You may not have attended a Celebration of Life and so you’re wondering how to decorate for one. As a past Funeral Director, I’ve got all the details you need. So keep reading to discover the best decor for a Celebration of Life or a Memorial Service.
Celebration Of Life Decorations
Tailor table decorations for a Celebration of Life to best portray your loved one’s hobbies and interests. Personalized memorials best showcase a life well-lived. So learning how to pull together life accessories is similar to pulling together a great outfit. Wrap it all up for a special celebration.
Are you planning the entire service yourself? If so, read my full guide to planning a Celebration of Life service, complete with a downloadable checklist.
Table Decorations For Celebration Of Life
What do you remember most about your loved one? Was she a quilter with a wide selection of quilted creations? Or did he love to fish and tie his own flies? Add a bit of your loved one’s personality for a great service.
Your loved one’s hobbies, collections, and passions are the best place to start when decorating for a Celebration of Life.
- Pull together items from your mother’s book collection to display at the service.
- Create a display of your brother’s paintings and art supplies.
- If Dad was a golfer, place a basket of golf tees with a sign for guests to take one.
- If your aunt was a gardener, place vases of wildflowers around the room. They’ll smell terrific and look elegant.
- For a child’s service, display favorite toys, dolls, or books.
Include a display table for your loved one’s urn. You might think about putting it towards the front of the room in a place where guests can spend a few minutes of quiet reflection. Urn tables look beautiful with a small flower arrangement and photo of your loved one. Check out my full article on creating urn display tables.
Memorial Service Welcome Sign
One idea for a memorial celebration of life decoration is to consign a funeral welcome sign from an Etsy vendor. The Paper Innocence shop incorporates an image of your loved one. You self-edit the poster before purchasing to verify that it meets your needs.
After creating your perfect image, make a payment to receive a downloaded file in your selected size. Then you’ll take it to a local print shop such as Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, Fedex, or Kinkos.
Place the finished poster on an easel to welcome guests to the service.
Pictures To Celebrate Life
There are several ways to incorporate pictures and video in your Celebration of Life Decorations. These ideas work great for Memorial Service decor as well.
- Like the welcome sign above, you can create a photo collage depicting images of your loved one’s life. Choose happy photos that showcase life, since you are indeed celebrating the person.
- Put together a photo book with images of your loved one. Guests will enjoy looking through it as they share stories about the pictures’ happenings.
- Hang a string of photos along the wall for a whimsical look into your loved one’s life. Use yarn or string with paper clips to hang photos around the venue.
- Create a slideshow that plays while guests are arriving. Try to include images of the deceased with guests who you know are attending. This special touch feels welcoming and inclusive.
- You may choose to create a second, shorter slide show to play during the service. Use a pre-existing template for an easy-to-put-together tribute.
Create A Memory Sharing Table
In addition to sharing your loved one’s collectibles, considering setting up a table for guests to share their memories with you. This kit comes with a memory book and a table sign explaining what to do.
You might also have a family member sit at the table encouraging guests to participate. A grandchild of the deceased is a good choice. They’ll feel included by having a special role and guests won’t feel intimidated by their presence.
This memory sharing idea provides insight into your loved one’s life. You might even learn a slightly different side of them than you knew before. Here are some prompts to get guests thinking:
- What’s one lesson you learned from NAME?
- What was NAME’s best quality?
- Did he or she have a pet name for you?
- Describe a time that NAME made you laugh.
- What words would you use to describe his or her character?
- What do you wish you had said to them before they died?
Celebration Of Life Balloons
I know that not everyone chooses to have Celebration of Life balloons. And that’s okay. But for those of you who do, Etsy sellers provide a 30-piece balloon bouquet.
They say:
Miss you Forever
Love you Always
We will never forget you.
We will remember you every single day.
You can use these white latex balloons at a Celebration of Life service. Additionally, they are great for celebrating your deceased loved one’s birthday or even death anniversary.
Decor For Memorial Service
While Memorial Services and Celebrations of Life differ slightly, much of your decor choices can overlap. Balloons might be a little much for a more somber Memorial Service, but all the rest of these ideas work great.
Celebration Of Life Decor: Guest Appreciation Gifts
On your sign in or shared memories table, it’s a nice idea to have a small give-away item for guests to take home. It’s a small token of your family’s appreciation for their gathering to support you.
- Memorial Seed Packets make a thoughtful way to give a remembrance to Celebration of Life guests. They are small enough to fit into a pocket or purse. And you can even ask guests to send you photos of the wildflowers in bloom. I can’t think of a stronger tribute to a gardener than having small wildflower patches growing in their honor.
- Footprints In The Sand Guest Cards & Tokens are another great token of appreciation for guests attending a Memorial Service or Celebration of Life. The package includes 20 pieces of footprints in sand coins, 20 pieces of poem cards, and 20 pieces of white organza bags. So you can put the gifts together beforehand and place them on the memory table.
- Sympathy Cards are another thoughtful item to give to your guests. You can have them personalized with your loved one’s name and information. Or you might simply choose a pre-printed selection such as this 100-pack from Walmart. It has a touching image of clouds, dove, and a cross on one side, along with the poem “Miss Me, But Let Me Go” on the back.
What Should Be Included In A Celebration Of Life?
Celebrations of Life include a time for honoring your loved one in whatever way is the most meaningful to you and your family. That might mean you set up a bar in one corner of the room.
For example, I’d love it if my family had a signature cocktail at my service, since I find every excuse possible to create them at family events. My sisters and I selected the Corpse Reviver as the signature cocktail for our parents’ urn committal service.
And I’m quite sure Mom and Dad looked down on us from heaven with smiles on their faces as we toasted their love and their lives.
A short Celebration of Life agenda might include:
- A welcome to guests
- Reading the obituary or sharing a few words about the deceased.
- Favorite songs are played or sung.
- A video slide show
- Guests share memories of the deceased.
- A wrap-up and thanks to guests for attending
- Reception: sharing food and drinks
However, after the basic service information, your family can include whatever traditions and ideas you like into a Celebration of Life or Memorial Service.
Conclusion: How Do You Decorate A Celebration Of Life?
Death is hard. The grief feels all-consuming and never-ending. But a Celebration of Life provides a break from mourning, so that you can joyfully honor your loved one. It gives you time to share memories, laughter, and even tears with friends and family.
If you’ll be sending invitations to the gathering, read my article for wording ideas. It will help you know what to say.
- Decorate a Memorial Service or Life Celebration to showcase your loved one’s spirit.
- Add pictures, collections, and balloons to generate lively discussions and shared memories.
- Flowers and plants remind us of the cycles of life, so they are perfect accompaniments to memorial celebrations.
Hopefully, these ideas give you a starting point for a loving and thoughtful gathering. Hosting a service for your loved one gives family and friends the chance to honor them. And it also gives you a brief reprieve from grieving, while you share memories and laughter.
