Why I Love Helping My Celebration of Life Clients

Why I Love Helping My Celebration of Life Clients

It's hard to put into words how it feels to help people who are going through one of the most difficult moments in their life.  For Celebrations of Life, people are at the point where they want to begin making plans a few weeks or months after their loved one's death.  It's the beginning of their healing process.  When many friends or family want to stay away for the fear of not knowing what to say, or from people saying things that actually create pain instead of comfort, those who are grieving need someone to talk to about their loved one.  That's what they want to talk about.

Generally, when I help plan a Celebration of Life event, I emphasize as the business name (Greatest of Days) implies that I am there to help them recall and enjoy talking about what they know to have been the greatest days in their loved one's life.  We also want to bring out what their personality was like.  We help those who are the survivors talk about their loved one's likes, dislikes, hobbies, career(s), pet peeves, causes they supported, what made them laugh, what made them cry, what was their favorite or least favorite foods, what their proudest moments were and so much more.  We use what they have revealed to become a beautiful tribute that is comforting for all.  

A consultation with a client can actually be like spending an afternoon listening to a love story, adventurous tales, and the inevitable quirks that made them who they were.  During this time of getting to know what really made their loved one the person that they were, everything is mixed with tears, times of laughter and a lot of deep sighs.  The way it affects me is that I go away wishing I had known their loved one and from talking with those who are planning a Celebration of Life event.  I feel like we have shared things on such a deep level that it feels more like I'm consoling a friend that I want to keep.  It's unlike any other client relationship.  My heart and soul are deeply touched.  Quite frankly, if they weren't, I think I should be doing something else.

If you or someone you know would like to receive a list of questions to help personalize a Celebration of Life event,  please contact us and we'll be in touch.

What is a Celebration of Life Event?

A Celebration of Life event most resembles a memorial.  Do I dare say that it's even different than that?  Okay, I'll say it.  It resembles something like a...fun funeral!  

Why are Celebration of Life events becoming a part of the mainstream?  You can actually give the Baby Boomers credit.  Baby Boomers have never been afraid to break the mould.  Being one myself, sometimes I think we feel more uncomfortable if we don't break the mould!

My business is called Greatest of Days, and the first time I had a funeral director who wanted to talk about working with them for Celebration of Life events, I was urged to change the name of my business.  Back then, being a new business owner, I went into the "they must be right mode".  That didn't last long because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the emphasis should be on a loved one's greatest of days!  I learned a wonderful lesson that day.  Stay true to yourself because we're not very good at being someone else.

I can tell you with that as a reminder, it has been a great help in planning Celebration of Life events.  People take comfort in knowing that we'll be focusing their loved one's greatest of days as we watch a beautiful story become one that will be experienced by those who attend this celebration.  We talk about what they enjoyed most in life, what they were known for, what were their dreams, what were their accomplishments and so much more!

"Creating and Remembering Life's Greatest of Days"

If you would like to receive a list of questions that are helpful to begin planning a Celebration of Life event, please click here to email Greatest of Days.

Celebration of Life Events Can Begin the Healing Process

I guess that I have used planning and setting up Celebration of Life Events for our families, friends and clients as a way to help initiate the healing process.  Most of us involved with event planning are put in to that "Creative" category.  So it's natural for us to be detail oriented and most relaxed when were are able to live in that creativity or brainstorming mode.  In the wedding industry in particular, personalization is almost a buzz word for just about every type of vendor.  This really ties in well for Celebration of Life events.  Even more so!  On average, a couple has 27-29 years of life behind them when they decide to get married.  Plenty for personalization.  However, over the span of an entire lifetime, there is so much more to draw from to really demonstrate the complexity and uniqueness for a loved one's life.

Even when a life is cut short, love and humor are integral parts that are in abundance.  Love spans all time and comforts everyone.  So does humor.

Recently, the death of family members has hit close to home again as it does at different points in life.  I've been telling myself that it can help me to always be empathetic to my clients when they are going through the initial stages of the grieving process.  

Greatest of Days

"Creating and Remembering Life's Greatest of Days"

Celebrations of Life with Love and Humor: Remembering a Harley-Davidson Enthusiast!

Celebrations of Life with Love and Humor: Remembering a Harley-Davidson Enthusiast!: His Harley Meant Everything to Him or Her! If someone loves Harley's, you know it!  It is a very strong passion to many and  it w...

Remembering a Harley-Davidson Enthusiast!

His Harley Meant Everything to Him or Her!

If someone loves Harley's, you know it!  It is a very strong passion to many and  it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to call it a lifestyle. People who love Harley's come from all walks of life and you definitely cannot judge their character by how tough they might look in their Harley regalia.  Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, run in these circles and are involved in wonderful charitable causes.

I set up a mini-display that would show how you could incorporate a Harley-Davidson theme into a Celebration of Life Event.  You'll notice that many of the elements are almost subliminal and very understated. Everything adds up to give an illusion of a Harley theme.

First you might notice the black fabric resembles the tread on a tire. There's an arrangement that represents the orange and black with dry grasses to hopefully make people think of a flame which is synonymous with Harley's!  One type of the grasses could signify pipes. The theme is noted in a frame that sets on a fake tire along with a couple of "hogs". There are more accents in the back to carry out the flame aspect of the theme.

Theme designs will be viewed by people in different ways. Something will get someone's attention while someone else might not have even noticed any particular element in a design.  Notice that all of this just gives an illusion of a Harley-Davidson.  Nothing is proprietary because actual items that could have been used from the Harley-Davidson stores would have been cost prohibitive.  Not that I wouldn't have loved to go "hog" wild and buy a bunch of memorabilia...at least a gremlin bell!  If you don't know the story of the gremlin bells, do yourself a favor and Google it!

As always...

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Contact Greatest of Days for Celebration of Life Events

Here is a link to learn about other events and weddings

Celebrating Your Loved One's Life As They Wished

Welcome to our Celebration of Life blog and our very first post at that!  Even though we have had a blog on planning other events and weddings for several years, it felt like Celebration of Life events really deserved their own special destination in the online world.   We were told that we should change the name of our business if we were going to do celebration of life events.  You probably know that sinking feeling you get before you listen to your gut instinct.  For a moment, we thought they were probably right.  For only a moment!!  We realized that our company had the perfect name and our entire focus would be on the greatest of days in a person's life, period end of sentence!

Greatest of Days has the honor of helping families and friends who want to celebrate the life of their loved one as he or she would have desired as if they were still here to speak their wishes.  Celebration of life events go a lot further than the standard funeral in creating the opportunity for people to share their laughter, tears and stories as one of the first steps in healing from a loss.  Over time, I'll be posting several pictures of different ideas that could inspire you to help create a Celebration of Life event to possibly reflect your loved one's wishes.

As always...

Wishing you the greatest of days!