Logo for funeral planning start-up that won't scare people away!

Sage & Grace

Note: I will be very responsive and thorough in the feedback to designs received. I will be explicit about what I like, and don't like, in each design. I am open to creative designs and looking for a memorable logo that hooks consumers to learn more about a tough subject.

Sage & Grace is a website to help grieving families understand the funeral planning process when they are short on time and do not know who to call. The target audience is US individuals who are ~25-55 years old who have imminent or immediate funeral planning needs. The website will offer educational resources, planning templates, vendor reviews, and customized services to consumers.

A large part of the mission is helping increase awareness about green funerals and the rampant predatory practices of the current funeral industry (which includes funerals, crematories, cemeteries, etc.). Most individuals do not think about funeral planning until they are distraught with grief and on a tight budget with little time to plan, Sage & Grace seeks to help guide them as an unbiased, objective third party.

Thank you for your consideration, happy to answer any questions!

The current logo is attached which I made myself last year as well as a couple of stock photos that help convey the indirect way in which I am trying to evoke the funeral concept without hitting it directly. The watercolor sage is copyrighted by someone else and it's just all around an amateur logo. For this design I do not want to include "End of Life Planning" because that tagline is probably changing. The key colors of Sage & Grace are a vibrant green (open to suggestions on the shade), grey, and black. I want a logo that does NOT explicitly evoke the idea of death (e.g., a casket or skull image) because, for grieving consumers, it's less triggering. The logo should not be too playful. Maybe it incorporates a sage leaf somehow (like in the "Loving Arms" logo sample attached) -- but I am open to other suggestions. I like the idea of a logo where the image is iconic enough to standalone (without the name) but in most uses the name will be included. The name Sage & Grace comes from the sage herb used in historical funeral practices for purification and the Christian idea of grace being extended to all, including those who may not be respected or deserving.

Preferred colors:
* Vibrant green, gray, and black

Adjectives I want our logo and brand to reflect:
* Trustworthy
* Natural
* Classic
* Thoughtful

Things I DON'T want the brand to convey:
* Not playful or “comic-y”
* Not “video game-y” or silly
* Not crass, noisy or complex