honors ceremony is a key part of how many families honor their lost veteran. But like all formal ceremonies, they can be a little intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Read on to learn what happens at a military funeral and find answers to questions on how to behave, what to bring, and how to best help a family say goodbye to their veteran with dignity and respect.

Top Religious Funeral Songs

The relationship between funerals and music is incredibly powerful. Funeral songs can provide family and friends a sense of peace and comfort at a difficult time. Often the songs selected for a funeral or memorial service are spiritual and speak to the deceased's faith in God. Here are 10 of the most beloved religious songs played or performed at funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life.

How Much Does the Average Funeral Cost?

The average funeral with burial costs $8,755, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. But what does that include, what does it not include, and how much can it vary?  

Jewish Funeral Service Rituals

Will you be attending a Jewish funeral for the first time? If so, you may have questions or be unsure what to expect. Here is a general overview of Jewish customs and traditions surrounding death, burial, and mourning to be aware of when attending a funeral in the Jewish faith. 

Should I Make a Memorial Donation?

Flowers have traditionally been the most common sympathy gift. But today, more and more people are choosing to make a memorial donation instead of or in addition to sending flowers to grieving friends.

How to Choose a Pallbearer

Serving as pallbearer is a position of honor. Here are tips on who to ask.

10 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to a Memorial Balloon Launch

How to create an outdoor memorial service that is beautiful and eco-conscious.

What Is the Difference Between a Coffin and a Casket?

Selecting a coffin or casket is an important choice to make in regard to funeral planning. The difference between a coffin and casket is in the design.

What Is a Wake?

A wake is one of the ceremonies some people perform after a death. It’s often used interchangeably with visitation or viewing, though historically it was a different kind of ceremony from our modern-day visitation.

What Is a Living Funeral?

Celebrating life before the end lets everyone share in the love.

11 Unique Funeral Venues

More families are choosing personalized memorial celebrations of life. Here are some options.

What Documents Need to be Prepared Before a Death?

These six papers need to be ready so everyone can rest a little easier.

What It's Like When Your Parents Pre-Plan Their Funerals

Mom and Dad wanted to have the talk. Here's what happened when we sat down.

How Funeral Directors Can Help a Family

A funeral director can be one of your most important allies in the days and weeks after a loved one's death. Whether the funeral was prepared for years in advance, or the death was unexpected and you're making all the arrangements in a grief-stricken hurry, there's so much you can lean on a funeral director for. Here are eight important tasks a funeral director helps a family with.

What Is a Traditional 20th-Century U.S. Burial?

Almost half of Americans bury their dead. At its heart, burial is a very simple concept: A hole is dug; a body is placed in it and covered with earth. When we refer to a "traditional 20th-century American-style burial," we're being a little more specific: We mean a burial that includes embalming, a coffin or casket, and a burial vault – three elements that have become somewhat standardized over the past 150 years.

How to Choose a Cemetery

If you're planning a funeral and burial, you're faced with deciding which cemetery is the right choice. Whether you're pre-planning for yourself long before you'll need it, or you're quickly organizing a loved one's funeral after their death, you'll need to take a number of factors into account as you choose a cemetery.

The Surprising Ways a Funeral Director Can Help You

If you've never had to help plan a funeral, your idea of a funeral director's job is probably a little vague. They arrange the funeral, right? They handle the burial or cremation, and are at the visitation and the funeral service to make sure everyone's in the right place at the right time. Is that it?

Funerals During the COVID-19 Coronavirus Epidemic: How to Plan

As the new coronavirus strain COVID-19 travels around the globe, it’s not always easy to know what to do to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. In many areas of the U.S., public gatherings have been banned or discouraged. We're practicing social distancing, staying home as much as possible. 

How to Pre-Plan a Funeral

Planning your own funeral may not be easy, but deciding your funeral arrangements in advance can give peace of mind to your family when the time comes. Learn why funeral pre-planning is helpful, then use our detailed checklist to guide you through the steps of pre-planning a funeral. 

Video Funerals Help Families Mourn During COVID-19

At a time when precautions against COVID-19 mean that large public gatherings are banned in some places and discouraged most everywhere else, how can we continue having funerals? It’s important to honor and remember the lives of our loved ones who have died, and mourning together with others who loved them is a crucial part of the grief process. We can still do this, even if we can’t get together in one place for a funeral. 

A funeral director in 2020: 'I worry about masks'

Sammy G. Oakey III is a fifth-generation funeral director, the president of in Roanoke, Virginia. In the 150 years since his great-great-grandfather founded the business, it has never changed quite as fast as it has in 2020.

It's Never Too Late for a Memorial Service

For an entire year from 2020 to 2021, pandemic restrictions meant we couldn’t say goodbye to our loved ones the way we wanted. Often, we were unable to be with them when they died—and to make matters worse, we weren’t able to gather to hold the funerals that would help us mourn properly. Whether we could only gather with a few close family members, or we watched a small service online, or we skipped the funeral altogether, pandemic funerals have often been unsatisfying and left us feeling unresolved grief. 

How to Plan a Party-Style Funeral

“When I die, I don’t want my friends to have a funeral and be sad. I want them to throw a great party and play all my favorite songs and talk about all the fun we had.”  

How to Plan an Eco-Friendly Funeral

Many of the elements of a traditional funeral come with an environmental impact—from to , and from cut flowers to huge limousines. Fortunately, there are many steps you can consider to help make a funeral and burial more environmentally friendly. 

How to Personalize a Themed Funeral

Whether you’re planning a or an unconventional one, you can make it by adding a theme. Clothing, floral tributes, décor, music, and food can all come together in a theme that reflects the life you’re honoring.

What to Do When Someone Dies

After the death of a loved one, the volume of decisions and responsibilities can feel overwhelming. This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step checklist to help surviving family members navigate what needs to be done from the moment of death through the weeks and months that follow the funeral. Organized by urgency rather than strict chronology, it covers immediate actions, funeral planning, legal and financial responsibilities, and practical tasks related to the deceased’s home, accounts, and personal affairs. Designed primarily for close survivors but useful for anyone offering support, the guide brings clarity and structure to a difficult time, helping families focus on what matters most while ensuring essential details are not overlooked.

Burial vs. Cremation: Pros, Cons, and How to Decide the Best Option

“Do I want to be buried or cremated?” is a decision we all must face in the end. 

Burial and Cremation Alternatives

Our guide to the most common alternatives to standard burial or cremation.

Arranging the Interment of Ashes

Interment of ashes is when cremated remains are buried in the ground or placed in a building designed to hold ashes, known as a columbarium. This is an option if you prefer not to scatter them or display them in your home.

Attending a Funeral: What to Know

Legacy offers advice from experts to help answer all of your funeral etiquette questions: What is the difference between a memorial service and a funeral? What should I say to the deceased's family at the visitation? Does it matter what I wear?

The Cremation Process: How Cremation Works

A step-by-step guide to planning for a cremation.

Why We Need Funerals

There are people who declare that they don't want their families and friends to have a funeral for them when they die. "Just cremate me," they say. "I don't want any fuss."

100 Best Examples of Epitaphs

An epitaph is a meaningful tombstone tribute to someone who has died. Here are 100 of the best epitaph examples.

Poems of Mourning and Comfort

Poetry read at a funeral is an eloquent way to pay tribute to the life and legacy of someone you love. For the bereaved, poems about dying, the pain of loss, grief, mourning, the afterlife, or rebirth can bring comfort and be a source of inspiration and hope.