Here’s What to Send (Instead of Flowers) When Someone Dies

Memorial Gift Ideas

What should you send when someone dies, instead of flowers?

Funeral flowers are beautiful, but many people find them depressing. After all, once the hubbub of the funeral or memorial service subsides, the flowers sit on a table and… die. A sad collection of wilting flowers isn’t exactly the image you want to leave with the recipient of your memorial gift.

So many people look for funeral flower alternatives to give that somehow celebrate life.

Whether it’s a “living wreath” instead of a traditional flower wreath, or perhaps a bird feeder that draws local wildlife close and actually helps sustain them, we’ve collected the best sympathy gifts to send instead of flowers.

If you’re looking to get away from the overdone memorial gift tradition of funeral flowers, here’s what to send instead of flowers when someone dies.

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10 Meaningful Legacy Project Ideas

How to leave a legacy

What do you want your legacy to be? Leaving a legacy to your children and family is an important consideration. As you make arrangements for the end of your life, you will be consulting a lawyer, writing a will, signing advance directives, planning the funeral, and more.

But what does all of it mean?

This is where you may want to consider a legacy project as a way to help tell the story and meaning of your life.

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25 Beautiful Funeral Favors, Keepsakes, & Giveaways

Ideas for funeral and memorial service favors

Funeral favors are a popular trend as a way to say thank you to guests and also a way to honor your loved one. These are little trinkets or keepsakes that you give away at funerals, memorials, or life celebration events.

While funeral favors are definitely an “optional” part of your funeral planning, it’s a nice gesture of thanks for the support of friends and family, and it can also be a lovely way to keep your departed loved one in the hearts and minds of all who were part of the memorial service.

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The Best Funeral Songs of All Time

Funeral Songs List

Music touches us at a very deep, intimate, and basic level. So choosing the best funeral songs for a loved one’s service can be a daunting and emotional task.

Which song, or songs, should you pick? Is a particular song appropriate? What is the best funeral song for dad, or for a country music enthusiast, or for a Christian?

Since each person is unique, we can’t make those decisions for you. However, we can point out some of the most beloved songs for funerals in a variety of genres and styles.

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Inurnment Definition & Everything Else You Need to Know

Inurnment Definition

What is inurnment? Inurnment is simply the act of placing cremated remains into a container to store or bury them.

Cremated remains or “ashes” are typically inurned in a plastic or cardboard container and given to the family. The family can then purchase a permanent cremation urn and transfer the remains into the new urn.

In this fairly typical scenario, inurnment happened twice. Both times the ashes were put into a container (first into the temporary urn, then into the permanent urn), the ashes were inurned.

That’s the simple, easy answer. But if you are like most people, this is the first time you’ve dealt with body disposition and you probably have many more questions about the process.

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20 Reasons Why People Are Choosing Cremation

Reasons why people are choosing cremation

More and more people are choosing cremation as a final disposition method.

Cremation is on the rise, and there are many factors involved in this trend – from cost to claustrophobia, from religious considerations to the increasing personalization of funerals, there are not only broad trends but also uniquely specific reasons why more and more people choose cremation over burial.

Here are five general, broad-brush reasons why people are choosing cremation, followed by specific comments from actual people on why they have decided to go with cremation.

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The 10 Best Willow Tree Sympathy Gifts

Willow Trees

Willow Tree figurines are incredibly popular carved wooden figures designed by artist Susan Lordi. Each original design is hand-carved by the artist in a simple yet captivating style that has become a modern classic. The Willow Tree figures are highly collectible and are often given to newlyweds, new parents, as Christmas gifts, and as bereavement or sympathy gifts.

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