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Many families have heard about the concept of a celebration of life service and are looking for ideas on planning a unique service for their loved one. If you don't want the stuffy traditional funeral home, then Loblolly Rise can help you. We always enjoy working together with families in planning a service for their loved one. While it can be a challenge to put together an event that both pays tribute to and celebrates the life and spirit of a complex individual; it's also one of the most rewarding things any one of us can do for someone we've loved and lost.
What is a Celebration of Life Service?
A celebration of life service is a planned event that offers friends and family the chance to say goodbye to a loved one. They can be as grand or as private as you want, and they provide a unique opportunity to create something truly special as a way to honor someone who has passed away.
What is the Difference Between a Celebration of Life and a Memorial Service?
The difference between a celebration of life and a memorial service can be easily explained by thinking: modern vs tradition. And while there really is no wrong way to say goodbye, there are some decisions you’ll need to make about how the service you plan to honor your loved one will look and feel.
There is of course the more traditional route of a formal memorial service. Often, memorial services have a religious theme or undertone, and they’re generally (though not always) planned relatively soon after your loved one’s passing.
If a formal memorial service doesn’t feel like it would be a good fit, you could also choose to plan what’s commonly referred to as a “celebration of life.” This can be anything you want to make it. These celebrations tend to really focus on the joy a loved one brought to others. It can be religious as well, but it’s also common for a celebration of life to not have a religious aspect to it.
If you’re not sure what to plan to honor your loved one, you may want to read How To Know Which Funeral Type Is Best.
Why Choose a “Celebration of Life” Service?
Many people decide on honoring a loved one with a celebration of life as a way to bring a joyful, unique feeling to the day. A lot of times, the deceased loved one’s personality influences the type of celebration or memorial we choose to have. Maybe you’re saying goodbye to someone who’ll be remembered for their love of life, who had an abundantly joyful spirit. Maybe he or she had expressed they didn’t want a depressing or sorrowful day in their honor.
Sometimes traditional funerals can feel very heavy and somber. If this doesn’t represent how your loved one lived their life, or if it seems to not be the best way to remember them, perhaps a celebration of life would be more representative. During the service, you can choose to focus on the joy your loved one brought to everyone else. You can make the day one that surrounds all the memories you’ll forever hold in your heart.
