A group of Louisiana monks is taking on a Louisiana law that prohibits third parties from selling caskets to the public.

The Benedictine monks of St. Joseph Abbey have apparently been building wooden caskets for generations.

In the past, the caskets were used to bury monks themselves, but interest from the general public led the abbey to start its own casket business.

That could be because they're a steal compared to pricier casket options.

The Saint Joseph Woodworks sells two types of its cypress pine wood caskets: a “monastic” version priced at $1,500 and a traditional casket for $2,000.

Both fall well under the national average for metal caskets, which is nearly $2,300, according to a spokesperson for the National Funeral Directors Association.

In an age when budget conscious consumers are looking to cut costs associated with funerals, third party casket sellers like the abbey could be a boon.

According to the Bureau of Consumer Protection, in order to continue the monks' revenue-generating endeavor, they'd have to hire a state-approved funeral director and install embalming facilities on site — even though they're just looking to sell caskets.

It's likely the monks will win their suit, as plenty of other states have dropped similar regulations.

"I think this law is something we're seeing that's going away in most parts of the country," says Mark Allen, director of the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America. "Louisiana is even a little bit behind."

In its defense, the abbey calls the law unconstitutional and says it undermines the FTC's Funeral Rule, which was put in place to maintain healthy competition in the funeral service sector.  

The FTC filed a brief in support of the suit earlier this week, saying "the restraints on third-party casket sales in the Act are at odds with the policy goals" of the agency.

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Whitney Houston's family may have may have nixed public ceremony plans at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. in place of a private invite-only ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church, but that won't stop fans from seeing the funeral in real time.

Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster announced that there will be an internet live stream of the event for fans wishing to pay their respects, The Telegraph reported.

Anyone wishing to see the funeral can watch on livestream.com/aplive. A few satellite providers will be showing the services as well.

This follows news of a family dispute over where to put the body to rest. Houston's mother, Cissy, and cousin, Dionne Warwick, wanted the singer buried in Atlanta where they thought she was happiest; however, other family members encouraged the Houston's burial in her hometown of Newark.

The family settled on the singer's local church which holds a maximum of 1,500 people as opposed to the Prudential Center arena's 18,500 capacity.

Services are set for noon Saturday.

Now take a look back at 48 years in the life of Whitney Houston >>

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Whitney Houston will be laid to rest today in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey. The services will take place at Whitney's childhood church, the New Hope Baptist Church.

The funeral is invitation-only and has a guest list that includes Kevin Costner, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Tyler Perry, Ray J, Dionne Warwick and many other high profile names who will perform or pay their respects to the late singer.

While the service is private, it will be streaming live online, beginning at 12pm EST, for those who want to remember Whitney and watch the musical tributes from performers such as Stevie Wonder.

Watch the live coverage HERE.

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Only hundreds may have gathered in Newark, N.J. to celebrate the life and legacy of Whitney Houston; however, millions all over the world tuned in to pay tribute to the singer during a four-hour ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church. 

Over 1.7 million tuned into the live Internet stream of Houston's funeral while it also streamed delayed on network and cable television.

Click here to see inside Houston's "homegoing" >>

Celebrities took the stage to pay their respects to Houston, with stars revealing sides of the singer many never knew. 

Music industry "father," Clive Davis paid respects to the woman who was "always holding his hand," and Tyler Perry revealed how we may have never heard the singer's voice. 

Kevin Costner gave one of the best speeches, sharing similarities between both him and the singer—they both grew up in baptist churches—and recalling behind the scenes knowledge of how Houston landed her role in "The Bodyguard."

"She hadn't said four lines when they had to stop," Costner said of the screen test for her Hollywood debut. "She wanted to know what was wrong," Costner said. "I needed to know what she did in those 20 minutes. She said 'Nothing.'"

What she did was reapply makeup before the screen test to look just perfect; however, the hot lights of the stage sent it streaming down her face. 

Many performers had a tough time making it through their performances with Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder and R. Kelly among the stars who paid tribute. Both Keys and Kelly had to pause during song. 

Among those in the audience that didn't speak or perform included Oprah and Mariah Carey. 

The only fuss came prior to the ceremony's start when Bobby Brown entered the church with an entourage of nine briefly to pay his respects before walking out after a family altercation, according to CNN.

Despite the brief skirmish, it was truly a warm sendoff for the singer. 

Gospel singer and pastor Kim Burrell performed Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" personalized just for Whitney.

Tyler Perry discussed conversations with Houston revealing how lucky we are to hear the singer's voice. “From what I understand, she wasn’t even supposed to be able to speak, let alone sing, because of an incident that happened to her as a child.”

Bebe Winans performed Houston's favorite song, "Home."

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Leave it to Bobby Brown to make himself the center of attention on Whitney Houston's big day.

This morning an emotional Brown showed up at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J. with an entourage of nine, according to CNN.   

After being told the group couldn't sit together, Brown quickly went to the church alter to pay respects at Houston's casket before turning around and abruptly leaving. 

Instead of sitting with family and friends at the ceremony, he was seen outside the church soon after services began.  

Brown later released a statement explaining his appearance and mysterious departure. 

"My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston. We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions. I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move. Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter, Bobbi Kristina. In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene. ... I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how."

Brown originally wasn't wanted at Houston's funeral by family members, according to TMZ, but was later invited to attend in support of daughter Bobbi Kristina.

It's still not clear whether Brown was asked to leave or left on his own accord. 

However, Brown is also scheduled to perform later this evening in Connecticut with his group, New Edition. 

The Reverend Al Sharpton described the scene via Twitter: 

"I am at Whitney's funeral. I spoke with Bobby Brown trying to calm him down and not distract from the services. Today is about Whitney."

The Reverend Jesse Jackson later disagreed to CNN claiming Brown reacted positively to the seating issue. "It seemed they could have accommodated him better."  

He also told CNN's Don Lennon that Houston's mother, Cissy Houston and daughter Bobbi Kristina did not see what transpired in the church. 

After the services, Reverend Sharpton took to Twitter again to address his earlier tweet: "I don't want anyone distorting Bobby Brown. He has shown love and respect today. Stop hatin.'"

Also, see inside Whitney Houston's star-studded funeral services >>

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Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Kevin Costner, Clive Davis and countless other friends and family of Whitney Houston said farewell today and celebrated her "home going" to her hometown and final resting place: Newark, New Jersey.

But six blocks from the church, behind the police barricades, hundreds of members of the media gathered to cover the superstar's last main event—while fans took to the streets to remember their hometown hero.

Whitney Houston songs blared from parked cars, People were selling everything from T-shirts to photographs, and hundreds of Newark police officers patrolled the area to make sure press and fans behaved themselves.

Welcome to Newark, New Jersey! Home of the late, great Whitney Houston.

I arrive to a police barricade...

But join my peers inside (still six blocks away from the church) in the designated press area.

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If you missed out on Whitney Houston's "home going" in Newark, N.J. this past Saturday, you'll have another chance to view the near four-hour-long ceremony—but only on certain networks or websites.

Three days after the elaborate services, featuring performances by Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder and a 17-minute speech by "The Bodyguard" co-star, Kevin Costner, the Houston family announced they will be selling funeral footage. 

According to the Hollywood Scoop, all media outlets were told to pull their footage within 24 hours, as proceeds from sales will "help maximize the estate for the benefit of Bobbi Kristina."

The rep confirmed the family has "agreed to license footage to several media outlets" charging "customary fees." No word on the identity of those select lucky outlets. But we know for sure that TMZ is not among the few. 

However, even if Houston was near bankruptcy during her last days, it's doubtful Bobbi Kristina, the main beneficiary of her mother's estate, would be heading to the poor house anytime soon. 

Houston's estate is actually expected to see a boost, much like after other artists' passings, such as Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon.

Although, Houston's estate isn't expected to make as much as Michael Jackson's, which has earned over $170 million since the pop star's death. Forbes writer, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, reported that even if Houston's music sells half as well as Jackson's, royalties should add, at the least, an estimated $10 million to her estate. 

Since Houston's death, MTV has reported one million album sales and nearly another million (887,000) in digital downloads. 

The singer's "Whitney: The Greatest Hits" album has already sold 64,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, in the U.S. as of February 12 alone. That's not a number that is going to go down very quickly. 

"Sparkle," Houston's last film due out this summer, in which she starred and produced, is already projected to do well at the box office, despite the film's quality. 

Plus, there's always money to be made from future book deals or film projects on the singer's life. 

Now, see inside Whitney Houston's funeral services here >>

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The National Enquirer continues to push the boundaries of tastelessness. 

The publication has published an alleged photo of Whitney Houston's open casket on the cover of their latest issue.  

According to The Wrap, the photo was taken during the singer's open-casket wake in Newark, N.J.

The photo runs with the headline: "Whitney Houston Last Photo" showing the singer in a purple dress and diamond jewelry the mag claims is "worth $500,000."

This isn't the first time the publication has touted supposed "last photos" of a celebrity. In 2008, the Enquirer posted fake images of Anna Nicole Smith in a half-zipped body bag soon after her death. 

The photo in question is reminiscent of the publication's image of Elvis Presley's open casket shot after his death in 1977. 

Fans of Houston took to Twitter to air their grievances about the controversial image with the majority observing the photo as disrespectful.

Out of respect, we refuse to run the image. If you wish to view the photo, you can click here.

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Death is expensive, as noted by this LifeInsuranceQuotes' infographic.

A traditional burial can cost up to $10,000, while cremation can range anywhere between $1,000 to $4,000.

But that's not all: Hidden expenses like obituaries ($200) and burial clothes (up to $400) also add up, leaving family members and friends to take on the debt.

For an in depth look at the fees and fun facts—guess which Hollywood mogul paid $1 million for a plot next to Marilyn Monroe?—look below: 

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Sure the fans will always love Whitney Houston; however, the city of Newark isn't pleased with the late singer's family at the moment.

Houston's February funeral cost the city of Newark $187,621 in police overtime, according to CBS News.

That's five percent of the city's $4 million budget. 

Many residents are upset Houston's family didn't foot the bill for the extra security and expenses.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous when you have people who are unemployed and homeless, people walking up and down the streets,” Newark resident Quincy Ruffin told CBS News. 

They're also upset because the media—and public—were ushered six blocks from the scene of the New Baptist Church where Houston's funeral took place.  

Here's a breakdown of the figures by the numbers:

$4 million: Newark N.J.'s police overtime yearly budget.
$187,621: Total amount spent on police overtime.
200: the number of police officers stationed at New Baptist Church, the funeral. home and a family gathering at the Newark Club.
$9,000: the amount spent on police in Westfield where Houston was buried. 

Also, see 9 things we learned from Whitney Houston's 42-page autopsy report>

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Westboro Baptist Church has pushed back against a new law that prohibits protesting at military funerals.

The "Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012" act, which was signed by President Obama Monday, prohibits protests two hours before or after a funeral service, and requires that they occur at least 300 feet from the service itself, the Huffington Post reported. 

“We have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform,” Obama said before signing the bill, KMAS News reported. “The graves of our veterans are hallowed grounds.”

The law could result in fines of up to $50,000 as well as civil lawsuits, according to the Huffington Post. 

More from GlobalPost: Westboro Baptist Church protest of Powell funeral; Occupy Seattle threatens church

Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for its anti-gay protests outside veteran's funerals, and Tweeted defiantly at Obama on Tuesday that "there's usually prime real estate at 301 feet."

The organization told CNN last week that it does not plan to stop its protests in light of the new law.

"That's really not going to change our plans at all," said Westboro Baptist Church spokesman Steve Drain. "We're going to continue to do that. We're also going to continue to obey all laws."

The Veterans Act goes against a 2011 Supreme Court ruling which said that such protests as those conducted by the church were protected by the First Amendment, the Examiner reported. 

Here, Twitter reacts to the new law and Westboro Baptist's response: 

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Dressed in mini skirts barely covering their hips, the two girls took to the neon-lit stage and moved vigorously to the loud pumping pop music. Their job: to appease the wandering spirits.

As the temple facade in the background changed colour from the fireworks lighting up the Taiwanese night sky, the show climaxed with pole-dancing and striptease in front of an audience consisting of men, women and children.

"This is hard work but I need to make a living," said 18-year-old En En, out of breath after stripping for the crowd during the recent religious festival.

En En had just earned Tw$3,000 ($100) for her act, which began on stage, but ended as she mingled with the audience, letting men touch her for tips.

Folk religion in Taiwan is a unique mixture of the spiritual and the earthly, and one of its most remarkable manifestations is the practice of hiring showgirls to perform at festivals, weddings, and even funerals.

The girls work on "electronic flower cars" -- specially designed trucks equipped with light and sound equipment that can become a stage, allowing them to travel to performances often held in smaller cities and rural areas.

"The groups attract crowds to our events and they perform for the gods and the spirits to seek blessings," said Chen Chung-hsien, an official at Wu Fu Temple, a Taoist landmark in north Taiwan's Taoyuan county.

"They have become part of our religion and folk culture."

At 26, Chiang Pei-ying is already a veteran performer with nearly 20 years of experience, travelling across Taiwan with her father and two sisters for their family business to entertain audiences -- both alive and dead.

Chiang made her debut when she was in kindergarten because she liked singing and dancing on stage and has become a celebrity performer with her sisters, charging up to Tw$80,000 for a 20-minute show.

She said she enjoys her line of work, even if she has to deal with some odd requests from customers such as walking around coffins and singing for the deceased at funerals.

"I've watched this since I was little so it's nothing peculiar for me. Performing for the dead is just like performing for the living people," she said.

"They liked to sing when they were alive and their relatives thought they would have liked to have somebody sing for them in the end. For me, I get good tips and I hope I am accumulating good karma too."

Other performers, however, make much less money and tend to be more discreet about their job, especially those who still do striptease despite risking arrest.

Stripping nude is rarely seen in public now because it is a criminal offence, but partial stripping is still performed at festivals, private parties and funerals, people in the business say.

"Some people like going to hostess clubs, so when they pass away their relatives arrange striptease to reflect their interests while they were alive," said Chiang Wan-yuan, Pei-ying's father and a 30-year veteran in the business.

It is difficult to imagine a similar show going on outside a European village church, and some local critics have dismissed the practice, which emerged in the 1970s, as shocking and vulgar.

Others, however, see it as a natural extension of a traditional folk culture lacking in the sharp separation of sex and religion often seen in other parts of the world.

Marc Moskowitz, an anthropologist at the University of South Carolina, said the practice evolved out of the special Chinese concept of "hot and noisy", which brims with positive connotations.

"In traditional Chinese and contemporary Taiwanese culture this signifies that for an event to be fun or noteworthy it must be full of noise and crowds," said Moskowitz, who shot a documentary "Dancing for the Dead" in 2011.

He added most people who watched his work appeared to enjoy it and recognise this practice as an "interesting and unique cultural phenomenon," which to his knowledge is only found in Taiwan.

"As I watched these performances I came to appreciate the idea of celebrating someone's life to help assuage the feelings of grief," he said.

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If there's one surefire way to make sure your funeral is remembered, its turning up at it alive.

That, at least, was the experience of Gilberto Araújo, a 41-year-old car-washer from Brazil, whose unexpected arrival at his own wake reportedly sparked terror and then delight among his family and friends.

Araújo's family, from the town of Alagoinhas, about 70 miles from Salvador, had mistakenly identified a body in the local morgue as his and were mourning his death on Sunday night when the man they believed was in the coffin beside them showed up at the front door.

"A friend told me there was a coffin and that I was inside it," he said. "I said, 'guys, I'm alive – pinch me,'" Araújo was quoted by the O Globo news website.

His appearance prompted some people to faint and others to flee in panic.

His mother, Maria Menezes, a shopkeeper, said: "It was a fright. I'm very happy because what mother has a son that they say is dead then turns up alive?"

The mixup is reported to have stemmed from the fact that another car-washer in the town, who closely resembled Araújo, was murdered at the weekend, and police called Araújo's brother, José Marcos , to tell him they believed his brother was the dead man.

The brother then went to the morgue and wrongly identified the body. "Police called my husband and told him that his brother had been killed and his body was at the morgue," Jose Marcos Araujo's wife, Ana Paula, told the UOL website.

Police Inspector Roberto Lima said the confusion was "understandable", as Araújo and Genivaldo Santos Gama, the man later named as the real murder victim, looked so alike. "The two men closely resembled each other and both worked as car-washers," he said.

Araújo said he had learned of the mistake from an acquaintance, who had come up to him in the street to tell him his family was setting off for his funeral. He had tried to tell them he was still alive by telephoning, he said, but his call was dismissed as a cruel prank. There seemed nothing for it but to turn up in person.

"He went to his mother's home to let everyone know he was very much alive," said Lima.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

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There's no easy way to advertise cremation services.

So Australia's Just Cremations decided to go for broke with this jaw dropping promotion: 

BuzzFeed's Copyranter noted that this isn't Just Cremations' first odd ad. A Redditor posted this visual that Just Cremations placed on the back of the bus. Its message isn't as self explanatory.

Just Cremations isn't the only comedic cremation provider out there.

1 Iron made this strange spot for Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home in 2010, in which an old man declares, "I'd go in my easy chair if they'd let me."

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British mourners are renting "professional sobbers" to blub at funerals to make people believe the deceased was really popular.

For £45 an hour, the fake mourners can be rented to cry for the duration of a funeral service in order to swell the numbers at funerals.

Ian Robertson, the founder of Rent-a-Mourner, in Braintree, Essex, admits the idea may be unfamiliar to the British, although the phenomenon is popular in places such as Asia.

The mourners-for-hire are briefed on the life of the deceased and would be able to talk to friends and relatives as if they really had known their loved one.

Rent-a-Mourner has 20 staff on its books to hire out for funerals, which Mr Robertson said were friends of his rather than professional actors.

He added that they are not required to well up, but are mainly there just to make up the numbers.

"We were actually inspired by the market growth in China," said Mr Robertson.

"The Middle Eastern way is to provide wailers - crying women - as opposed to the quiet, dignified methods we use.

"Our staff will meet with the client beforehand and agree 'the story', so our staff will either have known the deceased professionally or socially. They will be informed of the deceased's background, achievements, failures etc. so they can converse with other mourners with confidence."

Mr Robertson set up Rent-a-Mourner in January last year, and said he has had 52 bookings since the company began, with 15 in the first six months.

"It is growing in the UK - our bookings are up 50 per cent year on year," he said.

He added that his biggest source of his bookings were for funerals in Hull, and has sent staff to 12 funerals there, adding that he could not explain why that area showed the biggest demand.

The company also has plans to expand, after having to turn down more than 60 requests because the funerals were too far away for the fake mourners to get to.

Consumer expert Jasmine Birtles, who conducted the research, believes multi-cultural Britain is experiencing a "cultural shift in the way its mourners say their final farewell.

Birtles, the founder of personal finance site MoneyMagpie.com, said: "Hiring a stranger to weep at a funeral may seem strange, but it's a deep-seated tradition in the East.

"It's still a niche market at the moment but demand for professional mourners is increasing year on year as more people from East Asian and Middle Eastern countries move to the UK, bringing their customs with them.

"The rise in popularity shows a cultural shift taking place in how we choose to pay our last respects and like with many other cultural imports, it's only a matter of time before it crosses over into mainstream culture."

"At the moment it's not the sort of thing most people can treat as a career, but if it continues to increase in popularity then crying on demand could soon become a highly-prized skill."

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On Monday, MTV confirmed that 21-year-old "Buckwild" star Shain Gandee was found dead in a vehicle in West Virginia after being reported missing over the weekend.

The initial situation surrounding the death was shrouded in mystery, but West Virgina sheriffs confirmed Tuesday the reality TV star died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Gandee's 1984 Bronco was found completely submerged in mud in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone reception.

The truck was so buried in mud that the exhaust pipe was submerged, causing carbon monoxide to be the cause of death for Gandee, his uncle, and a third unidentified person who were all in the vehicle at the time to go off-roading — or as Gandee's hobby is dubbed on the MTV show, “mudding.”

"The photos seem to support the theory that the passengers died from carbon monoxide poisoning because the deadly fumes from the car could not escape through the tailpipe,"explains TMZ of the below photos posted on their site. 

“I spoke with Shain’s father, who is devastated as you can imagine,” said "Buckwild" producer J.P. Williams, who reached out to the Gandee family by phone upon hearing the news. “But he said something that I thought was pretty profound, which is that his son died doing what he loved to do.”

While Gandee was not shooting the MTV reality show at the time of his death, production has been suspended as the network decides how to proceed.

“We’re taking a few weeks to give the cast a chance to get a handle on this because they’re devastated, and then we will all address where do you go from here,” confirmed Williams, adding that it's a decision that ultimately will be made by MTV.

And despite the MTV show bringing newfound fame to the 21-year-old West Virgina native, it didn't bring fortune.

Gandee's family is currently organizing a memorial "mud run" (an off-road trucking event) to ease the financial strain on Shain's family in the wake of the "Buckwild" star's death, reports TMZ.

"I know the strain they are going through," Gandee's cousin Ashley told TMZ. "It's hard to provide a proper burial. It's already tough with the loss of family members ... expenses are tough as well."

SEE ALSO: MTV reality star found dead at age 21, watch video of him here >

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• Roger Ebert's funeral will take place this morning at 10 a.m. at the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, where both friends and fans are invited to attend. But members of Kansas' Westboro Baptist Church will not be there to mourn, instead they're protesting Ebert as what they call a "f-- enabler," complaining that he used his Twitter "to mock the faithful servants of God at Westboro Baptist Church." Ebert did in fact tweet a link to a Salon post about the church with the message "Just another day at Westboro Baptist." The church is notorious for picketing at the funerals of soldiers and gay teenagers.
• Estella Warren is being investigated by police for allegedly stealing Jaime Pressly's assistant's purse after getting caught red handed and lying about it. This isnt the actress' first run-in with the law -- she was busted two years ago for a DUI, before resisting arrest and allegedly kicking a police officer.
• James Cameron's "Avatar 2" will introduce underwater motion-capture. "We want to take advantage of the technologies brilliant people are putting out to make the next two movies even more emotionally engaging and visually tantalizing, and to really wrap up the story arc of our two main characters," says longtime Cameron producer Jon Landau.
• Bravo canceled Kathy Griffin's talk show after two low-rated seasons. New York Daily News reports that she and BFF Anderson Cooper are already developing a show for CNN.
• Meanwhile, "Judge Judy" has been renewed through 2017. The CBS distributed court show, which currently draws more viewers than any other program in daytime, will remain on the air for at least 21 seasons.
• Rihannasported a questionable outfit courtside at the Los Angeles Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.

SEE ALSO: Jenna Jameson arrested for battery >

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One of the final scenes of my favorite movie The Big Lebowski features John Goodman’s and Jeff Bridges’ characters arguing with a funeral director over the cost of their friend Donny’s funeral.

At one point, John Goodman (who plays a constantly angry character) shouts, “Look, just because we’re bereaved doesn’t make us SAPS!”

After having recently gone through a family funeral of my own, I find myself more sympathetic toward the character’s outrage. When it comes to funeral expenses, it can seem as though the prices for necessary services and products are out of proportion to any reasonable expectations. While funeral homes are required to give you an itemized list of prices for final expenses, it can still be very difficult to navigate the stress and financial worry of a funeral.

Here are some aspects of a funeral that cost more than you think:

1. Use of the plot

Purchasing a grave plot is not your only cemetery expense. While many people will make sure to plan ahead by purchasing a plot for themselves, they might not realize that their family will have to pay more in order to use that plot.

Opening the grave is another service which the family will have to pay for in order to hold the funeral, and the cost can be an additional $300-$500 — and potentially more if you’re holding the funeral on a weekend.

2. Obituaries 

Newspapers used to print obituaries gratis as a service to their readers and the local community. Unfortunately, newspapers can no longer afford to do this. In order to have anything more than a brief death notice (which is still free), family members will need to spend $400-$500 for a longer obituary containing pertinent information.

3. Vaults

Some cemeteries require you to use a vault within the grave. These vaults help prevent the grave from sinking as future deterioration sets in. The addition of a vault to the burial can add anywhere from $500 to $5,000 to the cost of the funeral. While no state law requires that cemeteries use a vault, you’re probably not going to be in any shape to protest against it.

4. Caskets

Caskets can be extremely expensive. You can find a plain pine box for as little as $500, but caskets can range up to $10,000 or more for mahogany or other beautiful materials.

Even if you’re willing to go for the plain and simple casket, you might field a sales pitch for a sealed casket, which will protect the interior of the casket from water and insects. However, these seals are generally just rubber gaskets — and it doesn’t make a great deal of sense to protect a dead body.

5. Flowers

Flowers through the funeral home are going to cost you. The base price of a funeral doesn’t include the cost of flowers, and adding them will cost you much more than normal flower arrangements would. Expect to spend between $250 and $1,000.

The Bottom Line

Burying a loved one is an upsetting and overwhelming experience, and it can be very difficult to make intelligent financial decisions in the midst of such turmoil. It’s a good idea to research funeral expenses before the time comes, and to always bring a friend or family member with you when meeting with the funeral parlor. That friend will be able to help you determine the best course of action.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best cities for new college graduates >

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(Reuters) - Service Corp International agreed to buy Stewart Enterprises Inc. for $1.13 billion, merging the two largest U.S. funeral home operators as the industry gears up to offer more services to aging baby boomers.

Large-scale consolidation in the highly fragmented funeral business has long been on the cards, with the industry looking to sell more pre-planned funeral contracts to the 76 million baby boomers in the United States.

Service Corp, which failed in a bid to take over Stewart in 2008, said on Wednesday the combined company would have a backlog of future revenue exceeding $9 billion from pre-planned bookings.

The group would own 1,653 funeral homes and 515 cemeteries in 48 states, eight Canadian provinces and in Puerto Rico, and have proforma revenue of nearly $3 billion.

Shares of Service Corp, which had revenue of $2.4 billion in 2012, rose as much as 11 percent, suggesting investors were happy with the deal, which was priced at 24.5 times Stewart's forward earnings.

The number of funeral homes and crematories owned by both the companies would be about 20 percent or less of the total in the United States, said Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of Cremation Association of North America.

"I see this as evidence that there is room in this industry for economies of scale and consolidation," she said.

Just under 25 percent of the U.S. population was over the age of 55 in 2011, up from 20.4 percent in 2000, according to the Census Bureau.

PREMIUM OF 36 PERCENT

The deal is valued at about $1.13 billion based on shares outstanding as of February 28, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Including debt, the transaction is valued at $1.4 billion.

Stewart rejected an unsolicited $1 billion takeover offer from Service Corp in 2008.

Excluding one-time costs, the deal is expected to immediately add to normalized earnings per share, Service Corp said.

Houston-based Service Corp will buy all of Stewart's outstanding Class A and Class B common stock at $13.25 per share, a premium of 36 percent to Tuesday's close.

Service Corp said it expected to generate about $60 million in annual cost savings, and anticipated the synergies to be fully realized over a 24-month period from the closing of the deal, expected late this year or early in 2014.

The acquirer said it intended to maintain an infrastructure presence in Stewart's New Orleans base.

Stewart Chairman Frank Stewart, whose grandfather founded the company in 1910, has agreed to vote his 30 percent stake in the company in favor of the takeover.

Service Corp said it had a financing commitment from JPMorgan Chase Bank and that together with cash on hand this would be sufficient to complete the acquisition.

J.P. Morgan and Shearman & Sterling LLP were financial and legal advisers respectively to the company.

Goldman, Sachs & Co advised Stewart's board, while Jones Walker LLP served as legal adviser. Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal adviser to chairman Stewart.

Service Corp shares were up 7.5 percent at $18.94 on the New York Stock Exchange at midday, while Stewart's stock was up 33.7 percent at $13.03 on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Chris Peters in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel and Ted Kerr)

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After dying unexpectedly of a heart attack in Rome June 19, actor James Gandolfini was laid to rest today at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

The triple-Emmy winner was remembered by his wife Deborah Lin Gandolfini, his two children and countless past co-stars.

And "The Sopranos" cast was out in full force to pay their respects to the boss.

The media camped out in front of the church early to get a glimpse of James Gandolfini's famous friends.

David Chase, the creator and executive producer of "The Sopranos" gave a eulogy in a form of a letter to Gandolfini, saying, “You were a good boy… a sad boy, amazed and confused. You could see it in your eyes. That’s why you were a great actor.”

Chase recalled the star once saying to him, “You know what I want to be? A man. That’s all. I want to be a man.”

Below is Chase entering the church.

Gandolfini's on-screen wife in "The Sopranos," Edie Falco, sought comfort in friends before the 90-minute service.

Gandolfini's on-screen "Sopranos" daughter Jamie Lynn Sigler, who just announced she is pregnant with her first child, was already tearing up before the service.

She was vey emotional.

Lorraine Bracco played Tony Soprano's therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi for six seasons on the hit HBO show.

She found support in fellow co-star Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti.

Steve Schirripa played Bobby 'Bacala' Baccalieri.

Joe Pantoliano played Ralph Cifaretto for 22 episodes.

 Aida Turturro played Tony Soprano's wild sister, Janice. She also played James Gandolfini's daughter in "Romance & Cigarettes."

Her real life cousin, John Turturro, directed the two in "Romance & Cigarettes."

Alec Baldwin was there. The two actors co-starred in 1996's "The Juror."

Celebrity chef Mario Batali made a surprise appearance.

Even New Jersey Governor Chris Christie came out to pay his respects.

SEE ALSO: Celebrities Tweet Funny And Heartfelt Condolences About James Gandolfini

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