When you are facing the loss of a loved one, the last thing you need is to feel lost in a sea of unfamiliar industry jargon. The funeral and crematory profession uses specific terminology that, while necessary for clarity in the industry, can feel confusing and overwhelming to families during a time of grief.

To help you navigate this process with more confidence and less stress, here is a breakdown of the essential vocabulary you may encounter when making final arrangements.

The questions people ask in times of grief are rarely about curiosity alone—they’re about meaning, connection, memory, and getting things right. And sometimes, yes, they’re about whether you can legally put someone’s ashes in a custom-painted garden flamingo.

We’re here for all of it.

So ask your questions. All of them. The practical, the personal, the weird, the sacred, the ones you’re afraid will sound silly. Nothing about love or loss is silly to us.

At Martin Oaks, we have developed and implemented Identification and Chain of Custody processes and procedures to make sure that it is your loved one who is returned to you or is placed in their final resting place as expected.