OOO, I know a lot about this and work with dying people a lot.

First, I hate funeral homes. HATE funeral homes. I know that sounds like a strong word, but they are an industry that is built on guilt hitting in the worst moments of peoples lives. Second, embalming is objectively weird. It's a modern practice from the Civil War and it's only so people could get their relatives bodies home. Caskets are costlier than a car, but whether you are in a $20K or $200 wood box, you don't notice. Honestly, cremation is a good time. Also, the odds of anyone three generations down visiting your grave is pretty low too, so feel free to skip that too. Cremation is a pretty good service and the hospital will help you do that too.

What about service, certainly we should all remember the person passing, right? Well, if the deceased is religious, their home church will do funerals at no or little cost-don't let the funeral home talk you into using their facilities, you shouldn't go there at any point anyway. So many religious people I've met get suckered into paying thousands when a priest/pastor/rabbi would have done an amazing service for free if they had been asked.

If they're vaguely religious, find a Unitarian Church, they tend to be awesome hippies who help people out.

If they're not at all religious, go to a brewery, event venue, a park, or a backyard and simply take turns around a circle sharing memories. That's 100X's better than a funeral director doing a psuedo-religious service about someone they don't know. Make it casual, sing songs they love (I was with 200 people singing "Brown Eyed Girl" last year at one), and truly honor who they are.

BY NO MEANS SHOULD YOU EVER SUPPORT THE FUNERAL HOME INDUSTRY IN MY STRONG OPINION. If you want other hot takes, I don't have a lot in life, so you're out of luck.