how do you plan a celebration of life instead of a funeral

^{How to Have Celebration of Life Event Instead of a Funeral}

1. Decide how many people will come. If your loved one had tons of friends and business contacts, then plan on 100 or more. ...
2. Select a place that is warm and inviting. Some ideas for a Celebration of Life event are the same as selecting a place for a wedding. ...
3. Decide on the date and time. Selecting a weekend date allows people to come from out-of-town. ...
4. Get the word out. One way to do this is to go through the person’s email list and send notices. ...
5. Plan the food. The easiest and least time consuming way to do this is to have a caterer take care of the food. ...
Make a Decision About Flowers and Donations. Many people ask attendees, not to bring flowers and to make a donation to a favorite charity of their choosing or one ...
Select Decorations or a Theme. This isn’t always necessary, but since you will want to provide a program of some sort, flower arrangements baskets and note cards for leaving ...
Decide On The Contents of The Program. Select someone who is good with computer graphics to do your program. ...
Decide Who Will Do What. The day of the celebration you will need the following duties filled by people you can trust to be responsible.

How to plan a celebration of life?

Planning a celebration of life Decide what the service will be like. Will it be held in conjunction with a traditional funeral? Or will it stand on its... Determine when and where it will take place. Of course, you can opt for a traditional venue like the funeral home, but... Make a budget. This ...

Why Plan a funeral celebration of life?

Because the celebration of life is not dictated by the burial of a body, the experience can be planned at a time which would be convenient for the majority of people. Take into account the schedules of out-of-town family and friends.

Where to celebrate a funeral?

Other indoor venues include restaurants, bars, and private homes. Beaches, parks, farms, and shady spots among the trees are also lovely places to host celebrations. Really, anyplace meaningful to the person who has passed is fair game for a celebration of life.

How do you Celebrate the life of a deceased person?

Celebration of life donations Making donations to a cause that the deceased person cared about is a meaningful way to remember them. You can ask people to donate to or volunteer at a favorite charity of the deceased person.

Can you have a celebration of life instead of a funeral?

A celebration of life ceremony acts as an alternative to a traditional funeral ceremony. It achieves the same purposes as a traditional funeral by gathering family and friends to pay tribute to the deceased.

What is typically done at a celebration of life?

A celebration of life can include readings, poems or prayers, but it's more likely that what you'll see and hear are guests telling funny stories about happy times or sharing touching memories of the loved one lost.

When should you plan a celebration of life?

1. Timing. A memorial service or celebration of life can be held any time after death. You may choose to make arrangements immediately, though it is also acceptable to wait several weeks or even months.

What activities do you do at a celebration of life?

9 Celebration of Life Ideas to Honor Your Loved OneChoose a Meaningful Location.Invite People to Share Stories. ... Collect Photos. ... Play Their Favorite Music. ... Ask for Letters. ... Start a Group Prayer or Poem. ... Establish Your Loved One's Memorial.Start a Memorial Fundraiser.More items...•

How do you arrange a celebration of life?

How to plan a celebration of life for your loved oneSelect a special location. ... Name a personalized theme. ... Choose memorable readings and music. ... Feature beloved activities. ... Serve favorite foods or refreshments. ... Feature items in memoriam. ... 4 steps to preplanning a funeral.

What is the order of service for a celebration of life?

In general, a celebration of life order of service is similar to a funeral event or memorial event order of service. It will usually contain a greeting or welcoming of some kind, readings, a eulogy, and a celebratory activity.

What should be included in a celebration of life program?

A program typically includes a brief biography of the deceased before an itinerary of events. The program communicates who will deliver a eulogy, perform readings, or sing a hymn, and the order of events. Programs may also include words to hymns so that guests can sing along.

Do you send out invitations for a celebration of life?

It is important to send a celebration of life invitation to those invited to the service because it will serve as an important reference point for many things.

Do you bring urn to celebration of life?

Paying Respects – At a traditional funeral, this is where people walk up to the front for a viewing (open casket) or pay their final respects (closed casket). For the celebration of life, you might have a cremation urn or no body/remains at all.

Do you decorate for a celebration of life?

One of the most important aspects of the celebration of life ideas is the decorations 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.

What do you say in a celebration of life invitation?

Celebration of life invitations should include important information such as the name of the deceased, birth date and death date of the deceased, date and time of the service, and location of the service. It can also include a picture of the person and a short description about his or her life.

Are you supposed to bring anything to a celebration of life?

You are probably wondering if you are supposed to bring anything to a celebration of life ceremony, and if yes, what are you expected to bring? Well, this is an all-too-familiar question with a simple answer. It is not out of place to bring gifts or write a condolence card.

What colors do you wear to a celebration of life?

Most celebration of life ceremonies tends to avoid the color black. Instead, opt for lively colors, such as blues, pinks, greens, or yellows. Thanks to being more casual, you can wear jeans (as long they're not distressed jeans), day dresses, and flowing tops.

What is the difference between a memorial service and a celebration of life?

A memorial service may be more structured than a celebration of life service. You may hear traditional hymns and readings from the Bible at a Christian funeral. A celebration of life may simply be a time for friends and family to gather to share memories.

Do you bring flowers to a celebration of life?

As a general rule, it is best not to bring flowers to a celebration of life event unless specifically requested by the family members. Instead, you can send an arrangement privately to their home, along with any condolences.

How to personalize a celebration of life?

There are many thoughtful ways to personalize a Celebration Of Life event. One family of an inveterate and voracious reader put all her books out and asked the participants to go through them and take as many as they wished. Those attending found it touching to have such an appropriate remembrance and selected those that had been dog-eared and underlined as well as those that didn’t seem to have been read yet. The family designed a bookmark that matched their programs and had a quote about books on it.

What are some ideas for celebration of life?

Some ideas for a Celebration of Life event are the same as selecting a place for a wedding. Ideas for outside celebrations include gardens, parks, ocean beaches, national and state parks, and wineries.

How to honor this life you esteem?

There are many ways to honor this life you esteem that are not held in a church per se and are not administered by a church person. The key is the reverence and compassion that goes into the planning, the personal details that are attended to and the respect and love that is present at the celebration. Here are some things to help you think through what you want at a Celebration of Life event. Gather select family members and close friends and think through some of the following.

What to do when a friend passes away?

A friend or relative has passed away and you have been asked to plan a memorial service. Perhaps your loved one doesn’t belong to a church or the family want a celebration rather than a sad funeral. Or perhaps the person was what is now termed as “spiritual, not religious”.

How to get people to read obituaries?

One way to do this is to go through the person’s email list and send notices. Placing an “ad” in the appropriate newspapers, although it is not inexpensive, is a good way. Lots of people read the obituaries every day. (Call your newspaper to check on their rates.) Set up a phone tree by calling 10 to 20 people from the person’s life (work, relatives, friends, social clubs, neighbors) and ask them to call the people they believe will want to attend.

Is it necessary to have a color scheme for condolences?

This isn’t always necessary, but since you will want to provide a program of some sort, flower arrangements baskets and note cards for leaving the family condolences or placing cards, you may wish to create a color scheme so that the room looks pulled together. Cream and one other color is often a safe and tasteful choice.

Do it yourself cooking gathering?

However many people find it comforting to have a do-it yourself cooking gathering the day before the celebration and pitch in together to do the preparations. Potlucks are also perfectly appropriate. For generations friends and neighbors have provided the family of the deceased with food. Often we like doing it.

How long after a funeral is a celebration of life?

Sometimes a casket is present, but often a celebration of life takes place weeks or months after burial or cremation. Celebrations of life can be modest or elaborate. Some retain the elements of a more formal occasion, while others are very casual.

Where to celebrate a funeral?

Other indoor venues include restaurants, bars, and private homes. Beaches, parks, farms, and shady spots among the trees are also lovely places to host celebrations. Really, anyplace meaningful to the person who has passed is fair game for a celebration of life.

What kind of food is served at a celebration of life?

Food and drink is nearly always at the center of any kind of celebration, and a celebration of life is no different. Sharing a meal or raising a glass with family and friends brings comfort and joy. Most Dignity Memorial locations offer catered receptions from a local provider. In some cases, families may bring in their own food and drinks. If Dad loved Chinese takeout, then surely egg rolls are in order. If your family marked every special occasion with food from a certain Italian restaurant, we can handle the lasagna. If your uncle had a signature drink, be sure to serve it at his celebration of life. Learn more about catered receptions.

What are celebration of life mementos?

Small takeaways —tokens of remembrance—are a nice final touch at a personalized gathering. If Dad was an avid golfer, send guests home with personalized golf balls. If Mother was the world's greatest cook, have her recipes laminated and presented in pretty recipe boxes. If Aunt Betty was known far and wide for her chocolate chip cookies, we'll see that every guest has a half dozen for the car ride home. These kinds of little touches make an event particularly memorable for guests.

What is a celebrant certified?

Every celebration of life is unique, and a certified celebrant is specifically trained to learn about a loved one and then design an event like no other. Below are a handful of ideas, but our planners have hundreds of others:

What do people wear at a funeral?

The theme might dictate what people wear. So could the season. Maybe all the guests don team colors or a custom tee. Maybe everyone wears a pop of red. Some celebrations might call for costumes. Shorts and sundresses are more appropriate for a summer barbecue than suits and heels. Whatever the case, make sure to inform your guests about the attire that is expected in advance.

What is a well planned celebration of life?

Whatever your loved one's interests or personality, a well-planned celebration of life is a customized event informed by the things that made a person special. It's a personal and uplifting occasion where tears and laughter are equally welcome.

What are the three activities of a funeral?

It's not surprising funerals have been around for a very long time. Composed of three activities, the visitation, the funeral service, and the committal service, performed at the graveside; this funeral is the one we'd easily recognize from contemporary literature and film.

What to do when someone dies at a dinner party?

If your loved one enjoyed tasting or trying new recipes, you may want to consider organizing a dinner party that serves their favourite foods. The dinner party can be at someone’s home or at the deceased’s favourite restaurant. Family and friends can then feel connected to the deceased through the food that they loved, as well as being together to share stories and memories of their loved one.

What to do if your loved one is a sports fan?

If your loved one was a devoted sports fan of a particular team or avidly played a sport themselves, consider focusing the celebration of life around that team or sport . An idea for this could be organizing a golf or baseball tournament in honour of your loved one, or even attending a game of their favourite team.

What is celebration of life?

While a funeral, as we've described it above, has more to do with the orderly and often spiritually-defined, a celebration-of-life is more concerned with telling the story of the deceased. Celebrations of life are just that: a time people come together more to celebrate the unique personality and achievements of the deceased than ...

What is a visitation at a funeral?

Held prior to the funeral, often the night before but sometimes on the same day, the visitation (or viewing) is a time when people come to support the family and, more importantly, pay their respects to the deceased. This often involves stepping up to the casket to view the body; either in the company of a member ...

What does "help the bereaved family" mean?

Help the bereaved family, and their community, publicly acknowledge the death of one of their own

Who is the officiant of a funeral?

Commonly held in the funeral home or church, the traditional funeral service is led by an officiant of one kind or another; most commonly a pastor or the funeral director . This individual follows a very predictable funeral order of service which includes the singing of hymns; and invocations, Bible recitations, Scripture readings, and prayers led by the officiant.

How to personalize a celebration of life?

There are many thoughtful ways to personalize a Celebration Of Life event. One family of an inveterate and voracious reader put all her books out and asked the participants to go through them and take as many as they wished. Those attending found it touching to have such an appropriate remembrance and selected those that had been dog-eared and underlined as well as those that didn't seem to have been read yet. The family designed a bookmark that matched their programs and had a quote about books on it.

What are some ideas for celebration of life?

Some ideas for a Celebration of Life event are the same as selecting a place for a wedding. Ideas for outside celebrations include gardens, parks, ocean beaches, national and state parks, and wineries. Inside ideas are large houses, places where dances are held, club houses, bed and breakfast inns, even hotel meeting rooms can be warmed up! Of course that all comes at a cost, but it is convenient. Try to select a space that is not going to packed in, but also not so large that the celebration gets lost in the space.

How to get people to read obituaries?

One way to do this is to go through the person's email list and send notices. Placing an "ad" in the appropriate newspapers, although it is not inexpensive, is a good way. Lots of people read the obituaries every day. (Call your newspaper to check on their rates.) Set up a phone tree by calling 10 to 20 people from the person's life (work, relatives, friends, social clubs, neighbors) and ask them to call the people they believe will want to attend.

Is it necessary to have a color scheme for condolences?

This isn't always necessary, but since you will want to provide a program of some sort, flower arrangements baskets and note cards for leaving the family condolences or placing cards, you may wish to create a color scheme so that the room looks pulled together. Cream and one other color is often a safe and tasteful choice.

What to do at a funeral?

The deceased body is not present. A Celebration of Life often consists of: 1 Personalization to the deceased in the form of venue, music, activities, food and décor. 2 “Letting go” activities indented as therapeutic grief support. 3 Personalized keepsakes and mementos.

What is the difference between a funeral and a celebration of life?

Traditional funerals tend to be somber, conservative affairs. Celebrations of Life, on the other hand, are just as they sound — celebrations. Celebrations of Life are uplifting , all-inclusive events that are personalized to a deceased loved one, intended to honor the individual. The deceased body is not present.

What is the purpose of celebrations of life?

Celebrations of Life provide a venue for you to express or cope with your grief. Through activities, speeches, readings, stories, video montages and even the uplifting mood, everyone is better able to address their grief in their own way.

What is an eternally loved celebration?

Eternally Loved is committed to making visions happen. We pledge to create a beautiful Celebration of Life to honor your amazing loved one while remaining sensitive and attentive to all your needs during your stressful time

Why do we celebrate life?

Celebrations of Life offer an opportunity for positive healing. First off, there is just less stress involved for everyone. Although some may not know how to feel or what to expect, the feeling and mood of the day tends to focus on gratitude and love instead of sorrow. You’re focused on remembering the good, while surrounded by unique details and characteristics of your loved one. You feel close to them, and can better reach acceptance for your loss.

What is the traditional funeral service?

Traditional funerals consist of: A viewing or visitation service (to view the casket or body). The actual funeral service (speeches, prayers and/or hymns; led by an officiant). The committal service (a slow procession to the burial site, where the casket is laid to rest below ground and final prayers and goodbyes are said).

What is the purpose of planning a celebration of life?

Planning a celebration of life involves a variety of things which focus on celebrating together the life of a cherished loved one. The time, thought, and creativity that you invest in the event will produce a moment in time that will be a lasting memory that summarizes the life of a unique individual.

What is a celebration of life?

A celebration of life service allows family and friends a chance to honor a loved one who has died in a way that is as unique as the life of the deceased. Instead of mourning a death, guests celebrate the life of an individual and the joy they brought to others. The service breathes life and energy into what is usually a very somber and stilted occasion. The event is usually held instead of a memorial service after a burial. These services often replace the entire traditional funeral.

What Are the Finishing Touches?

Are there things that need to be done to decorate the location in a way that reminds people of the loved one? Many families create a video that highlights the loved one's life. The tribute presentation is used to provide a center stage of the celebration. Others choose photographs, scrapbooks and other memorabilia and build a display on a table. Decorations can center on key themes seen in the loved one's life like a sporting team they loved, hobbies they enjoyed, or aspects of their career.

What is the significance of celebrating the life of a loved one?

The death of a loved one is a traumatic circumstance, filled with stresses and sadness. Funerals often add to the difficulties by engulfing the family and friends in an atmosphere of grief and mourning. The celebration of life experience is an alternative to the traditional funeral service. Unique to the individual, celebrating the life of the loved one allows the family to remember them in a way that provides comfort and closure. Here are the important steps in planning a celebration of life checklist to better organize the event.

Why is music important in celebration?

A celebration of life provides an excellent opportunity to highlight music that was meaningful and helped shape your loved one. If music was not appreciated, chose another art form that would allow expression, like paintings or movies. It may be more suitable to have excerpts from literature or special religious or spiritual passages read.

Why is the time of the celebration of life chosen?

The time of the celebration of life can be chosen because of a significant date in the life of the loved one , perhaps marking a birthday, wedding or the anniversary of the death.

Who is the master of ceremonies?

During a celebration of life, it is appropriate to have one individual who acts as a master of ceremony orchestrating the event. If religion was an important part of the loved one's life, the pastor or minister at the church may be willing to serve in this capacity. Funeral directors or celebrants would be comfortable in such a role. Some families are fortunate to have an accomplished speaker or teacher who would be able to host the event.

What is the difference between a funeral and a celebration of life?

What’s the Difference Between a Celebration of Life and a Funeral? A funeral is a service where the body is present. That’s the main difference between a funeral and a memorial service, by the way – the memorial service, as mentioned above, does not have the body present. So difference between a celebration of life and a funeral is again ...

What Happens at a Celebration of Life?

Since it’s a celebration that focuses on the person’s life, there will most likely be sharing of memories and stories among family and friends. There may be singing or joyful worshiping, or there may be a playlist on featuring the deceased’s favorite songs.

What to do if you don't mention dress code at funeral?

If they don’t mention anything, assume that they are expecting traditional, conservative funeral attire. Note: Even if you miss a dress code memo and look a bit different from others around you at the service, try not to worry about it too much.

What do you hear in a poem?

You may hear poems read or excerpts spoken. You might encounter karaoke, an open bar, a potluck, photo booths with props, blowing bubbles…

Why is each event different?

Each event is different. That’s primarily because each person is different . The whole idea is to veer away from “the norm” and do something unique. It’s also worth noting that some families and cultures use this term interchangeably with the term funeral.

When it comes to proper etiquette at a life celebration, when in doubt, go into it just?

When it comes to proper etiquette at a life celebration, when in doubt, go into it just as you would a traditional funeral.

Is a memorial service considered a celebration?

So it’s plausible that the one you attend could also technically be a memorial service, if no remains are present.

What is the difference between a funeral and a celebration of life?

Where the atmosphere of a funeral is formal and somber, a celebration of life is more casual and upbeat.

What is the focus of a celebration of life?

The focus is on positive memories rather than mourning. Laughter and jokes (which may seem out of place at a funeral) are completely appropriate at a celebration of life. While a funeral is usually held in a church or a funeral home, a celebration of life takes place in a more relaxed environment. The event is commonly held in a home ...

Why do people donate to a cause they care about?

Making donations to a cause that the deceased person cared about is a meaningful way to remember them.

What is the point of a wedding reception?

The point is to give guests a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company.

What to do when people arrive?

As people are arriving, allow them an informal time to enjoy conversations and memories.

What should be considered in the choice of an outfit?

The location of the service, the hour of the day, and the activities planned should all be considered in the choice of an outfit.

Is a celebration of life scripted?

But of course, you still may have some questions. After all, everyone knows what to expect at a funeral. But a celebration of life is much less scripted. Here is some information on the nuts and bolts of a celebration of life service.