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Save £100 when you purchase two funeral plans together. Call us for more details.
11 minute read
A celebration of life is an event dedicated to a person’s life and legacy. It may follow a traditional funeral or replace it altogether. You can even throw a celebration of life party before death, like a living funeral.
While a celebration of life tends to be more relaxed and unlike traditional wakes, it can be customised to whatever feels right to you and your family. The event can be held at any location that feels meaningful to the person being honoured, such as a home, garden, or other personal venue. It often encourages friends and family to share stories, memories, and experiences, creating a more celebratory environment as opposed to the solemn atmosphere found at traditional services.
Traditional funerals and a celebration of life try to achieve the same thing, honouring and marking the passing of a loved one. They just do this in different ways. While funerals are often rooted in tradition and formalities, a celebration of life offers more flexibility.
Funerals usually occur soon after death and may involve the presence of the body. It is a chance to say goodbye to the person who has passed and may include religious ceremonies, a procession and the witnessing of a burial or cremation.
In contrast, a celebration of life centres around remembering your loved one however you wish. They can take place at any time and are often less formal, with people encouraged to be a part of uplifting activities and wear bright clothing as opposed to black.
However you want to do it, celebrating a loved one’s life is an opportunity to reflect on the joy, love and laughter they brought into the world. It can offer comfort to those who are left behind, allowing people to gather, remember, and grieve through shared stories and cherished memories.
When organising a celebration of life, there are a few key steps to ensure the event is meaningful, fitting for the person who has passed and suits the needs of the attendees.
Begin by choosing the type of event and venue you would like for the celebration as this may decide the date. Consider places that are significant to your loved one, whether a family home, their favourite pub or a unique venue. Check with the location to ensure they can accommodate your group size and desired date.
These celebrations do not need to occur immediately after your loss and can take time to plan. You do not need to rush. There’s always time to step away if planning the event gets emotional.
Once you have decided on the best place, time and activity to honour your loved one, you will want to start thinking about catering, music, flowers, readings and the tone of the event. It is helpful to share the load by involving loved ones in the planning and it can be healing for people to help plan a special celebration in their loved one’s memory.
The beauty of a celebration of life is that there are no rules, a celebration of life can be whatever you want it to be. Personalising the celebration is what makes it truly special. You may want to reflect on your loved one’s unique qualities, interests, and passions and ask others what they think of when they remember the person who has passed.
There are many ways to infuse their personality into the day, such as asking guests to wear your loved one’s favourite colour, creating a memory table with meaningful items, or curating a playlist of their favourite songs.
Some families incorporate familiar elements from traditional funerals whilst maintaining a celebratory tone. This can include a wake as part of the funeral or be a separate event like a memorial service or a scattering of the person’s ashes.
You may want to include a reading of poems or prayers that were significant to your loved one and include a photo board. These touches add a traditional structure to the event whilst still being more personalised as you commemorate their life.
For those looking for a more personalised and unconventional celebration, there are endless possibilities to explore. Between the thrill of a bungee jump and the fulfilment of crafting a memory book to share with the next generation, there is something for every family.
The digital age is great but nothing beats an old photograph. Gather family and friends together requesting that they bring their favourite photos of the person whose life you are celebrating. Talk about the times brought to mind as you add the images to a collage with other crafting items that remind you of your loved one such as stickers and clippings from magazines. It can be a very calming, personal and therapeutic experience that will bring out everyone’s creative side.
Hosting a celebration of life at home can provide an intimate and familiar setting for family and friends to come together. They can also be very personalised with memory tables, keepsakes and unique decorations.
To bring everyone together, put a date in the diary to spend some time in the kitchen. Everyone can join in on cooking favourite dishes, cakes and pastries that are meaningful to the group. This is a great option for foodie families or to celebrate the chef in your life. Write down all the recipes in a notebook or save them digitally and when the cooking is done, everyone can sit down together to enjoy the food and share some stories.
If hosting at home isn’t an option, many venues can provide the perfect setting for an indoor celebration of life. Look at local hotels, community centres or function rooms if you have a larger group. It could be that dancing the night away with a DJ and a disco ball is the perfect way to remember the person who has passed. However, it could also be a quieter affair with all your nearest and dearest sharing their favourite moments and supporting each other.
If there are only a few of you, you can consider places that hold significance for the person who has passed like a cafe, chapel or a golf club. You could get together and all take part in their favourite hobby or share in a moment of quiet reflection.
Holding a celebration of life in a park or natural setting can be very peaceful and uplifting, offering a beautiful backdrop as you mark their passing. Parks, gardens, or beaches are ideal for informal gatherings where people can move freely, participate in activities like planting a tree, or simply enjoy a picnic together.
If the person who has passed was a gardener or environmentalist, doing something eco-friendly can be very worthwhile. For many people planting a shrub, tree or plant is a life-affirming action. The process is calming: spade into earth, careful placement of a tender stem, gently pressing the soil with a gloved hand and watering is not only satisfying, it’s a process that reconnects us with nature. Once finished, your newly planted memorials will take root over time and be a lasting tribute to your loved one.
The community can be very important in life and death. If your loved one has a strong connection to their local town, a public memorial or event can be a wonderful way to honour them. This could be a plaque in the town square or a bench in their favourite park where people can know their name and legacy for decades to come.
Alternatively, a public event could be another great idea. As you gather everyone who was touched by the passing, it can be very meaningful to see the positive influence your loved one had on others. Even better if you could raise some money for charity too through a fun run, raffle or coffee morning.
Fundraising for a good cause doesn’t have to just happen after we lose someone. Aura’s own founder, Paul Jameson, constantly performs nail-biting yet life-affirming stunts like skydives and water skiing to raise money for motor neurone disease, something that has impacted his life over the last few years. You can see what he gets up to on his TikTok if you need inspiration for your own exciting charity event.
For some, the best way to honour a loved one’s memory is through something simple. If mealtimes are precious to your group, coming together over food to share stories, laughter and maybe even tears may be the best way to celebrate. Raise a glass to your loved one, whether it’s in the warm comforts of home or their go-to restaurant, and honour them with the people who matter most.
Celebrating life in a small and personal setting can create a meaningful space for deep connection among close friends and family. It allows you to grieve at your own pace and in a smaller circle with people you trust.
You may choose to follow existing rituals like having a vigil or writing a eulogy. You can also create new traditions such as having a candle-lighting ceremony or writing letters to the person who has passed. Ultimately, it’s about discovering what brings you comfort and helps you find peace during this difficult time.
When you are organising a celebration of life event, managing the logistics ahead of time can ensure it will run smoothly, allowing you to take the time to celebrate too. You may want to start by deciding the guest list based on the size of the venue and the type of event you’re hosting. Once you have that in place, you can begin to send out invites.
It’s important to send invitations early, giving guests plenty of notice, especially if some have to travel from afar. You can choose between formal printed invitations, digital invitations, or even a simple phone call or email depending on the tone of the celebration. This is where you can inform the guests of important details like the date, time, venue, and any special requests such as dress code, contributions, or activity participation.
Traditional funerals are expensive. According to the 2024 Sun Life Cost of Dying Report, families spent an average of £3,795 per funeral. This was only part of the cost, covering the cremation or burial fee, the funeral director, and the minister or celebrant to lead the ceremony. On average, a further £2,768 was spent on the send-off including death and funeral notices, flowers, printed ceremony stationery, a memorial, the venue, and catering for the post-ceremony gathering.
As the cost of living increases and budgets become tighter across the UK, the need to find such large sums can be daunting for lots of us. But fortunately, a celebration of life doesn’t have to be expensive. They can be simple gatherings or elaborate events, depending on how much you wish to spend.
If you are looking to reduce costs, consider hosting the celebration in a family home or a public park instead of renting a venue. Including family and friends can help offset some of the expenses and make the planning process less overwhelming.
Direct cremation can also be a useful way to arrange a low-cost funeral and it is an option more and more people a choosing instead of the traditional funeral and wakes. The cremation can be paired with a personalised celebration of life for a more meaningful and flexible memorial.
At Aura, we can provide affordable cremations to those who have recently passed, allowing you to arrange a separate celebration in your own time. Our direct cremations start at £1,095 and offer a respectful option without the pressure of immediate costs.
We also offer direct cremation funeral plans, giving you the opportunity to plan ahead. Starting at less than half of the national average price at £1,595, our plans allow you to secure future arrangements at today’s prices, easing the financial burden on your family.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team is here to help you whenever you need us.
