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Celebration of Life

"Celebration of Life" Events:

A "Celebration of Life" event is a popular way of paying tribute to a life well lived in the company of family and friends. 

It can be planned to be unique and creative and tailored to the desires of the deceased and their loved ones. 

It may be festive and much like a party. It may be informal and involve story telling. It may involve having some people speak about their relationship with the deceased and their fond memories of their time together.

A "Celebration of Life" event is typically less formal than a "memorial service" and the location of the event may be at the funeral home or elsewhere.

We have a lot of experience helping families to plan and coordinate a "Celebration of Life" event and we would be pleased to assist in any way that would be helpful to you.

How to Plan a Celebration of Life

The best approach is to  meet with other family members and discuss the celebration of life ideas which arise from answering these questions:
  1. Who will be invited? The number of guests define the where, when and how of your celebration of life. Write down the names of everyone you think would want to be there and then set it aside. You can add new names to the list as you go along.
  2. Where, and when, should the event take place? Here is where your imagination is tempered by any scheduling or travel-related issues facing those who will be invited. Be sure to check in with out-of-town relatives and friends about their situation before settling on these critical details.
  3. Who will orchestrate or conduct the event? If your loved one was religious, you may opt to have their pastor or church minister perform these tasks. However, many families today hire a non-denominational celebrant to oversee the celebration of life.
  4. Who wishes to speak at the event? Many times family members or friends will be very direct about their desire to make a short presentation at the celebration of life; other times you need to come out and ask folks if they would be willing to publicly share their thoughts and feelings. Either way, you will want to select those people who have shared a close relationship with the deceased and have something meaningful to contribute.
  5. What group activities would be appropriate? We have heard some exciting celebration of life ideas over the years. This question involves thinking about what your loved one liked most about their life and gives everyone a remarkable space to share memories, laugh, and even cry together.
  6. What food or beverages should be served? What you serve may depend on the theme of your celebration of life, or may be based on your loved one's favorite dishes. It is entirely up to you; we have seen "pot luck" celebrations of life where guests actually sign up to bring select foods and beverages.
  7. What readings and music should you include? Music is an integral part of life for many people, and a celebration of life is the perfect event in which to showcase the meaningful music of your loved one's life. But, if your loved one did not appreciate music (and a lot of people do not), it may be more appropriate to read chosen spiritual selections, or excerpts from literature.
  8. What details of your loved one's life do you want to share with guests? Not every biographical detail needs to be highlighted; rather you are trying to capture their essence by telling revealing anecdotes or stories. Sometimes you can reveal their character by detailing one short moment in their life experience.
  9. What decorations will you have? Many families create a tribute video and use it as the centerpiece of the event. Others choose to use a memory table of photographs and other memorabilia instead.

Let Us Help with the Celebration of Life

The good news is that we are here to help! 

Once your family has had some initial discussion, we can put our experience to work to help you create the celebration of life event that will allow your loved one to be honoured and remembered in the spirit that you desire.

We are confident that, together, we can come up with the perfect celebration of life event to suit your needs and expectations.  Please Contact Us at any time to learn more. 
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