Take Advantage Of Natural Beauty
Too many celebrations of life overdo it with the flowers, but when used tastefully instead of excessively, foliage makes any space feel welcoming and soothing. To decorate a celebration of life ceremony beautifully, select favorite flowers or create arrangements with soft-colored seasonal flowers mixed with babys breath and fresh herbs.
For larger events, use a mix of different sized vases. Check Peerspaces Concierge Service they might be able to connect you with a vendor to rent an assortment of elegant houseplants. A rustic setting like this beautifully transformed barn near Hamilton, Virginia, provides a tranquil locale easily personalized with the addition of handcrafted floral garlands and bouquets.
Tip #: Get Your Community Involved With An Activity Your Person Would Love
Adding an activity to your persons Celebration of Life is a great way to help break the ice, get guests reminiscing, and spark memories! Organized activities dont need to be complicated. Look to your persons favorite hobbies for inspiration and youll be sure to find an activity thats easy to set-up and really feels like your person.
Did they love going on bike rides? Kick-off their celebration with a group ride. Were they always the one to organize game night? Place some of their favorite board games on each table. Or maybe they were a dessert connoisseur? Ask each guest to bring a dessert that reminds them of your person. The possibilities are endless
Some more activity ideas:
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Create a memorial quilt
Pro Guidance: Was there a cause your person was passionate about or an organization they loved to support? Consider engaging their community in an activity that supports the cause/organization during the event and continue their work!
Celebrating Emily:Given Emilys passion for the outdoors and her career as an educator, rock painting was an appropriate and fun activity for all ages at her Celebration of Life.
Celebration Of Life Event Considerations
Whatâs important when it comes to celebration of life events, is that the event honours your loved one in a way that they might have wanted to be remembered. Some people may have specific requests in their end-of-life file or documentation so be sure to review that where possible. It is also helpful to consider what your guests’ experience of the event will be. It should be a wonderful and loving celebration of a personâs life. If everyone that attends leaves with fond memories of the person who is being memorialized then the event organizers will have achieved their goal.
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Can You Share Ideas With The Lifeweb 360 Community
Wed love to see photos and hear ideas about what youre planning for an upcoming Celebration of Life, or learn what made an event you already hosted spectacular. Sharing your tips, advice, and experience, like the above photos from Emilys Celebration of Life, helps our entire LifeWeb community celebrate life and the whole world become a little bit kinder!
Email with your photos & ideas to shareor leave a comment below!
Celebrate You Scavenger Hunt Party
Take friends and family on a celebratory adventure that includes stops at all your loved one’s favorite places. Create a scavenger hunt list that includes the names of restaurants, specific snacks, town landmarks, and even clothing items the deceased loved. Ask guests to venture out in pairs or small groups and take selfies with these specific items. Gather back at your venue for a party to award the scavenger hunt winners. For prizes you can give out small possessions from the deceased that were not willed to specific people.
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How Is A Celebration Of Life Different From A Funeral Or Memorial Service
Although, it may seem like all life celebrations are the same, they can differ quite a bit. A traditional funeral service is considered one of the more customary memorial services and has a more specific timeline of how the event and planning of activities should go.
A celebration of life celebration can be unique to the family members and others involved and can be individualized to honor the life of the deceased person. Everything from the decorations, flowers, photos, guest book, etc. can be catered to the needs and wants of the family and guests.
A funeral and a celebrations-of-life have some things in common, however they can appear quite different. Both are a life celebration a gathering of people who share a common loss and want to share the loved ones honor. Funerals are more rooted in tradition, while a celebration of life is the result of recent changes in social norms. But both serve to do three things:
Although, there are some differences, the goal of a life celebration and funeral is always the same, and that is provide a beautiful tribute for a loved one or family member.
Celebrate Life With Music
Celebration of life playlists should include songs the deceased loved and songs that celebrate life in general. Pick the perfect celebration of life songs by finding out which songs your friend loved most and listening to songs from his favorite genres that talk about living and loving life. Make a sharable playlist or CD for each guest to keep as a memento and hire a DJ if you want to turn the energy way up. Everything from the best love songs of all time to dance party songs and even the saddest songs about death can have an upbeat tune. Contemporary songs that are great for a celebration of life include:
- Old Town Road by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus talks about wanting to pack up and move on to the next chapter of life.
- I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber starts with the line “I’m at a party I don’t wanna be at.”
- Drake’s Money in the Grave talks about taking all you’ve earned with you when you die.
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Honor Them In A Garden Setting
Gardens are comforting places to hold celebrations of life. Plants tend to help lift our spirits, and fresh air and sunlight are curative forces. Some beautiful garden-setting celebration of life decorations are softly colored paper streamers, wind chimes, candles in lanterns or jars, and fresh flowers and even produce.
A botanical garden would be a meaningful place to bring everyone together. This unique native plant preserve near Santa Ysabel, California, offers nearly 4000 acres of soothing nature with an abundance of plants, a lovely stream, and a large labyrinth for contemplative walks.
Tip #: Engage Your Persons Community And Create An Authentic Unique Keepsake
Your persons life has many threads, from the things and groups of people most important to them, to how they’ve made others feel. While your persons community is gathered, seize the opportunity to bring those threads together to create something truly special to last beyond the event.
Some ideas include:
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Record a musical piece honoring your persons favorite song.
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Plant a garden filled with their favorite plants together.
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Get a large canvas and have paint available for everyone to contribute to
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canvas of a photo of your person, grab some paint and brushes, and have everyone contribute to it.
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Ask people to bring a photo or small object that reminds them of your person, and then weave them into a large loom with an intention for the future
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Create a memory booth or area for people to self-record a video, then compile into a tribute video after the event for everyone to enjoy
There is so much you can do to create an authentic keepsake. It just takes a little imagination!
Pro Guidance: Recruit a tech-savvy friend or family member to move around the celebration recording short toasts in honor of your person. Use a tool like VidDay to easily turn your clips into a memorial video that highlights the impact your person has had on their community. People that werent able to attend the event can even contribute to the video!
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What Decorations Should I Use For A Celebration Of Life
One of the most important aspects of the celebration of life ideas is the that you choose to use at the life celebration. Common decorations include mason jars, butterfly memory cards, memorial tree, flowers, pictures, a garden, and other ideas that you think would best fit the theme of your service.
To create a nice-looking celebration, you should involve others in the planning such as the family members, father-in-law, mother-in-law, siblings, and spouses/significant others. There may be specific photos, a favorite flower, memory cards, guest book, or many more ideas they want to include in the life planning event.
Maybe the deceased is an avid reader, or they were part of a book club, in this case you could share some of their favorite books throughout the celebration of life. Or you can include your loved ones favorite charity and have guests pay tribute to that during your celebration of life service.
The Party Is Wherever Youre Celebrating
The second talking point for celebration of life party ideas is location. Whether the memorial takes place in-person or virtually, the location can be a great vehicle for personalization.
Virtual Celebration of Life Party Ideas
Just because youre hosting a memorial online, doesnt mean it cant be a party! Lighten helped one family plan a tribute that carried out what their loved one enjoyed most: dancing. The virtual celebration included time for attendees to stand up and show off their moves in honor of their loved ones passionate involvement with the Miami dance club scene. One attendee even broke out a disco ball and put the party environment over the top.
The bottom line is, virtual celebration of life party ideas dont need to be limited to photo slideshows and spoken tributes . You can tell us about the elements of your loved ones unique personality and we will curate experience ideas to match.
In-Person Celebration of Life Locations
Celebration of life party ideas can be found throughout many of Lightens resources. We help families to think outside the box in order to create a deeply personalized memorial. If youre ready to start putting your ideas into a plan, reach out to a Lighten Team Member.
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Celebration Of Life Gift Ideas
While most celebrations of life won’t ask or require that you bring anything , you may feel inclined to bring a small gift or token of remembrance. In most cases, it’s best to send these gifts after or before the celebration of life service. Bringing the gift to the event itself isn’t typically expected or advised. Here are some celebration of life memorial gifts that you can consider sending before or after the event:
- Make a memorial donation in their honor or donate to a cause they cared about.
- Volunteer with a charity they loved or in the community they were a part of.
- Send a personalized photo frame to the family.
- Send a piece of memorial jewelry to the family.
- Send a hand-written note or card to the family to let them know they’re in your thoughts.
Planning A Celebration Of Life
In charge of planning a celebration of life party? This may feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! Celebrations of life are typically less formal than funerals, so you’ll have a lot more breathing room when it comes to the structure and nature of the event. Here are some tools to get you started:
- Lastly, check out this article on ideas for planning a celebration of life for some celebration of life decoration ideas.
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How To Plan A Celebration Of Life Ceremony
When we lose a loved one, we seek the perfect way to honor their memory. Often this means religious or cultural customs are appropriate, and a traditional funeral can be a beautiful tribute to the deceased. The formality of a funeral, however, may not accurately reflect the vibrant character of the departed. You might want to consider the less formal and more personalized approach known as a celebration of life.
A celebration of life may look more like a party than a funeral. A celebration as a funeral alternative is often held at the request of the deceased. It can be preplanned or happen simply as a way for loved ones to get together and share memories. The celebration can be held a few days after passing or even months or years later. Here are ideas to help you plan a celebration of life that best commemorates your loved one.
Choose a date. It is difficult to make decisions just after a major loss, so it might be best to wait until after the initial shock has subsided. A celebration of life can be held in place of, in conjunction with or following a funeral, cremation or burial. Waiting a few weeks or months will allow for some needed healing. Others can help you plan, or you may want to enlist the services of a professional planner. Planning ahead of time allows for the best options for venue and other services, and also allows your loved ones time to make travel arrangements.
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What Is A Celebration Of Life
When a family member or loved one passes away it can be extremely difficult with the grief process making it a challenge to plan a funeral or memorial service. You want to find a way to pay tribute to the person who has passed away, but you may not know the best way to do that. The beauty of a celebration of life memorial service is that it can be unique and specific to your loved ones, allowing you to honor them with your favorite memories.
The service for your loved one should be displayed in a beautiful way, representing the life and memory of the person deceased. It can seem overwhelming to think about how hard it is celebrating the life of a person in one single ceremony and moment in time. The best ideas for a celebration of life should come from your heart, and the planning process should include family and friends.
When Should A Celebration Of Life Event Be Held
The timing of celebration of life ceremonies are flexible. An event can be arranged weeks or even months after the deceased has been cremated or buried. However, it can also be held before these events as well.
There is a bit of a time crunch with planning if a family wants to hold an event before burial or cremation. Additionally, the date may depend on venue availability. Nonetheless, the decision is at the discretion of the loved ones of the deceased.
When picking a date, it is good to consult friends and family who would like to attend and provide as much notice as possible. It is also a good idea to have a virtual element to the celebration, such as a recording, or live streaming for those unable to attend in person.
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Want More Ideas & Tips
Our LifeWeb 360 team has gathered together some of the best tips, most helpful advice, and loads of inspiring snapshots from our community to help make planning a Celebration of Life as easy as possible.
Visit our Planning Hub to check them out, and dont forget to download your free Guide to Planning a Celebration of Life.
Together with our community, well help inspire and support you as you plan a Celebration of Life as special and unique as your loved one.
This article was written with love by Ali, Sam, & Maggie from the LifeWeb 360 team.
New to LifeWeb? Think of us as social media for the soul.
LifeWeb 360 is a digital space for honoring the people most important to us. LifeWeb harnesses the outpouring of love that happens when someone passes to capture their essence in an authentic way, honor them, and give comfort to their family that they were seen in this world. Friends and family can share stories, photos, and videos that don’t remind you that your person died, they remind you how they lived.
Funerals Vs Celebrations Of Life
The main difference between a celebration of life and a funeral is the general mood. Funerals are somber and typically conducted in a church or funeral home with strict rules, etiquette, and dress code . On the other hand, celebration of life events can be full of joy as people come together to celebrate their loved one’s life while also sharing memories about them. The dress code is typically more relaxed and can range from casual to semi-formal.
The celebration of life event is often held in a different location than the funeral home, such as a park, church, home, or other venue. This allows for a more relaxed atmosphere where people can come and go as they please. The tone at a celebration of life event is often more bright and interactive, with people sharing memories, laughing, and telling stories about their favorite times with the person who passed away. The purpose of a celebration of life is to focus on celebrating the life of the individual who has passed away instead of focusing on the loss and mourning their passing.
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