Why People Choose a Celebration of Life

Why People Choose a Celebration of Life

In recent years, families have begun to turn away from traditional burial services and instead hold alternative services. A celebration of life is an emerging service that more and more families are now choosing to honor their loved one and say goodbye. With less people having strong religious ties or beliefs, a celebration of life allows the deceased’s family to include more joyous and personalized elements in the service. Much like a funeral service, this type of service is used to honor the deceased and allow friends and loved ones to say goodbye.

Rather than an emotional service that is filled with sadness, a celebration of life service tries to celebrate the accomplishments and positive memories of the deceased. Guests are invited to celebrate a life well lived and share stories and positive experiences they shared with the deceased. Freedom to be creative is one of the biggest factors that have helped the popularity of celebrations of life. Things like choice of music, decorations and more are all ways that families are able to celebrate their loved one’s personality, values and passions.

Benefits of A Celebration of Life Service

The biggest and often most cited reason people hold a celebration of life service is personalization. Many people are no longer interested in holding a traditional funeral that follows religious customs especially if the deceased was not an overly religious person. A celebration of life service allows you to create a meaningful and personalized celebration that reflects the personality of the deceased.

A second benefit of holding a celebration of life is convenience. Unlike a funeral service that must occur before the body is cremated or buried, a celebration of life occurs after the remains have been cared for. This allows the family more time to plan the event but also schedule it around a time that is convenient for everyone. It is not uncommon for families to hold the event days, weeks, or even months after the body is cared for.

How to Plan a Celebration of Life?

If you’re unsure how to begin planning a celebration of life, don’t worry, we’re here to help. Planning a celebration of life doesn’t have to be stressful or difficult. During the planning process, try to include other family members and brainstorm ideas. Not only will this lessen your workload, it will also help others grieve and feel like they’ve done their part to honor a loved one.

The first thing you need to think about is a budget. How much can your family afford to spend? Once a budget has been established, you can start to look at different options for the service. 

Next, it’s time to look at where and when. Most families will typically hold the celebration of life service at the funeral home. However, it’s also common for people to plan events at a family members’ home, a park, or somewhere else that was special to the deceased.

Once a venue has been selected and a budget is set, you can start to think about guests, what the service will include, and how you want to make it special. Some celebrations include an officiant and others do not, the choice is totally up to you. Some families choose to have someone move the ceremony along and others hold a more informal party with guests just interacting and sharing stories. This is also when you can begin to think about things like pictures, decorations, music, and food.

Celebration of Life Ideas

There are many ways to make a celebration of life special and memorable. If you’re in search of celebration of life ideas, we’ve compiled several options below. Please keep in mind these are simply suggestions and not services offered by our funeral home. Use these as inspiration for your own ideas of how you wish to honor your loved one.

Memorial Tree

Memorial trees and plants have long been a popular way to honor a loved one’s passing. In fact, you can now buy small plants and trees where you mix in some of your loved one’s cremated remains during the planting process. Memorial trees not only benefit the environment, they create a special place to revisit for many years to come.

Time Capsule

A great way to help the family long after the service has ended is to create a time capsule of memories. For this idea, invite guests to bring small items like photographs, cards, books, letters, and other little mementos. As guests add their item into the capsule, they can share the memory with everyone in attendance. Afterwards, your family can choose to bury the capsule or lock it away. On the first anniversary of the deceased’s passing, your family can open the memory capsule and revisit all the memories that were shared. 

A Pot Luck

If your loved one was the type of person who loved to cook, host a potluck to pay tribute to that. When sending out invitations for the celebration of life, include a sign up for a potluck. Encourage guests to try and recreate one of your loved one’s favorite dishes and bring it to the service. Not only does this let guests be a part of the service, it also reduces some of the planning and workload for your family.

Paper Lantern Release

Balloon releases have long been a popular way to conclude a service. If you’re looking to switch things up, consider releasing paper lanterns instead. Much like with a balloon release, guests can write memories on the lanterns prior to the release. Towards the end of the service, you can gather everyone outside to say some last words before paying tribute to the deceased and lighting up the sky with memories.

Memory Cards

Some families don’t need the extras and just want something simple. If this is the case, ask guests to complete a memory card or bring a photo of them with deceased to the service. If guests bring a photo, ask them to write a short blurb about the memory on the back. During the service, you can have time for guests to share some of their memories with others and place them into a special box. After the service, the family can revisit all the memories shared.
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