November 15, 2024

How to Plan a Celebration of Life Event

Planning a Celebration of Life Event in the Denver area can be a large undertaking, as it takes time yet it moves incredibly fast.

While coping with the loss of a loved one, there are many options for how to celebrate and honor them including a funeral, memorial service, private celebration, or a Celebration of Life where many guests will be invited. It has become more and more common for families to choose a celebration of life rather than a memorial or funeral to remember and truly celebrate their loved one.

Celebrations of life events typically are:

Table of Contents

Celebratory of the loved one’s life (not focused on grief)
Tend to feel positive and joyful
Very personal
More relaxed and more unique
Celebrations with food and bar options available
Focuses on joy and celebration rather than mourning

Consider these options for your venue – DIY or all-inclusve:

Do you have the capacity, and want to do the following:

Set up and tear down chairs and tables, order or purchase linens and set them, decorate, clean up afterwards?
Research multiple caterers and schedule delivery, set up, serving options, clean up?
Provide your own food, purchase food, prepare, store properly for delivery, unpack, set up, serve, clean up.
Choose an all-inclusive venue that offers onsite catering?
Have the option of a bar available?

Finding the perfect venue or meaningful location

Considerations when picking a celebration of life venue:

The primary driver for the venue and overall price of a celebration of life is the number of people attending the event. For example, a 200-person celebration of life will need twice as much food, beverages, and rentals (tables, chairs, linens, etc.) as a 100-person celebration of life.
What type of Celebration of Life are you wanting to host? Is it more formal or more casual?
Will you have help if choosing a DIY option, or do you prefer an all-inclusive venue, or combination of both?
How many people are you expecting to attend?
Do you need to provide a caterer or does the venue provide a caterer?
What is the budget for the celebration including venue, food, beverages, decor, other?
Is the venue in close proximity to most of your guests?
Does the location have meaning to your loved one or can it be decorated to reflect their personality?
Does the venue have an AV system or do you need to provide one?
Do you want the event inside, outside, or a combination? Be sure to consider the time of year and risks of an outdoor location.
Where will people park?

Other great ideas for a venue could be a place that your loved one enjoyed to go. This could be their favorite restaurant, a garden, museums, or state or national parks, the ocean, the mountains, a sports event, etc.

What is needed, besides the venue, to create a Celebration of Life Event?

Setting a theme, timeline and flow for the celebration
Involving loved ones who want to contribute in some way
Invitations – (digital or paper)
Food – (and all that is involved with food set up, service, clean up) menu
Beverages or Bar – (bartender)
Decorations and table linens
Florist
Tables and chairs
Set up and clean up
Audio/Visual
Creative Ideas for the Celebration

- make a custom Welcome Sign – Celebration of Life “Welcome Sign” template
- invite guests to share stories
- give guests ways to participate and contribute
- create opportunities for both sharing and reflection
- have memory cards at each table with a Memory Card Box available to collect them
- collect photos from guests with your loved one – family, co-workers, friends
- slide show
- play their favorite music
- start a group prayer or poem
- establish your loved ones memorial
- start a memorial fundraiser
- a Memory table with photos – the goal is to tell their story and capture their essence, everything from their hobbies, interests, values, passions, etc
- photographer
- videographer to record memories of the honoree

There are so many options to make it personal, unique and an intimate experience that your loved one would have enjoyed, and all will cherish for years to come.

Other Ways to Make it Personal

Include Their Passions
- Include elements of their personality throughout
- Sports theme for an athlete
- Nature focus for an outdoors person
- Art supplies for a creative spirit
- Travel theme for a wanderer

Incorporate Their Values and Family
- Charitable giving station
- Volunteer activity
- Environmental conservation
- Educational scholarships
- Have their children or grandchildren involved

Remember: The best celebrations reflect the unique personality and life of the person being honored while providing comfort and meaning to those gathering to remember them.

Plant a Memorial Tree

A memorial tree is a beautiful way to honor your loved one. This living tribute could provide significant joy, comfort, and hope in the years to come and even touch later generations. A memorial tree is a perfect reason to start a new family tradition. Close family members can join together for an annual memorial service to witness the growth of the tree.

The act of releasing something:

Whether physically or figuratively can be very powerful when processing the loss of a loved one. The floating up toward the sky is symbolic of their departure from the earth and into the universe or heaven. A balloon release is a beautiful way to collectively say goodbye to the deceased. Biodegradable balloons are a great alternative to the traditional latex balloons. Releasing it into the night sky is a moment that everyone will be able to treasure for the rest of their lives. A lantern release can also be symbolic of us releasing them.

Plan a trip to their favorite place

Planning a trip to your loved ones favorite places is an exciting way to celebrate them. If they liked to travel the world, this could be a great way to feel closer to them as the years pass. You could start the journey in their birth city and work your way through all the places they lived or traveled. If you choose to do a memory capsule, you can bury one in each place that you visit.

Scatter their ashes

You could also scatter their ashes leaving a small piece of them behind in the places that they loved such as by a river, in the mountains, the ocean, their favorite spot to visit or travel to.

Give guests keepsakes

Another way to make the memorial special is to give guests mementos or keepsakes that they can take home. This can be something small like a pin or button with their picture on it, charms, or trinkets like a small heart that can be placed on necklaces or bracelets. It could be a package of mementos that includes things suc

Feeling overwhelmed? Let’s hop on a call or schedule a tour

Bella Sera Event Center

We are a Celebration of Life Venue near Denver, CO and have been hosting beautiful and meaningful Celebration of Life Events for 20 years. The convenience of our in-house catering will save you time and money; view our menu. We invite you to view more details about our all-inclusive or DIY options, as well as pricing, here on our page for a Celebration of Life.

Bella Sera Event Center

Brighton, CO 80601

720-937-6337

Venues for Celebration of life near Denver

The Bella Sera Event Center has been an all-inclusive wedding venue in Colorado for 20 years. We also specialize in Quinceañera’s and all types of special occasions and events.