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Rest Haven Blog

Explore our blog for valuable content about cremation, burial, how to write an obituary, coping with grief and much more.

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choosing music for a funeral or memorial service

Choosing Music for a Funeral or Memorial Service

The right song can say what words can't quite express. Classical or country. Hymns or rock songs. What matters is that the music feels true to the person you're honoring. Here's how to choose songs that celebrate their life.

What to Do First When Someone Dies

Reading Time: 7 minutes What to Do First When Someone Dies Who do I call? What should I say? Here’s what to do first when someone dies, and what to do in the hours and days that follow. What should you do

Guide to Planning a Funeral

Reading Time: 7 minutes Planning a funeral doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated, but it can feel overwhelming. Start here with Graceland’s Complete Guide to Planning a Funeral.  With step-by-step insights and actionable strategies for finalizing every detail, you’ll have the tools you

Which to Choose: Burial or Cremation?

Reading Time: 3 minutes How do you choose between cremation vs. burial? Not sure what you prefer? Here are some things to consider to help you make the best decision. Advantages of Cremation The cremation rate in the U.S. has

The Complete Guide to Burials

Reading Time: 8 minutes When a loved one dies, one of the immediate next steps is planning the burial. Even those who opt for cremation may choose a cemetery burial, making this a critical consideration for virtually everyone. While it may seem

The Complete Guide to Cremation

Reading Time: 7 minutes Planning a cremation doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. You can learn everything you need to know with our simple and comprehensive guide to cremation. What do scientist Albert Einstein, psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, musician George Harrison, and actor Christopher

The Complete Guide to Memorial Services

Reading Time: 10 minutes Planning a memorial service can often seem complicated, especially when trying to plan one in the midst of your grief. To help you, we’ve created this simple Guide to Memorial Services. Here you’ll find everything you need to get

What to Write in a Sympathy Note

Reading Time: 6 minutes The sympathy note that goes along with a floral arrangement or one that you write in a card you send in the mail has one simple rule, says the Emily Post Institute: Say what you truly feel. Many

How to Write an Obituary: Five Tips

Reading Time: 6 minutes We’ve all read the traditional obituaries packed with the the names, places, people, career highlights that defined a person’s life. And while these examples should make it easy to put pen to paper, when we’re called

A Daughter’s Guide to Planning a Funeral

Reading Time: 7 minutes They raised you, provided for you and supported every wish, whim, hope and dream. And now, when it comes to celebrating and commemorating your parent’s life, how do you pull all of the pieces together and both say

What To Wear To A Funeral

Reading Time: 3 minutes With funeral traditions changing so quickly, what to wear has become a very common question. In the 1970s, for example, it was unthinkable not to wear your traditional best to a funeral. Men wore a suit, or jacket

How to Write a Eulogy: 3 Tips for Creating a Heartfelt Tribute

Reading Time: 6 minutes When Steve Jobs’ sister Mona Simpson delivered his eulogy she began with herself, explaining her life before she first met her brother at the age of 25. Mona was raised by a single mother and unaware she had

Navigating Grief Online

Reading Time: 5 minutes How to Announce a Death on Social Media & Memorialize a Facebook Page Social media is where we share not only our joy and accomplishments but also our grief and loss. How we mourn and remember our loved

Things You Can Do When Someone You Know Suffers a Loss

Reading Time: 4 minutes After a lifetime of helping families with final arrangements, we can tell you that the most frequent questions we get aren’t about headstones, caskets, memorial services, or burials. When people ask those questions, what they really

back-to-school grief

When Grief Meets Back-to-School

Back-to-school season can be a challenging time for grieving parents. How do you navigate milestones that remind you of those who are no longer here? Here are some tips to help you through.

Helping a Sister Through Grief – A Sister’s Guide

Reading Time: 6 minutes Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends. So begins author Joan Didion’s memoir “The Year of Magical Thinking” in which she shares what life and grieving were

Helping a Parent Through Grief: A Daughter’s Guide

Reading Time: 7 minutes When my father died my mother found herself alone for the first time in nearly 60 years. Since meeting at 18 they had done everything together, from college to first jobs to big moves, all underscored by a

Things to Say to Someone Who’s Grieving

Reading Time: 3 minutes Though we’re all well acquainted with how to celebrate happy occasions with people, sad ones are more fraught with worry. It’s sad, it’s awkward, and it’s hard to know what exactly to say when someone you know experiences

How to Support Someone Who’s Grieving During the Holidays

Reading Time: 6 minutes If you have a friend or family member who is grieving during the holidays, it’s important to offer your support in a way that is meaningful and helpful. Here are five specific ways to support someone who is

Flowers & Their Meanings

Reading Time: 5 minutes You don’t have to be a professional florist to know what flowers to include in your sympathy arrangement. Here is a guide on how to choose sympathy flowers, including types of flowers to send and their

A resolution that lasts

A Resolution That Lasts

Every January, we make promises to ourselves—eat better, exercise more, spend less time on our phones. But what if this year, you made a different kind of resolution? One that could bring your family closer and provide peace of mind
holiday gift ideas for someone who's grieving

Holiday Gift Ideas for Someone Who’s Grieving

The holidays can feel impossibly heavy for someone missing a loved one. A thoughtful gift doesn't fix that pain, but it can say something powerful: "I remember them too." From personalized ornaments to self-care gifts, here are some ideas.

The First Christmas After a Loss

Reading Time: 6 minutes December is different this year. Different for my husband and his brother and two sisters. My mother-in-law Louise passed away in June at the age of 94. Her birthday is Christmas Day. Now, we are experiencing all of