Blog sections at a glance
The articles fall into several groups. The first holds texts and samples: everything you may have to write or say during mourning, from words of condolence to an epitaph. The second covers practical steps: what happens in particular situations and in what order a family should act. The third deals with choices, when you have to decide between two options, and the fourth with traditions and with what happens in the months and years after the funeral. Separate sections explain repatriation of a body from abroad, country by country, as well as grave care and costs. Every section keeps growing: we add new articles on the questions families most often put to us over the phone.
Texts and samples
Here you will find ready-made wording that you can use as it stands or adapt to your own situation. Every example is original and written by our team.
| Article | Inside |
|---|---|
| Condolence messages | what to say to the family in person, by phone, in a message or on a card, and which phrases are better avoided |
| Wreath ribbon messages | short wording from family, friends, colleagues and organisations, with length limits |
| Epitaphs for a headstone | lines for a mother, father, spouse or child, plus advice on stone size |
| Obituary and death notice | what a notice must include, samples for social media and for organisations |
| Funeral speech | preparing a short tribute by the grave or at the memorial table, with a complete sample |
Practical steps
These articles cover the situations in which families most often feel lost. They are not legal advice, but they set out a sequence of actions so that nothing slips through the cracks in the first hours and weeks.
| Article | Inside |
|---|---|
| Death in hospital | the medical certificate, personal belongings, moving the body from the clinic and the family's right to choose the funeral home |
| Sudden death | 112, the police, forensic examination, waiting times and what the family can do |
| Telling relatives and friends | who to tell and in what order, sample calls and messages, relatives living abroad |
| Funeral etiquette | clothing, the envelope, flowers, behaviour at the vigil and the memorial meal, children at the ceremony |
| After the funeral | bank, pension, utilities, inheritance, the 40th-day memorial and the headstone, week by week |
Choices and comparisons
When there are two paths and both seem right, a family needs a calm comparison rather than advertising. These articles lay out the strengths and weaknesses of each option and finish with questions that help you reach a decision.
| Article | Compared |
|---|---|
| Cremation or burial | costs, timing, faith, what happens to the ashes and the family's views |
| Embalming or a refrigerated coffin | how many days, which season, what distance |
| Home farewell or funeral hall | flat size, neighbours, guests and the family's strength |
| Granite or marble | durability, upkeep, colour and the difference in price |
| Choosing a coffin | material, size, shape and where overspending makes no sense |
Traditions and remembrance
Many people have known Georgian mourning customs since childhood, yet their meaning is not always clear, and for visitors from abroad they can be entirely new. Here we explain where each custom comes from and how it is observed today.
| Article | Inside |
|---|---|
| Memorial days | church teaching and family practice in the first months after a death |
| Food for the memorial meal | the traditional table, a fasting menu and the order of serving |
| Georgian mourning customs | wearing black, covered mirrors, the night vigil, the year of mourning |
| Explaining death to a child | words suited to each age and a child's part in the funeral |
| When to put up a headstone | soil settlement, season, ordering lead times |
Bringing a body home from abroad
Many Georgian families have a relative working overseas, and when a death happens there the family runs into another country's rules. These articles describe what is specific to each country: who registers the death, which documents are needed for transport and what the family should do here in Tbilisi.
| Country | Inside |
|---|---|
| Italy | local registration, the consulate, air cargo |
| Greece | paperwork from Athens and the islands, timescales |
| Turkey | overland across the border or by flight |
| USA | the state death certificate, transit, the cremation option |
| Germany | local rules and exact paperwork |
| Russia | consular questions and choosing the route |
Headstone, grave and costs
After the funeral, a family has months and years ahead in which the grave needs looking after and the headstone needs to be chosen well. This section also includes an article on dividing the costs within a family without damaging relationships.
| Article | Inside |
|---|---|
| Photo ceramic or engraving | two ways to add a portrait, photo quality and type of stone |
| Grave care through the seasons | what to do in spring, summer, autumn and winter |
| Cleaning a headstone | what is safe and what is not, granite, marble, lettering |
| Sharing funeral costs in the family | agreement between brothers and sisters, keeping track of envelopes |
Where this knowledge comes from
Our coordinators talk every day with families who have just lost someone. The same questions keep coming up in those conversations, and many of them are not about services at all but about how to behave in an unfamiliar, painful situation. The blog grew out of exactly those questions. We write the articles the way we would explain things to a family on the phone: calmly, simply and without jargon.
Rules we write by
- Nothing invented: if we are not certain of something, such as an exact legal deadline, we say so and suggest checking with the relevant office or a notary.
- Original samples: we write every text ourselves and never copy from other websites.
- One article, one question: the articles do not repeat each other, and each one covers its own topic from start to finish.
- Respect for every faith: we write with Georgia's Orthodox tradition in mind, but we also describe the customs of other faiths and of non-religious families.
- Facts about other countries are checked: the repatriation articles are based on official sources, and we review them once a year.
Making the samples your own
A sample is a starting point, not a form to copy out. The best words of condolence, ribbon text or epitaph are those that carry a particular trait of your loved one or of your relationship: a favourite word, a profession, a habit. That is why every article places a tip on adapting the wording next to its examples. If you find it hard, ask one of our coordinators to help, for instance to shorten a text so it fits on a ribbon.
If you need help right now
The blog is meant for reading, but if someone has just died and you need a team straight away, do not spend time on articles. Open our short guide to the first hours first, or get in touch with us directly: a coordinator will tell you on the phone what needs doing and in what order, and a team will come to any district of the city. Prices and the full list of services are on the services page.
For families living abroad
Many of our readers live outside Georgia: in Italy, Greece, Germany or America. They often have to arrange a relative's funeral from a distance, or cannot arrive in time and look for another way to offer their condolences. So in the articles we write separately about using messages, video calls and live streaming, and about taking part in the ceremony despite the distance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a sample exactly as it is?
Yes, every example is free to use, but it is better to add one personal detail so that the text is clearly about your own loved one.
Is this legal advice?
No. The articles describe practical experience. Always confirm exact deadlines and conditions with the relevant authority, a notary or the investigator handling the case.
Can I ask a question that no article covers?
Yes, contact us by phone or by message. A new article is often born from exactly that kind of question.
Will you help me word a ribbon or an epitaph?
Yes. When you order a wreath or a headstone, the coordinator and the designer help shorten the text and lay it out properly.
Are these articles available in Georgian?
Yes, the entire blog is also published in Georgian, and every page carries a link to the Georgian version.
Is the blog free to use?
Yes, all articles and samples are free, no registration is needed, and reading them commits you to nothing.
May I print an article for an elderly relative?
Of course. Many families print the etiquette notes or the list of documents and hand them to older relatives, who find paper easier to read than a phone screen.
The blog answers questions, yet in the hardest moments a living voice counts for more. The coordinator on duty listens round the clock at +995 568 33 03 18, whatever your question, even one that no article has touched yet.