What is a Celebration of Life?
The loss of a loved one is never easy and today more and more families are looking for unique and personalized ways to celebrate the life of their loved one. A celebration of life service is one alternative to a traditional funeral service. It accomplishes the same main goal as a funeral – gathering family and friends to honor the life of a loved one. With a celebration of life, the goal is to lift everyone’s spirits and focus on celebrating positive memories and experiences that were shared with the deceased. A celebration of life tries to relieve the level of grief and mourning, and attempts to provide a more positive atmosphere where guests celebrate a life well lived. The main advantage of a celebration of life is that it allows you the freedom to do whatever is needed in order to best display your loved one’s personality, values, and passions.
The best way to start planning a celebration of life is doing so while your loved one is still alive. You have the opportunity to ask them, “how do your want to be remembered?”, “what do you value most?”, and “how would you like to be honored at your celebration of life?”. This way you are not left guessing as to what your loved one would've wanted.
Celebrations of Life vs Funerals
Both funerals and celebrations of life serve as a way for families to acknowledge the death of a loved one and say goodbye. However, there are many differences between the two which often leads a family to choose one over the other.
A funeral service carries a certain level of tradition and order. Typically, it has three main parts: the visitation, the funeral service, and the committal service. For those wanting a sense of spirituality, religion, or tradition, we recommend holding a traditional funeral service rather than a celebration of life.
With a celebration of life, there is more freedom in the planning process. Essentially, this type of service can include whatever your family would like. The purpose of this service is to tell the story of your loved one’s life and celebrate what made them special. In many cases, these types of services are held after the remains have been cared for. This allows your family more time to come together and plan a service that has included input from everyone. 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. This allows you to schedule the event around a time that works best for your family and can allow everyone to be there.
Celebration of Life Ideas
If your family is interested in planning a celebration of life, we have included a few examples below to help get you started.