Tips For Hosting a Celebration of Life in Toronto
Why Host A Celebration of Life?
A celebration of life is an event where people come to gather and celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of a loved one. Most people having these celebrations nowadays are having them instead of memorial services. Some people might prefer the celebration over the memorial because the celebrations tend to have a more lighthearted and cheery tone compared to a memorial service. While the purpose of both events are the same, one focuses on how we may never see them again and to reminisce on our old memories with them, and the other focuses on what those passed have achieved and how they impacted our lives for the better. There is nothing wrong with a memorial, but it is understandable why people might prefer a celebration of life over a memorial of the dead.
How do I Focus on The Passed?
If you are planning to do a celebration, great! As the name suggests, you are going to be celebrating the life of someone who has passed on. So make this event about them and allow the mourners to mourn. There is no changing the fact that this will be a solemn occasion, it's hard not to make it one. But a celebration of life is much more lighthearted than a memorial service and you want to show that. So, avoid having a strict dress code, have it during the day, invite whoever you want to invite (usually just close family and friends), and have fun. You are remembering the accomplishments of this dead person, don't just dwell on the bad, but focus on the good.
How Do I Find aVenue to Host Your Celebration of Life?
You want this to take place in a well lit area with plenty of space for all those who are going to attend, and everything you are going to need (food, equipment, etc.). This is a bit biased, but Toronto Event Space Rentals always have a good space for events like these. During the day, it has tons of natural light brought in from its large south-facing windows. Even if you don't hold your celebration in the morning or afternoon, this space has a lot of normal and mood lighting you can use to light up every nook and cranny you might need. Lots of tables and chairs for you to sit and have a meal here and there if you would like. Wheelchair accessibility means anyone can come and celebrate the passing of your loved ones. There is much more that would be beneficial for an event like this, just go to the website torontoeventspacerentals.ca to learn more.
How to I Plan a Celebration of Life?
When planning a celebration of life, it's best to involve yourself along with all the friends and family of those who have passed to plan this. Getting those who were closest to the passed is the best way to have a more personal touch to the celebration, it is the closest you can get to getting the person who passed themself. Let everyone closest to the passed on be involved in the making of the event.
Serving Food and Drinks
Serving the food and drinks doesn't have to be too complicated. You don't have to have a five course meal made by Gordon Ramsey himself. Just enough food for people to be able to call it a decent lunch or dinner should be okay. Having time set aside for eating could be a good thing if you do it right, but if you want to keep it more casual, you should leave the food out so anyone can take some whenever they want. Serving alcohol isn't a terrible idea either, you are just going to have to make sure that it's served responsibly and people are drinking responsibly.
Planning a Time
This is obviously being prepared ahead of time. So when you are inviting those who you want to come to the event, you need to make sure that they are free at the time of the event. Set it at a time that everyone can make it to comfortably and a time that is appropriate for such an event. You don't want to keep people too long either, so set the time so that everyone is there at least for 2 hours and no longer than 5. If you think people wouldn't mind staying longer, that's okay, just let people know they are free to leave whenever they choose.
What Kind of Music and Entertainment is Appropriate for a Celebration of Life?
Music at a time like this is good, maybe even necessary. But it can turn offensive really quickly if the music choice is distasteful. So whoever is in charge of that, be sure to pick appropriate music fitting of the person you are celebrating. But music should be the only thing that is there save for a few activities you might want to involve everyone in. You don't want a clown to come in and make balloon animals. The music should be the only entertainment there. If possible, get a musician to perform if you can. That would be even better if the musician was a loved one who knew the person being celebrated.
Photographers and Videographers
It would not be a terrible idea to get someone to photograph or take videos of this event for you. Just for the sake of having something to reminisce about when you are older, or having a reference if you might want to do an event like this ever again (hopefully you don't have to). Getting a professional photographer is probably best, but if you think it's unnecessary or you are unable to, taking photos and videos by yourself is not a bad idea either.
Conclusion
A celebration of life is something that will take a lot of preparation and patience, but ultimately it will be worth it. To celebrate someone who passed away is always something that should be done whenever possible. Someone's passing should be a celebration of their life rather than a solemn occasion of remembrance, because why should we have to shed tears over something we know would always be coming, when instead we could celebrate the time we had with those who have passed on?
