In the past funerals have been somber affairs. The mourners turn up dressed head to toe in black and the post-funeral wake was a sad affair involving cups of tea and a sandwich. This did not necessarily reflect the life of the deceased who may have been a fun-loving person who loved a party and hated dreariness.

These days, many people decide that they would rather hold a celebration of life that reflects the personality of the deceased rather than a doleful party, as they feel it gives their loved one the send-off they would have wanted. Many people even plan their funerals as they get older so that friends and relatives know what their wishes are. Here is a guide to making a celebration of life more personal.

Invitations

It is nice to send out celebration of life invitations as you would to any other event. It may be that you hold the funeral on a different day from the celebration, so it is important that people know the date, time, and location. Greenvelope has a lot of experience in helping to create invitations like this, so check out these celebration of life invitations and you can make the design and message as personal to your loved one as you like.

Location

You do not have to hold a celebration of life in a dingy church hall. Think about where your loved one was happiest. Did they love the great outdoors or escaping to the beach? Perhaps they had a favorite bar or club. Holding the celebration of life in a place they would have loved makes it more personal.

Food

Serve your loved one’s favorite dishes at the celebration of life. They might have been a fan of curry or a chocolate lover. Make sure it is something that they would have loved to eat.

If the celebration of life is a large party, you could hire caterers to do the food for you. Book them in advance and let them know if the location is going to be difficult to get to and whether it will have electricity and running water so that they can come prepared. Catering at this event will take the pressure off you.

For a smaller party, you might prefer to do the catering yourself or ask all the guests to bring food that reminds them of their loved one.

Music

Music is a very personal taste, so playing your loved one’s favorite songs at the celebration of life will remind people of their loved one. Music is very emotive, so many people will be reminded of the wonderful times they shared. Don’t keep all the music somber, as this will lower the mood of the celebration. Instead, select a mixture of upbeat and slower tempo from your loved one’s favorite genres.

Photos

Photos are a wonderful way to remember your loved one. If you are planning an indoor event, you can place photos around the walls or hire some stands for the occasion. Ask guests to bring some photos and put them up. Remind them to print their names on the back of the photo so that they can be returned after the event.

Photos are a fantastic way to reminisce about the life of your loved one and you will get to see lots of photos that you never knew existed.

Dedication Table

A dedication table is an innovative way to celebrate the life of your loved one. Place some of their treasured possessions here such as their football trophies, doctoral certificate, or other items that would have sentimental value to them. The guests will enjoy looking at the greatest achievements of their loved one and celebrating them.

Guestbook

A guest book is a fabulous way to remember your loved one. Ask the guests to write a message or record their favorite memories of the deceased. They will enjoy reading about the memories of other people too. You can take the guestbook home as a keepsake and make copies for other attendees too.

Living funerals

Living Funerals have become immensely popular in recent years. Your loved one may want you to help them celebrate their life if they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Helping them to plan their own celebration means that you can take a lot of pressure off them at a time when they need it the most.
Living funerals are best held before your loved one becomes too ill to enjoy the event. The end of a loved one’s life does not have to be depressing. Although you will miss them, you will always think of the good memories you created.
Rather than being downhearted turn the event around and remember the good times, and the achievements they had and take the opportunity to celebrate their life rather than commiserate their passing.