Celebration-of-Life Information

Celebration of Life Services 

What is a Celebration of Life?

More and more families are choosing to hold ceremonies that celebrate the life and personality of their loved one . A celebration of life ceremony acts as an alternative to a traditional funeral ceremony. It achieves the same purposes as a traditional funeral by gathering family and friends to pay tribute to the deceased. A celebration of life has a more uplifting atmosphere that reflects on positive stories and memories that involved your loved one. The major benefit of a celebration of life is that it allows you the freedom to best display your loved one’s personality, values, and passions, in whichever way you see fit.


The best way to start planning a celebration of life is to begin doing so while your loved one is still with you. This way you have the chance to ask them, “how do you want to be remembered?”, “what are you most passionate about?”, and “what would you like your celebration of life to include?”. This way you are not left guessing what your loved one would’ve wanted when it comes time to plan the celebration of life service.

Differences Between Celebrations of Life vs. Funerals

Both funerals and celebrations of life serve as a way for families to acknowledge the passing of a loved one and say goodbye. However, there are many contrasts between the two ceremonies which commonly leads a family to choose one over the other.


A traditional funeral follows common rituals and customs, and tends to be a more structured ceremony. Usually, it has four main parts: the visitation, the funeral service, the committal service, and the funeral reception. For those looking for a sense of spirituality, religion, or tradition, we suggest holding a traditional funeral service rather than a celebration of life.


Through choosing a celebration of life ceremony, there is more freedom in the planning process. Essentially, this type of ceremony can include whatever your family thinks is appropriate to represent and honor your loved one. The purpose of this service is to tell the story of your loved one’s life and celebrate what made them special. 


In many cases, a celebration of life service is held after the body has been cared for. This allows your family more time to come together and plan a service that has includes input from everyone. It is common for families to hold a celebration of life weeks or even months after their loved one has been buried or cremated. This flexibility with time ensures you can schedule for a date for when family and friends are able to attend. In contrast, traditional funerals generally take place a couple days after death for the specific purpose of burial and a graveside ceremony.

Why Choose a Life Celebration?

Sometimes a family will tell us their loved one would say, "When I die I want to be remembered for all the good memories... the things that were special in my life. I don't want my funeral to be a sad occasion." By choosing a celebration of life service, these families honor their loved one's request and at the same time, benefit themselves and friends by all being reminded of a life well lived.

  • Celebration of life services can be as traditional or non-traditional as you desire, from a funeral service or memorial service with special photos displayed to a beachside barbecue where friends and family gather in a place loved by the person being celebrated.
  • Celebration of life services are not burdened by social expectations, they can be anything you want them to be. You can bring in those unique lifestyle and personality characteristics of your loved one; perhaps add live music or refreshments, and you've got the beginnings of a remarkable celebration-of-life.
  • Celebration of life services are intended to lift everyone's spirits by focusing on positive memories.

Learn More About Celebrations of Life

If you'd like to learn more about the celebration of life service, we invite you to read our Steps to Planning a Celebration of life, and for additional creative ideas visit our Personalized Service Options page. There you'll discover how our experience in arranging and hosting celebrations of life can guide you in the process.

We always enjoy working together with families to plan celebrations of life. If you have any questions about celebrations of life services and our personalized service options, please don't hesitate to call.


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