No one would ever doubt that losing a loved one is a hard thing to go through. When a relative dies, you are losing someone you have made memories with, someone who has been there each day, and someone whom you love deeply. It is not an easy situation to go through. And when you plan the funeral of your loved one, you will want to do all you can to share how special of a person they were, and how much you loved them. One way to do this is with a celebration of life ceremony. These ceremonies are meant to take the funeral from being a mournful event to being one where the deceased’s life is celebrated. If you and your family would like to learn more about a celebration of life ceremonies, you can speak with cremation services in Lakewood, OH. They would be more than happy to help you with any questions you may have. 

What Is a Celebration of Life? 

A celebration of life ceremony is meant to lift the name of your loved one. Many people think of funerals as a mournful time, and there is an obvious reason for that, but a celebration of life ceremony tries to be more uplifting. Most of the same things that are in a funeral are also present in a celebration of life. 

What Is Included in a Celebration of Life Ceremony? 

• Location – When it comes to the location of a celebration of life ceremony, you should pick a location that was special to the deceased when they were living. It should be somewhere that makes people feel hopeful and not sad. This will do a lot to keep the spirits high during the event. 
  
• Theme – Another way to set this apart from a traditional funeral is by having a theme to follow. This will add some fun to the event. If your loved one was a big sports fan, you could have people come dressed in jerseys. If there was a certain color that they enjoyed, you could decorate the venue in that color. There are many ways to incorporate themes into a celebration of life ceremony. When you sit and talk with your loved ones, you will be able to think of so much that you can add to the event. 
  
• Guests/Speakers – Much like a traditional funeral, you will want to have speakers present to talk about your loved one’s life. They don’t have to be priests; it would make more sense to have friends or family members speak about them. This way you can get personal stories about who they were, what they like, and all the dreams that they had. People will be very happy if you ask them to say a few kind words about your loved one. It will be a great gesture. 
• Food/Refreshments – While you don’t have to serve a full course meal, having some easy-to-eat foods and drinks present won’t hurt. 

Having a celebration of life ceremony is a great way to honor the life of your loved one who has passed away. There are so many things that you can add in, and all of them will make the event a special time for you, your friends, and everyone in attendance. If you need more help, you can speak with cremation services in Lakewood, OH.