CREATING PERSONALIZED END OF LIFE CEREMONIES THAT REFLECT THE LIFE OF YOUR LOVED ONE IN THE GREATER HAMILTON AND NIAGARA REGIONS
WHAT IS A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
A Celebration of Life is an end-of-life ceremony where loved ones come together to reflect and pay tribute to the unique life of the dearly departed. The event is commonly held after the physical remains have been cared for through burial or cremation. Because of this, there is much more time available to plan the event and make decisions about how you would like to honour your loved one.
MEET YOUR CELEBRANT
For many, the idea of planning a large event can be overwhelming. Enter, Charlotte Scott, founder of Celebration of Life Event Planning, your Celebrant Extraordinaire, she helps take the pressure away by working through all the details with you.
Our goal is to help you decide how to celebrate and honour the unique individual you have lost. We make suggestions and recommendations in order to enhance your memorial. While it may seem like it's a lot to think about, with our help we are certain to create an event that is the perfect final sendoff to celebrate the incredible life lived.
HOW IT WORKS
At Celebration of Life Event Planning, we partner with you every step of the way, by providing support, guidance, planning and day-of coordination of your ceremony. Before we can plan the little details, we need to look into determining the what, who, where:
SET YOUR BUDGET
While worrying about the cost may seem inappropriate, it is important that you know how much you can reasonably afford. Having an idea of what your financials are can help us narrow down your choices for the type of food and the venue.
It may be difficult to determine an exact headcount, but an estimate of the number of people you think will attend is important for selecting the right sized venue and refreshments.
CHOOSE YOUR LOCAL
You can certainly take advantage of the space available at a funeral home but you can also choose to have your event at your home, at a local park, or at some location that held meaning for the person you are honouring.
We work with you and your family to help craft a ceremony that truly honours the unique person your loved one was. We recommend you let your imagination be your guide in deciding on the finer details of a celebration of life service.
Celebrations of Life are not constrained by the same social experiences that traditional funeral services tend to have. Your options are limitless when it comes to personalizing and getting creative with the ceremony. We look at ways that truly reflect who your loved one was. Below are a few areas in which we can have personal touches added:
MUSIC + READINGS
Reflect on your loved one’s favourite songs or poems.
SPEECHES + TOASTS
Contemplate who wants to speak or make a heartfelt toast in honour of the dearly departed.
Play around with ideas of a balloon release, fireworks, or maybe flying a memorial kite is more your speed. Plant a tree or create a memory capsule.
FOOD + DRINK
Mull over serving your loved one’s favourite dish or dessert or creating a signature cocktail.
STORIES TO SHARE
Consider special stories about your loved one that highlights their unique personality you wish to share.
MEDIA + DECOR
A video slideshow is a popular way to look back. Think about commemorative decor or take home gifts for the service.
Based on 30 guests
Designed for a loved one who enjoyed the great outdoors. The ceremony includes an intimate setting at your home. Consider a barbeque, fireworks display, pickup game of catch, a balloon or lantern release or create a memorial kite to fly.
Based on 50 guests
Designed for a loved one who enjoyed being 'out on the water.'
The ceremony includes a seaside venue. Consider an at dusk beach bonfire or fishing expedition in honour of your loved one’s fondness for being close to water.
TOP SHELF AFFAIR
Based on 100 guests
Designed for a loved one who enjoyed the finer things in life. The ceremony includes a reception venue. Consider a 5-course meal with lots drinks, music and dancing. Light up the night sky with a firework display set to your loved one’s favourite soundtrack.
Our exclusive planning and coordination service costs $500+HST and is part of our package pricing.
You will receive the following:
• An in-home consultation to discuss your loved one and the celebration of life ceremony wishes
• Creation of a personalized ceremony, interweaving special touches to reflect the life of your loved one
• Booking of the celebration of life details (ie: venue, decorations/florals, catering, musicians)
• On-site set up of the ceremony at your desired venue or location
• Optional teardown and cleanup service
We request a 50% deposit and signing of our service agreement to secure your event on our schedule.