What activities will take place?
If you want to make the celebration of life special and unique, consider organizing an activity for guests to take part in. The activity could be as simple as a craft station for guests to create a keepsake to take home or as elaborate as a fireworks display. For celebration of life ideas for groups, check out some idea suggestions below.
Food and beverages to serve
Food and drinks are an important part of any event. Food brings people together and can create opportunities for guests to share memories with one another. Some families serve hors d’oeuvres and others will host a meal. In either case, think about some of your loved one’s favorite food and drinks and try to serve them during the event.
What audio and visuals will be included?
Technology can play an important role in honoring a loved one and paying tribute to them. Memorial videos, slideshows, and music playlists can help create a warm atmosphere of remembrance. If you want to include this special touch, talk to your funeral director about your technology needs and consider the following questions:
- What audio/visual equipment is needed?
- What pictures, videos, and other content do you want to display?
- How will these choices help honor the deceased and celebrate their life?
Who will speak at the event?
At some point during almost every celebration of life, there will be an opportunity for someone to say a few words. These can be more formal speeches like a eulogy or just a simple toast to the deceased and thanking guests for coming. Next, it’s important to decide who will have the opportunity to speak. Will there be prepared speeches or an open floor for guests to share stories and memories if they wish? Below are some questions to consider when selecting your speakers:
- Will the service be formal or informal?
- Do you want to leave the floor open for guests to speak?
- What family members or friends do you think would like to say something?
- Do you want to include readings or prayers?
Mementos and keepsakes
If you want to show your appreciation, consider buying or creating some small personal keepsakes for guests to take home. It could be as simple as a packet of memorial seeds to plant in a garden or as personal as hand written notes from the family thanking guests for coming. In either case, having something for guests to take home with them shows that your family is thankful that they chose to come and provides guests with a physical item to help honor the deceased’s memory.
Send out invitations
Last but certainly not least, it’s time to create a guest list and send out invitations. Once you know the where and when, you can start putting a guest list together. Think of everyone that would want to be there and add them to the list. Once you’re ready to send out invitations, you might want to ask guests to RSVP. Doing so will help you make sure you have enough food, drinks, and keepsakes for the celebration of life.
Let Us Help with Your Celebration of Life Ceremony
We know that's a lot to think about. But we urge you to take your time; be thoughtful, and don't hesitate to explore all thecelebrations of life ideaswhich arise as part of this experience.
As we've said, we've got the experience to help make things easier for you and your family. Don't hesitate to pick up the phone &call us. Let's talk about your loved one's life; share some stories with us. We're confident that, together, we can come up with the perfect celebration of life event to suit your needs and expectations.
