Funeral Centerpiece

How Do You Decorate for a Funeral Service or Celebration of Life?

When it comes to decorating for a funeral service or celebration of life, there are many options families can choose from. The most common decorations for a funeral service are flowers, candles, and photos.

However, other decorations can be used and can be customized to express the personality and special interests of the deceased.

Ideas for Funeral Decorations and Centerpieces

Many memorials, funeral ceremonies and celebrations of life contain an area for displaying memorabilia and other objects representing the deceased. A funeral table, for example, can display different decorations such as a sign, guest book, flowers, photos, or other memorabilia.

Below are some centerpiece ideas you can use for inspiration.

Photos over the Years

How do we show a person’s full story in pictures? Take a photo of each stage in the life of the deceased and print them out to be displayed in chronological order. You can print baby and childhood pictures, high school and college pictures, and wedding pictures and pictures with family. The pictures can then be put into frames to be placed on the table or you can hang them up on banners on the walls.

A Collection of Favorite Photos

To create a collection of favorite photos, you can ask that family and friends send a favorite picture of the deceased to be displayed at the funeral. Once you gather enough pictures, you can use string and clips to hang the pictures up for display or frame the pictures and place them on tables.

You can also ask guests to upload pictures to a memorial site or page, if you have created one.

Large Entry Posterboard

A poster board at the entrance of memorial services is a common and traditional way to display large photos and information about the deceased. These typically contain the person’s birthdate and death date as well as a quote or sentence about them.

Posterboards are generally hung or displayed either at the entrance or front of the room.

Candle Displays

Another memorial table idea is to put candles on the back table to provide them to attendees to light during the service. You can also create a candle display for decorative purposes and place them however you like.

A light display or the placement of a candle around a table can provide a calm atmosphere to an otherwise emotional event. If you have a candle of a fragrance the deceased loved, you can also share that as a way to honor and remember them.

Floral Arrangements

Flower arrangements are the standard decoration for funeral services. When you arrange flowers for funerals, it is important that you consider the mood you want to set.

Roses, lilies, and carnations, for example, are some of the most popular flowers and can help create an elegant traditional look.

However, floral arrangements do not have to be traditional. You can use different colors, shapes and sizes for your floral arrangement. In addition, if you want to create funeral tables without flowers, you can use other plants such as succulents to create it.

A Memory Jar

Memory bottles are one of the most common methods of storing the memory of a loved one and make an excellent memorial and funeral gift. It may seem simple but the general idea is people write down their favorite memories of the person who died on a piece of paper and put the paper in the memory jar. This is a great way to remember special memories and share them with loved ones for years to come.

Favorite Things Centerpieces

A ‘favorite things’ centerpiece is a collection of the deceased’s favorite things. It might range from actual items to pictures or papers with descriptions of the loved one’s favorite things.

Ideas for what to include are favorite flowers, balloons, medals or awards, sports equipment or jerseys, books, movies, records or CD’s, favorite clothing, items related to a beloved hobby, toys, or pictures during vacations or events or activities that were special to your loved one.

Choosing the Perfect Centerpiece for a Funeral Service or Celebration of Life

Choosing the perfect centerpieces for a funeral service may seem overwhelming after the death of a loved one. But by focusing on what your loved one valued the most and their unique personality, you can create simple and beautiful centerpieces and decorations.

The decorations can be as intricate or simple as you would like from flowers and candles to tables with confetti, lanterns, or favorite things. Also keep in mind the location and venue to help you decide how many decorations you want to have and the available space you have to place them.

Celebration of Life with Eternally Loved

At Eternally Loved, our goal is to make the planning process effortless and easy, so that you can focus on being truly present to honor your loved one and embrace the support of family and friends.  

Our event planning services include a complimentary consultation to determine your memorial needs, coordination and contracting with all providers (venues, caterers, florists, entertainment/music, photographers/videographers, décor, hotels/transportation, and any other arrangements), and staying involved throughout the entire process to ensure a successful and memorable event.    

We will also consult with you to provide announcements, invitations, releases, execution of personalized theme, memorable elements, video presentation, and general coordination.    

If you are planning a celebration of life and need assistance, please contact us for more information.