Celebrations Of Life


From our perspective Celebrations Of Life are a wonderful new opportunity that, in some ways, isn’t new at all – perhaps just an illustration that we are gaining a better understanding of what we need to heal.

For generations many of us have experienced the laughter-amidst-the-tears that has been a common part of our funeral gatherings. Swapping stories as we visited the family, relating our favourite memories of the one we’ve gathered to honour, sharing photos and recalling our shared experiences in happier days. It’s certainly not unexpected to have a chuckle or two during a heartfelt eulogy by a close friend. And, funeral directors will even tell you that there are often treasured moments of ‘light’ during arrangement conferences.

In the most tragic of circumstances it’s not always easy to find the ‘celebration’ but, in many cases, it has always been our practice to celebrate the life of those we have lost when we gather to acknowledge their passing and comfort those closest. And many of us have found healing in those moments.

In more recent years we have watched with interest as changes in attitudes, the desire for a more personalized experience and greater confidence in breaking from the norm, has inspired families to create memorialization experiences that take those celebratory aspects as the central focus of their ‘event’.

These events are typically less structured but perhaps a better way of stating it is that they are ‘you-structured’. There might be an urn present or not; a formal program, or not; food and beverages, or not. There is no script but we can certainly provide with some help in writing yours. Our team can suggest venues, caterers, celebrants (if you wish), and share our experiences from other events. Our job, as we mentioned at the top, is to give you just what you need. Where you find comfort and meaning is where we want to take you.

In our line of work we know that loss and grief are real and can’t be ignored but we also see the healing in celebrating who that person was – especially the joy and richness they brought to our lives and that will remain a part of us always. So, whether your ‘celebration’ looks like a cocktail party, a family BBQ, or an old-fashioned Irish wake, we are here to help you explore your options and carry out your plans to express what you’ve lost and all that you gained before they left.

And we’re quite confident that we will see both the laughter and the tears – that part never changes.

Other Options:        Traditional Burial Or Cremation        Memorial Services        ​Direct Disposition