From Sadness to Joy: 9 Ideas for an Uplifting Celebration of Life
2.4 million funerals take place in the US every year.
That’s a lot of tears, grief, and emotional upheaval for families and loved ones to contend with.
As most of us know, the loss of the special people in our lives can be a source of real pain. However, many people seek to turn that pain on its head. Instead of rueing the loss, they celebrate the life.
A celebration of life ceremony seeks to do just that. These services are occasions for commemorating the memory of the amazing people who touch our lives in such profound ways.
In the midst of grief, it can be tough to stimulate ideas though. You may well be seeking some inspiration for how to do their memory justice.
Keep reading to learn 9 ideas for an uplifting celebration of life ceremony.
9 Celebration of Life Ideas to Turn Sadness to Joy
The end of someone’s life usually brings immense sadness, and grief in those left behind. However, doesn’t it make more sense to celebrate life, than to commiserate death? The right celebration of life ceremony can do just that.
Here are 9 ideas to inspire your ceremony.
-
Create a Memorial Banner
Why not create a banner in memory of the deceased?
Memorial banners come in all styles and sizes. Make it big and beautiful in celebration of their life. Hang it high in the reception room, or throughout the service. Carry it between family members in procession…Do whatever feels most appropriate.
You could even create a commemorative banner to be pulled behind a plane. The name and memory of your loved one get shown from a thousand foot in the sky to everyone in the area.
-
Release Doves
Dove releases are immensely symbolic.
There’s power in a mass of doves being released as one; a beautiful flock of white drifting in tandem into the air. Ideas of love and peace go with them. Images of the spirit of your loved one ascending to another realm emerge too.
This can be a fitting farewell to the people who’ve had such an impact on our lives.
-
Have a Creative Table
Having an outlet for creativity can be a means of dealing positively with sadness and overwhelm.
Set up a table with paper, pens, and paints. Invite people to leave a message, or express themselves through a piece of artwork.
This is also great for kids. Death is a troubling, confusing idea for most of us. For children, it can be particularly unsettling. Having some art to occupy them can be a useful distraction and method of processing the pain.
-
Give Seed Cards Away
New life is a powerful idea when we lose someone close to us.
It can be profound to create life in the stead of death. Offering seed cards to anyone who attends the ceremony can be a lovely touch.
You could offer seeds of the favorite flowers or plants of the deceased. Ask people to think of your loved one as they plant them. It’s somehow inspiring to think of new life being borne from a tragedy in this way.
-
Light Personalized Candles
You could also have personalized candles made up.
These candles are engraved with the name and memory of your loved one. You could light them during the ceremony. Light them again on the anniversary of their death. Such candles can be a helpful and beautiful way of commemorating someone’s life as time goes by.
-
Sky Lanterns
Have you ever seen a sky filled with lanterns?
There are few more impressive sights: lanterns rising into the air and drifting in space as they burn overheard. The symbolism is almost palpable.
It’s a slow, mesmerizing journey to an unknown destination. It’s hard not to feel inspired and thoughtful.
However, it’s important to purchase environmentally friendly lanterns. These will disintegrate and (hopefully) cause minimal damage to the environment in which they land.
-
Plant a Memorial Tree
A memorial tree is another great way to mark the passing of a loved one.
Again, you get some new life created from loss. If you’ve opted for cremation, you could even scatter ashes around the tree (read more about cremation here).
Trees are a timeless reminder of someone’s life. You’ll forever think of your loved one when you see it. The physicality of a tree can somehow provide comfort too. It’s there with you, and alive, and in memory of someone, you loved.
-
Recycle Clothes into a Patchwork Quilt
The process of getting rid of a person’s possessions after they die can be painful.
You’re torn between practicality and sentimentality. You may not be ready to clear out the last physical reminders of their life. Clothing can be particularly tough to part with.
Why not hold on to their clothing in the form of a patchwork quilt? You could cut up their favorite clothes and stitch them together. Create a quilt that will serve as a constant reminder of them.
-
Make a Memorial Video
A video is a deeply personal way of commemorating someone’s memory.
Even a short set of home-video clips can be hugely emotive. It’s a visual reminder of their life. You get reminded of their presence, their input, and their impact on your own life.
The process of making the video can be restorative in its own right. Working your way through old footage may be painful. But it can be equally cathartic. The video can be played at the ceremony and at any time you wish to be reminded of their life.
Time to Wrap Up
There you have it: 9 uplifting celebration of life ceremony ideas.
The end of someone’s life is often one of intense emotion. Death may be a fact of life, but the loss of a loved one is never easy to cope with. Deep feelings of grief, sadness, and heartbreak can hang in the air.
However, a celebration of life ceremony provides an opportunity to turn that emotion into something positive. Hopefully, the ideas we’ve provided above will help you do just that.
Whether you opt for one, or all, of them, we hope they’ll enable you to feel uplifted in the commemoration of your loved ones.
Did you find value in this piece? Click here to read more pieces on how to celebrate life.
