One of the positive aspects of choosing direct cremation is that you can take your time to plan the celebration of life ceremony. And because the individual’s physical remains won’t be at the service, you can have the celebration of life service anywhere – instead of a funeral home or place of worship.
Here are tips on planning a service for your loved one.
Celebration of Life Ideas and Planning Tips
Before we give you ideas on how to pay tribute to your loved one, let’s discuss name options for a funeral service.
Typically, the body is present in a casket at traditional funeral services, but the service itself can be religious or secular. Some choose to have an open casket visitation and funeral service, followed by burial – or cremation.
Most of the time, a casketed body is not present at memorial services. Memorial services can follow a traditional funeral order and can be religious or secular. Sometimes cremated remains are present, but this isn’t always necessarily true.
A celebration of life service pays tribute to the individual. It tends to be more lighthearted, while traditional funeral services are solemn. A celebration of life service can be religious or secular.
Here are some creative ideas and tips on planning a heartfelt celebration of your loved one’s life.
Give people the opportunity to share memories and personal stories.
Someone outside of the family typically officiates a traditional funeral service. There may or may not be opportunities for sharing at a funeral or memorial service.
However, there’s almost always the opportunity to share at end-of-life celebrations. The surviving family, caring friends, and co-workers can share a personal story or favorite memories of the deceased. The funeral celebrant will invite guests to share and manage the situation if some guests overshare or speak too long.
A life celebration is almost always personalized.
Besides allowing attendees to share special memories and stories of the deceased, celebration of life services are almost always personalized. For example, a memory table may hold more than photo albums and display other items that showcase your loved one’s personality and interests.
The urn may be decorated with the logo of a favorite sports team. And the music may be upbeat and come from the deceased’s playlist.
Sometimes the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks are served.
A celebration of life ceremony isn’t necessarily a happy event.
While there might be some lighthearted moments at a celebration of life, a bereaved family is still present at the event. Yes, they may want the service to focus on the unique life of the deceased. However, they are still going through the grieving process. Attendees should follow the same social expectations of a typical funeral.
The funeral pre-planning process would allow you to leave behind instructions for your celebration of life service.
If you feel strongly that an end-of-life ceremony should celebrate a life well lived, consider pre-planning your own service. When you are ready, contact Smart Cremation. Complete this online form to get a free funeral-planning guide.
Key Takeaways On How to Plan a Celebration of Life Service
- Celebration of life services allow people to share good memories and stories of the deceased with the grieving family.
- Unlike traditional funerals, there’s a focus on personalization at celebration of life services.
- A celebration of life is sometimes a hybrid event, with a mixture of smiles and tears.
