Celebration of Life Carmel Valley

Eternally Loved serves Carmel Valley with the planning of a Celebration of Life Service. Choosing between a celebration of life and a funeral service is a question many bereaved family members often ask us.

This page is about why a celebration of life in is often preferred over a funeral service traditionally.

Celebration of Life Ideas for Carmel Valley

Lately, there has been a growing change in the way families and friends honor a beloved family member or friend who has passed on. Having a unique celebration in Carmel Valley for a life well lived can tell a very personal story. A family no longer needs to rely on a funeral director or funeral professionals to plan mourning death, instead many prefer celebrating life vs a funeral or memorial service.

A traditional funeral service follows a traditional funeral order. A celebration of life allows the deceased’s passing to be a creative process. Life services of any kind are to to pay tribute and share memories with family and friends.

What is a Celebration of Life?

A celebration of life is a gathering for grieving family and caring friends to get together and honor a person who has passed. A celebration of life service can be held close to the time of death or at a later date.

Celebration of life ideas and can be created by friends and family members. An individual’s physical remains are usually only a part of the celebration of life if they have been cremated.

Carmel Valley Celebration of Life Ceremony

The main purpose of a celebration of life ceremony is to allow people to say goodbye and remember all the memories we had with the dearly loved person who passed. Celebration of life ideas may include speeches from loved ones or friends, favorite songs, prayers, and stories about the deceased.

Celebrations of life can include a sort of committal service. Since a committal service usually takes place in a cemetery after a respectful automobile procession, and the committal service ends when a casket is lowered into the ground, celebrations of life can be a hybrid event and meet many emotional and spiritual needs by including a respectful automobile procession from a favorite Carmel Valley meeting or gathering place to where the life services are taking place.

Celebrations of Life embody social values and many families invite guests, have a tribute video and/or live music. Celebration of life ideas create a fresh, unique affair in an atmosphere of love and happiness. Some will host on a Carmel Valley golf course, others on the beach, and some will have their loved one’s celebration indoors at a favorite Carmel Valley jaunt with more room and the ability to include friends, co workers, and extended family.

How is a Celebration of Life Different from a Traditional Funeral Service?

While celebrations of life are not burdened by social expectations – life celebrations can be pretty much anything you want them to be – it is crucial to understand that the event you are hosting should consider the guest’s emotional needs while being an opportunity to pay tribute to the deceased family member.

A funeral service traditionally is religious in nature and is an opportunity for a bereaved family to honor a person’s life. Both celebrations of life and traditional funeral services tend to serve as a way for families to acknowledge the passing of a loved one and say goodbye. A typical funeral has a very predictable funeral order unlike celebration of life events, which are more casual and can be unique and customized.

Traditional Funerals

Funeral services have been around for centuries and can be an important part of the grieving process.

Very traditional funerals are typically held in a funeral home, church, or other location in Carmel Valley that has been chosen by the family. They are led by most commonly a pastor or funeral director. It is not uncommon to see mourners wearing black clothing or other signs of mourning such as a veil or armband. A funeral service can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours and may include religious ceremonies, hymns, and eulogies.

The body of the deceased is often present at a funeral service

The body of the deceased is often present at the funeral service during viewing before handling cremated remains or when the burial takes place. Often times there will be flowers on display in honor of the deceased who has passed away.

Is a Celebration of Life Service the Same as other Memorial Services?

No they are not the same. They can have similar aspects. A celebration of life is not only celebration of honoring the deceased, but a way many families acknowledge the death of one of their own. Support for celebration of life ideas is often inspired by how a person lived.

Memorial services often involve a funeral home and funeral director. Both types of services will put the deceased to rest. A memorial is not a party, and many times all the celebration of life ideas – create a jovial, party like experience for those surviving family and friends.

An example we often see on television is how the police form huge lines to celebrate a fallen officer. In kind, understanding the emotional needs when a mother died and has left young children, celebration of life ideas may include something as simple as bubbles. These bubbles may seem silly to some, but this simple gesture can mark the beginning of tradition. Then on the loved one’s birthday all of the family may get together and blow bubbles.

A good way to look at the similarities between a celebration of life and a memorial is both are usually attended by family and friends. The celebration of life is more about celebrating the person’s life, their accomplishments, and sharing memories with family and friends.

Choosing a Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Life is a way to show your gratitude towards a loved one’s life. Instead of dwelling on grief and sadness, often focused upon during traditional funeral services, celebration of life ceremonies focus on the positivity and beauty of someone’s life.

A celebration of life is an event in Carmel Valley that is usually informal and focuses on remembering the person’s life.

How Celebration of Life Ceremonies Work

Celebrations of Life can be planned weeks, months, or years later after someone has passed on. Celebrations of Life can be held on a special occasion, such as birthdays or Mother’s/Father’s Day. They can be religious or non-religious, spiritual, or non-denominational.

The nice thing about a celebration of life is that there is not one right way to execute celebration of life ideas.

Celebration of Life Ideas for a Unique Personality

Celebrations of life are unique to memorial services but can combine many of the activities of a traditional funeral order-of-service along with the flexibility of a celebration of life event.

A life celebration has no celebration of life etiquette. Celebrations of life can be customized to honor the personality characteristics of the person who has passed.

Life Celebration

There are many different ways to celebrate a life in a way that the deceased would have liked. Some people prefer to do something more personal and intimate like scattering the individual’s physical remains (ashes) at a special Carmel Valley location, then a reception afterwards.

There are also those who want something more celebratory and fun like throwing an elaborate party with live music or hosting an event at a favorite place or childhood home outside of Carmel Valley where everyone can gather.

What is a Celebration of Life Celebrant?

A celebration of life celebrant is an experienced person who can work with families to create a personalized program for the day of the event that is tailored to the lifestyle, beliefs and preferences of the family’s loved one.

They know the right way to help plan a gathering that will publicly acknowledge the grief and love the surviving family has for the unique life of their loved one who has passed.

A celebration of life celebrant can be included in the entire planning process or will assist in creating the perfect program order for the event.

There are many things to consider such as the dress code, location, decorations, and most celebrants work with celebration of life planners, like Eternally Loved, who has planned many Carmel Valley celebrations of life. Together they produce well-versed celebration of life ideas and program details.

Planning a Celebration of Life in Carmel Valley with Eternally Loved

Eternally Loved offers event planning services in Carmel Valley to commemorate the life of a loved one. We will coordinate a meaningful Celebration of Life ceremony for you and your family, handing all the details and giving you the space to grieve and deal with your loss without any added stress.

Venue

The venue you chose for your celebration of life service can be in Carmel Valley or anywhere you choose. Some use a funeral home reception hall if they are having a sort of hybrid event. The beach is a commonly held place for a celebration of life because there is more room and it is a place to capture a loved one’s personality.

Catering

It is not surprising funerals and celebrations of life often have food from family and co workers in hopes to keep cost at a minimum. However, three distinct components to consider when choosing Carmel Valley catering for your loved one’s celebration of life service:

Catering can be a sit down meal at the celebration of life service. This is usually based on a per per charge. Almost any food can be provided and some use food to tell a personal story of their loved one.
Catering can be buffet style with all the foods the dearly loved treasured as the feast. This pays tribute not only to life lived but the foods loved and shared with others.
Celebration of life ideas coupled with Carmel Valley catering can mean a smorgasbord of deserts or finger foods to spark conversation.

Catering can be any path that works best for your same day service or a future celebration of life service.

Music

The only celebration that matters is your loved one, you are in charge of the music genre regardless of social status or social values. We have seen music bring together families and friends. Music you choose can be played by a DJ, or streamed from your favorite compilation.

Some may choose no music unless used in a video or as background music while someone read a piece of contemporary literature or a passage from a favorite book.

Décor

A memory table can be placed with common items that were treasured from your loved one. Photo albums can be on display, a favorite jersey, or something that was collected. The unique personality is what people are there to honor.

In addition to a memory table, you can have a theme. Social expectations rarely have people dress up in costume or character of a celebration of life, however, if the grieving family and caring friends all knew the loved one wore baseball caps or Hawaiian shirts, to wear the same thing pays tribute in a personal way.

Programs

Advising families in developing a program for people to follow is often suggested. From prayers led to final prayers, songs to sing, and people to speak can all be a part of the program.

A Carmel Valley celebration of life is not a traditional funeral – so you can plan the event to be exactly as you want.

Working with Eternally Loved in Carmel Valley

You can be involved as much or as little as you’d prefer. With help from Eternally Loved, you’ll be able to focus on your grief while we handle every aspect of the event and put all your celebration of life ideas into a perfect day.

For more information on putting together a remarkable celebration of life, please contact Eternally Loved.