Organizing A Celebration of Life: Everything You Should Know for A Successful Send-Off

Those who have experienced grief can testify that it is an emotion unlike no other and that there is no right or wrong way to mourn the loss of a loved one. However, complex the pain of losing a beloved family member or friend might be, something that can come near to the initial discomfort we experience is dealing with the logistics of death which, for many mourners, can involve planning a funeral, cremation, memorial, or even a celebration of life. 

Unlike traditional funeral services, which can have a hefty price tag attached and create a lot of unpleasant emotions for those involved in the planning, many mourners are opting for less traditional ways of laying their loved one to rest, such as cremation, ash scattering ceremonies, memorial forest ceremonies, natural burials, and a celebration of life. 

The latter option is quickly becoming a more favored method of remembrance among Americans for various reasons. Whether your loved one was against a traditional funeral, or you cannot afford a memorial service befitting your loved one, a celebration of life is customizable and similar to memorial services but with a different tone. 

For instance, at a celebration of life, you might listen to a playlist of all your loved ones' favorite songs, release paper lanterns into the sky, tell fond stories about the deceased, and much more. In this article, we outline everything you need to know about organizing a celebration of life below, from creating a celebration of life invitations to choosing a suitable location: 

Creating Celebration of Life Invitations 

As you know, it might be easy finding christenings, birthday, and anniversary invitations at your local store, but a celebration of life not so much. Therefore, to save yourself wasted time browsing the aisles of store after store, consider scrapping the shopping trip and getting celebration of life invitations online. 

As well as being able to pick from thousands of designs, online celebration of life invitations is more cost-effective, easier to send, and eco-friendlier than their paper-based counterparts. Plus, using sites like Greenvelope, you can include additional extras such as music, links to relevant websites, photos, and more. 

If you're looking to plan the perfect celebration of life or any other memorial service, consider heading to their website to peruse their e-invites, start a free trial, create your own invitations for a celebration of life, or read their helpful blog posts for more invitation inspiration. Or contact a member of their customer service team for specific inquiries today and see how their bespoke e-invites could help make your loved ones' celebration of life special. 

Choosing The Right Venue 

Much like any other end-of-life service, you and your loved ones will require a function room where the celebration can take place. However, before you go booking viewings for any old function room, it is essential that you sit down with your immediate family and ask yourselves a few questions, as this will determine what kind of options you will be looking at. 

Ask yourselves; what type of event will we be hosting? How many people will be in attendance? Will you be providing refreshments? Are you going to hire entertainment like a live band? And finally, was the space unique to your loved one? Asking yourself the previous questions will help whittle down your options and ensure that you decide on a practical and sentimental venue. 

For instance, there is little point in booking a venue that doesn't allow children if you know that several people on the guest list have children, as unless they can sort childcare, they will have to bring the children along to the event with them. Therefore, taking the opinions of your friends and family members into consideration is essential so that you can avoid blunders and pick a venue that pleases everyone. 

Decide How You're Going to Make the Day Special 

When you attend a traditional end-of-life service, you more than likely know what to expect from the service before you enter the crematorium or church. Traditional funerals usually follow a routine from the opening music, readings, blessings/prayers, eulogies, committal, and closing music. However, a celebration of life has no set format, meaning that it is entirely up to those planning the event what happens throughout the day. 

Whether you want to encourage attendees to read their own remembrances, religious prose, readings, etc., or if you're going to stick to just one person speaking. Or if you'd like to enforce a particular dress code or let people come dressed in whatever they want. Whatever you pick, ensure that it reflects the personality of your loved one and the choices they would have made should they be standing beside you – which will make for a more special day.