It is ideal to begin planning a celebration of life service while your loved ones are still alive. This way you can come up with celebration of life ideas by asking them questions such as: “how do you want to be remembered?”, “what do you want your celebration of life to be like?”, and “what are you value most or what are you most passionate about?”. This allows you to perfectly match the wishes of your loved one.
Why Choose a Life Celebration?
Sometimes a family will tell us their loved one would say, "When I die I want to be remembered for all the good memories... the things that were special in my life. I don't want my funeral to be a sad occasion." By choosing a celebration of life service, these families honor their loved one's request and at the same time, benefit themselves and friends by all being reminded of a life well lived.
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Celebration of life services can be as traditional or non-traditional as you desire, from a funeral service or memorial service with special photos displayed to a beachside barbecue where friends and family gather in a place loved by the person being celebrated.
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Celebration of life services are not burdened by social expectations, they can be anything you want them to be. You can bring in those unique lifestyle and personality characteristics of your loved one; perhaps add live music or refreshments, and you've got the beginnings of a remarkable celebration-of-life.
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Celebration of life services are intended to lift everyone's spirits by focusing on positive memories.
Celebrations of Life Services vs Funerals
Both funerals and celebrations of life serve as a way for families to honor and say goodbye to a loved one who has passed away. However, there are many differences between the two services that should be taken note of.
A funeral service follows a certain level of tradition and order. Usually a funeral consists of three parts: the visitation, the actual funeral ceremony, and the committal service. We recommend a funeral service for those wanting a sense of spirituality, religion, or tradition.
So what is a celebration of life? There is much more freedom and flexibility with a celebration of life. Essentially you can include anything you want and format the service in any manner. The purpose of this service is to tell the story of your loved one’s life and celebrate what made them special. Most often, a celebration of life is held after the deceased’s body has been cared for. This allows you much more time to plan all the details of the service exactly to your liking. It is not uncommon for families to hold a celebration of life weeks or even months after their loved one’s remains have been buried or cremated.
Celebration of Life Ideas
Below we have provided a few celebration of life ideas to help your family begin planning. The examples below show that celebrations of life can be as unique as the person they are honoring. You can plan the event fully around a specific theme or just add little touches.
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For the Sports Lover:
- Plan an event where close friends go on a road trip to watch your loved one’s favourite team play.
- You can have an event that includes playing your loved one’s favourite sport such as a golf tournament, or a casual basketball game.
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For the Music Lover:
- A simple touch is to make sure your loved one’s favourite songs and artists are playing during the gathering.
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For the Dedicated Philanthropist:
- Plan a fundraising event to support the cause that was most important to the deceased.
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For the Chef:
- Host a cooking class where loved ones can gather and cook one of the deceased's favorite dishes.
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For the Gardener:
- Plant a memorial garden in honor of the deceased. Allow loved ones to bond over planting their favourite flowers or greenery in a place that meant something to the deceased.
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Learn More About Celebrations of Life
If you'd like to learn more about the celebration of life service, we invite you to read our
Steps to Planning a Celebration of Life. There you'll discover how our experience in arranging and hosting celebrations of life can guide you in the process.
We always enjoy working together with families to plan celebrations of life. If you have any questions about celebrations of life services and our personalized service options, please don't hesitate to call
