Unique Ideas For A Celebration of Life
Do you have the honor of planning a celebration of life for a friend or loved one? The choices can be overwhelming, especially in the midst of grief but remember that this day is all about celebrating the life of the honoree, so it should reflect who they were and what they loved most in life. This is not a funeral so the more memories, laughter, and love that can be shared on this day the more healing and joy it can bring to everyone in attendance.
If you are not sure where to start in the planning process, please check out our post called ‘Complete Guide on How To Plan A Celebration of Life’.
Since you are now ready to start planning then here are some unique, fun, and memorable ways that you can celebrate the life of your loved one.
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Lindsey Nickel. Born and raised in the East Bay, I’m a wedding planner turned celebration of life planner based in Napa, California. I’ve planned 100+ events since 2010 and I specialize in celebrations of life (and Napa weddings). I help grieving families throughout the San Francisco Bay Area plan meaningful celebrations of life, without feeling even more stressed out. Suddenly, things you didn’t think you cared about become important. That’s where an event planner comes in to provide you with options, help you make decisions efficiently, and manage the event planning.
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Celebration of Life for the Garden Lover
Planting a memory garden somewhere where they loved going is a great way to keep their memory alive for years and years to come. These can often be found in parks, churches, or even the backyards of friends and family but remember to include their favorite flowers in abundance.
Another option is creating a memorial bench with a plaque bearing their name that others can use for a bit and this is especially appreciated in parks, around lakes, or churches.
One of my favorite items is creating memorial cards that are printed on seed paper that attendees can take home and plant in their yards and watch the wildflowers grow over the seasons.
Another fun option is getting a flower or plant named in their honor which is a beautiful legacy for our garden lovers. A simple Google search will show you the options depending on where you live in the world.
Celebration of Life for the Crafter
You can honor them using the crafts/hobbies that they loved so much. Creating a memorial blanket or using their clothes to create teddy bears for the family is a great way of honoring your loved one. I have always admired those that create baby blankets that they give to the pediatric department of their local hospital so that the legacy of their loved one lives on in the memories made when a child is born. If your honoree was touched by cancer, creating port pillows that attach with velcro to a seatbelt and sit where their port is in their chest is incredibly comforting and needed.
Celebration of Life for the Foodies
If they loved food (or a certain dish) then honor their memory by including it in the festivities. You can have food trucks there to nourish your guests or have the event at a restaurant they adored. If they loved to cook then make a recipe book out of their best dishes that you can give to the attendees or have everyone make their favorite dish that your loved one would make and bring it to the event.
Celebration of Life for the Coffee or Tea Aficionado
If they couldn’t stand a morning without their favorite sip of caffeine then start a kindness chain at Starbucks (or their favorite coffee spot) or you can have a coffee truck with their favorite blends at the event.Having an afternoon tea in honor of your tea lover is a great way to celebrate their passion. You can also plant a tea garden in their honor to keep their legacy and love of tea going for many years.
Photo from Pixabay
Celebration of Life for the Water Enthusiast
If your loved one was passionate about being on the water then there are tons of options for celebrating their passion. You can hire a boat to take you out in the ocean or on a lake or find an event venue that overlooks the water. A popular option is creating ‘paper’ boats (find eco-friendly versions) that can be sailed into a river or lake or you can use their favorite flowers instead. You can also take the opportunity to go on a cruise or a fishing trip in their honor as well. If they loved the cruising life or couldn’t wait till it was fishing trip time, then that is a beautiful way to celebrate them.
Celebration of Life for the Outdoorsy
You can picnic at their favorite spot, hike their most loved trails, or participate in whatever activity outdoors that they loved the most. I was moved by an event that had everyone create kites and then fly them as a group at the local park where their loved one would walk every day. It caused a lot of laughter and wonderful memories for everyone involved.
Celebration of Life for the Bookworms
I have seen quite a few amazing tributes to someone with a passion for books. Having a book drive in their honor or buying everyone a copy of your loved one's favorite book to read, or having charitable donations given to the local library are all wonderful ways to celebrate their love of books.
Celebration of Life for the Theater & Museum Goers
If your loved one adored art then having your event at a museum is a beautiful expression of appreciation. You can similarly have your event at a theatre if your loved one was passionate about theater or opera. I have also seen programs printed out to look like playbills which I thought were so creative.
Photo from Pixabay
Celebration of Life for the Golfer
Have the event at the clubhouse they belonged to and honor them with some rounds of golf. You can create memorial gifts through tees or golf balls with their names on them to be used for the foreseeable future.
Celebration of Life for the Sports Fanatic
If they loved a team then this is a great time to show it off. Have everyone wear jerseys or the team colors to the event or you can even have a tailgate party in their honor. You can also partner with your loved one’s favorite charity and host a memorial sporting event.
Celebration of Life for the Active Person
If they loved to hike then go on a group hike on their favorite trail. If surfing was their passion then hit the beach. If they loved to bike then grab your helmet. This is another great way to partner with a charity and host an event around their most loved activity.
Celebration of Life for the Animal Lover
Donations to the local Humane Society or pet rescue are a great way to give back to the community while keeping their memory in the forefront. You can also hold your event at a zoo or aquarium or even a cat or dog cafe if you have one in your area.
Photo by Simon Ray on Unsplash
Celebration of Life for the Movie Buff
Renting a movie theater or setting up a makeshift movie screen in the backyard (or on a beach) to watch their favorite movie is a wonderful expression of love for the honoree. You can also create programs for the event and print them to look like movie tickets with the actor/actress's name being your loved one’s.
Celebration of Life for the Biker or Tattoo Lover
Go on a memorial ride with their crew hitting all of their favorite spots. You can also have some temporary tattoos made that are reminiscent of your loved one (maybe their favorite tattoo they had) for everyone to put on.
Celebration of Life for the Traveler
Having the celebration of life in a destination that they loved the most is a wonderful way to honor their memory. If that is not possible, then having a travel theme for the event with photos of the honoree from all over the world is a great reminder that they had a life that included adventure and boldness.
Celebration of Life for the Artist
There is so much that can be done to honor the artist in your life. If they are a painter, then have everyone paint a small canvas using specific colors and put them all together to create a patchwork piece. This can be done with lots of different styles and mediums used by the artist so get creative and include as many loved ones as possible to make it even richer.
Celebration of Life for the Loss of a Young One
This one is particularly difficult as losing someone so young is heartwrenching. You can celebrate them with an event surrounded by their favorite things or theme it to what they loved the most whether that be Marvel, Star Wars, Dinosaurs, or Disney Princesses.
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
Some other ideas you can include in any celebration of life are:
You can turn their ashes into fireworks. This is one heck of a send-off for someone with a big personality.
If they loved star gazing then consider naming a star after them.
Use their favorite drink to toast to them
Use a memory board so that people can bring photos or write out memories on a piece of paper and attach it to the board.
Create a tribute video slideshow
Have a guest book or memory book for people to sign or share moments
Create a quote board where everyone can write down their favorite quote from the honoree or a quote that reminds them of the honoree. You can also ask for these beforehand to create a really beautiful work of art around them.
Charities are always looking for help so giving in your loved one’s memory is a wonderful expression of love for them and its benefits go out into the world making it a better place.
Any of these will connect you to them through the act of participating in the activities that they love the most. You can catch a glimpse into a piece of the spark that lit up their lives through these moments and sharing them with others who loved them is truly magical. Leaving behind a legacy is a want of many and knowing your friends and family are there to celebrate you is so very powerful. Remember that whether it is a simple gathering or a grand event, it is important to make it personalized and positive because that is what a celebration of life is all about. They touched the lives of many and honoring them with meaningful details will make it a beautiful event for a beautiful life.
