Instead of a funeral service, some families prefer to have a celebration of life. When a family or loved one passed away, those who are left behind may opt to celebrate every achievement. Things and practices that may not be acceptable in a solemn or somber funeral may be appropriate to do at a celebration of life event.
The said event is different from a funeral service wherein people, especially guests and visitors, are not expected to talk loudly about death. At a celebration of life, everyone can talk about fun memories shared together with the deceased person. The family organizes a casual get-together, and family, relatives, and friends honor the loved one who passed away in such a joyful way.
How to Plan the Celebration of Life
Holding a special and memorable celebration that is more focused on life and achievements, instead of the loss, is a better way to pay tribute to a great person. This will also help ease out the process of closure and moving on.
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Choose a Date
In celebrating the life of a deceased person, the first thing to do is to choose a date for the event. It can be on the last day of wake before the day of interment or it could be after a month or after a year to allow distant family and friends to have enough time to fix their schedule.
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Know-How Many People Will Attend
The exact headcount may not be determined but you can estimate the number of people who will attend the event by asking for their confirmation. Knowing how many people are going to come will help you choose a venue.
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Set Your Budget
You don’t have to spend too much on this event but setting your budget will help you select the style of celebration and the food or refreshments to serve, as well as the venue to rent. It may not be helpful to worry about the expenses, which is why it is important to decide on the budget and go within it. Include a budget for the tokens. It can be a small piece of token that the guests can take home.
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Maximize the Celebration of Life Ideas
You can make the event more memorable and valuable by adding interesting and creative ideas for the celebration. Aside from fun activities and sharing of stories, there are wonderful things to include in the decoration, activities, program, and food preparation. Check this unique and creative Celebration of Life Ideas:
- Music Playlist – Create a music playlist based on the deceased person’s favorite songs. Family and friends can relate to the music and songs playing all throughout the program.
- Memorial Quilt – Make a memorial quilt out of the loved one’s favorite clothes. The quilt can be placed as grave cover every time the family visits the gravesite.
- Memory Capsule – Create a memory capsule wherein all the memorable objects or things are kept. You can put the photographs, personal jewelry, or different mementoes in the capsule to remind you of the person.
- Photo Watch – Replace the face of the watches that once belonged to the person with photos and have them displayed at the venue.
- Framed Poems or Art Works – If your loved ones was an artist or a poet, you can put the art pieces in frames and use them to decorate the venue.
- Video Slideshow – Create a video slideshow of the person’s memorable photos with family and friends and play it all throughout the event.
- Photo Booth – Hire a photo booth for the event. The theme could be about the deceased person and his or her favorite hobby and activities. There are hundreds of styles to choose from when it comes to stylish photo booth ideas intended for the celebration of life.
- Memory Table – Have the personal belongings laid on the table. It may include uniform, medals, pictures, books, bags, shoes, and many more.
- Memory Box – Request each guest to bring something that reminds them of the person and keep those items in a memory box. Each one may tell a story about the object and how this person touched their lives.
- Flowers – Instead of traditional white funeral flowers, have it set up in bright and cheerful colors.
- Lantern Lighting – Light up lanterns and release them in the air. This is a symbolic activity that allows everyone to let go of the pain for losing a loved one.
In celebrating with family and friends for the life of a loved one who passed away, you and your family may request guests and visitors to donate to charity or scholarship in the person’s name. Donations in cash or kinds may also be collected, and all the collected donations can be sent to orphanage and home for the aged or for those who are suffering from diseases.
Tree planting is also a valuable activity that can be organized in honor of the person who passed away, especially if the person’s advocacy was about caring for the environment. The celebration of life will be more than just a fun and enjoyable get-together of family and friends but also a purposeful event.
At the celebration of life in memorial of a loved one, everyone should be in positive mood and vibes. This is a time to celebrate the beautiful life that was lived to the fullest. All the achievements and success, as well as the good things that were done, are enough reasons to be joyful. Everyone is surely blessed to know the person and to be touched by the person in his or her own little ways.