There are many beautiful methods to remember and honour a loved one. Some families opt for a memorial service rather than a funeral. Others conduct a funeral followed by a celebration of life weeks, months, or years later to continue honouring their departed loved one or to invite those who were unable to attend the funeral.
If you choose to conduct a memorial service, you may ponder how to best honour the deceased. Here are nine celebrations of life ideas that you can use to commemorate the life of a loved one.
What is a Celebration of Life?
A celebration of life is an alternative method for family and friends to honour the deceased. In contrast to traditional funerals, which are typically quite melancholy, a celebration of life in Toronto allows the deceased’s loved ones to say farewell and ruminate joyfully. They are specifically tailored to the deceased and should feel celebratory.
1. Choose a meaningful location
If you are hesitant about where to conduct the event, consider holding it in or near a location that was especially significant or symbolic to the deceased. This can lend an additional dimension of connection and make the event even more special.
2. Keep it intimate
Invite your closest family and friends to a low-key celebration of your life with the help of gift baskets in Toronto. Ensure you communicate your intentions for the event and solicit assistance from your family and close acquaintances. You might consider hosting the event in your home or at a comfortable venue. Cater the event or opt for a potluck format.
In addition, you may wish to make a brief remark to express your affection for your friends and family. Then invite sincere, genuine communication. Play some uplifting music and cherish this moment with your loved ones.
3. Invite people to share stories
Sharing memories is an incredible method to preserve the memory of a loved one. Whether a story makes people chuckle or weep, these recollections can mend broken hearts and bring everyone together. In the event invitation, request that guests ruminate on some of their favourite memories, and if they are comfortable, share them during the celebration.
4. Food and drinks
You may wish to include the deceased’s preferred foods and beverages at the memorial service. Additionally, you could host a communal barbecue or picnic and have everyone contribute a dish they shared with the deceased. Depending on their culture, their family might prepare specific delicacies for the occasion.
5. Collect photos
Photos are a fantastic notion to share at this event and to retain as a memento afterward. You can obtain more photographs from your peers and family by creating an online group photo album and inviting multiple individuals to upload photos to a folder.
You can then use these images to create a slideshow or a tangible photo album for your loved one’s closest peers.
6. Play their favorite music
Music can be a potent instrument of healing, and it can evoke fond memories. Create a playlist of their favourite songs to be played at the party and shared afterwards. Like the previous suggestion, you can construct a shared playlist to which friends and family can add songs they know the deceased relished.
7. Ask for letters
Having written memories to reflect upon can be extremely therapeutic. Request that those invited to the ceremony compose a letter about their deceased relative. These may be presented to the individual’s spouse, children, siblings, and closest acquaintances.
8. Establish your loved one’s memorial
This celebration can be used to unveil or create a memorial for your loved one, such as by ordering funeral flowers in Mississauga. For instance, you could plant a tree in their honor at a place of worship, a park, or a loved one’s backyard. Through nature, their memory will endure and endure as something tangible for many years.
9. Start a memorial fundraiser
Memorials and services commemorating a deceased loved one can be quite costly. Some individuals may not be able to afford their desired notions. To assist with the costs, you can start a fundraiser for the memorial or event using a free platform like GoFundMe.
10. Celebrate outdoors
Invite your family to a picnic in a park by renting a picnic table. If your father or grandfather enjoyed the outdoors, this is a wonderful method to honour them. Order and serve your father’s or grandfather’s favourite foods and beverages.
You may set up a memorial table with note cards for visitors to record their recollections. Possibly dad or grandfather enjoyed a particular sport or yard pastime. Make the game available for play. You may wish to say a few words about your grandfather or father and invite others to share their memories.
We hope that these suggestions will help you honour the memory of your loved one and commemorate their life with their closest friends and relatives.
