Living Funerals: Celebrating Life Before You Die Pre-emptive last rites. Pre-funeral. Pre-wake wake. Living wake. Last-chapter celebration. Reminiscing party. A living funeral goes by many names—but no matter what you call it, the emphasis is on gathering together and celebrating life before death. Though often tinged with sadness, a living funeral is fundamentally a festive affair. Much like a going-away party or a retirement party, it's a time for friends and family to shower someone they care about with love, stories, hugs, laughter and tears while there's still time. Get our free Personal Planning Guide Making final plans is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give your loved ones. Get started with our free Personal Planning Guide to document your legacy, record memorial plans and more. GET STARTED What is a living funeral? Essentially a memorial service for someone who's aware they're living in their final days, a living funeral is a unique celebration of life. It's a bittersweet opportunity to spend time together, exchange memories and say final goodbyes. Those who’ve been the guest of honor at a living funeral often say it was an invaluable experience to see people from their past one last time, feel the outpouring of love from family and friends, and show appreciation for the care and support given over the years. Those who attend a living funeral for someone they love say they're equally grateful to have one last opportunity to express their feelings and spend a few hours with someone they may not see again while that person is still able to be present and celebrate. How to plan and host a living funeral A living funeral is usually planned like a celebration of life—a personalized party that uses the passing years as a touchstone and showcases what someone loves, how they live and what makes them unique. The big difference is that the person being honored is alive and present at the event. Sometimes someone plans a living funeral for themselves. Other times, a friend or family member takes care of the planning and the guest of honor simply shows up. The invitations Choose the friends and family members with whom you want to share the experience. Notify them by sending invitations (paper or digital) announcing the location, date and time of the celebration. Right from the get-go, you can help to set a celebratory, uplifting tone for the event by choosing a cheerful design for the invitations and emphasizing that the event will focus on happy times, love and togetherness. The venue You’ll need to choose a venue for the event. Modern funeral homes are perfectly set up for living funerals, with an emphasis on catering and room design that encourages conversation. However, some families choose a favorite restaurant, a church or a backyard setting. The service and/or reception Some living funerals include a casket or urn, though neither is necessary, and they may include a service that follows a traditional flow, with a formal eulogy and readings. More often, though, living funerals have a looser structure, a less formal setting, and friends and family making toasts and sharing stories as they wish. The guest of honor may also speak to guests, letting them know how good it feels to be loved. Either way, a friend, relative or member of the clergy may serve as an officiant or just a coordinator to facilitate the various aspects of the event. Just like any party, favorite food and drinks are a must. Catering makes setup and cleanup easy. A potluck is an opportunity for friends and family to contribute. Music makes every party more fun, and a living funeral is no exception. Ask a friend to curate a playlist, hire a DJ or go all out and bring in a band and set up a dance floor. It is, after all, the celebration of a lifetime. Other personal touches like flowers and decor add a festive feel. For something very special, prior to the event solicit old photos for a slideshow and farewell videos from far-flung friends and relatives to share during the event. Have guests fill out cards with favorite memories and drop them in a box before leaving. Saying goodbye A living funeral can be an emotionally intense event for both the guest of honor and attendees. Even as everyone is enjoying themselves, there's an awareness of the reason for the occasion. Even as everyone is telling fun stories and laughing, there can be feelings of heartbreak and overwhelm. An outpouring of love can bring up so many different emotions at once. Know that it's OK to step away briefly from the festivities to collect your thoughts or have a good cry. Then you can return with renewed energy to focus on what matters most at a living funeral: connection, celebration and creating lasting memories. Plan a living funeral It’s not easy to say goodbye, but a living funeral can help ease the way. If nothing else, it's a chance to say I love you before it's too late. Dignity Memorial® funeral directors are experts at planning end-of-life events of all kinds. Let us walk you through your options for celebrating life while you're still living.

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HAHarvey Walden

2 days ago

Creative Ideas for Documenting Your Life

How Do You Want To Be Remembered? There are all kinds of people who like all kinds of things. You are unique in the world—your family and friends will always remember you that way. Your life story is made up of big events and little details. What are they? What are your values? What are your passions? Who are you and how do you want to be remembered? Tell a story that is yours and yours alone Your story started the day you were born. You learned to talk—and said the funniest things. You learned to walk—and became an athlete. You got an education, built a career, had a family. Or maybe you took the path less traveled and saw the world from every beautiful angle. Your story is uniquely yours, and it's important to share it. Stories help people feel closer to you in the present and give them something to hold onto for generations to come. Nine creative ideas for documenting your story Take the time to write down some of your best-loved memories and hard-won lessons. Write letters to loved ones and send them now. Keep a journal to share later—there are many journaling tools to help you get started, from physical books to digital options. Make videos of yourself talking about the things that have given your life meaning and purpose. Save them to a private YouTube account, forward them to a family member or load them to the cloud. Record silly sentiments, private messages or words of wisdom with an audio recorder or app on your phone. Most smartphones come with an app preinstalled, including Voice Memos on iPhones or Voice Recorder on Android devices. Gather your photos and caption them, noting not just when and where they were taken but also the names and ages of people in the photos or something else you can remember about the moment they were taken. It's fine to just stash them in a shoebox, but if you're crafty, consider making a scrapbook or digital photo album. You can create memory books to give to family around the holidays or share photos on social media with a story. Create a playlist of favorite songs on your smartphone, especially those tied to memories like your wedding day, the birth of a child, the year you learned to drive a car. Include everything from religious hymns to rock ballads. Free apps like Spotify, Pandora and even YouTube make it easy. Employ a storytelling service to help you compile memories and create a bound book to give to family members. Create a family tree. A visual record of your ancestry, a family tree lets you see how the people in your life fit together. You can simply start with the family tree template in Microsoft Excel or you can get a little more sophisticated (and have a little more fun) with a family tree app. Many of the big genealogy sites have free apps with an easy-to-use family tree function. To get started, you'll want to reach out to your relatives—the older the better. Draft your obituary. It doesn't have to be a morbid exercise. In fact, it can be rewarding to think about the funny details for which you'd like to be remembered and weave them into a short story of your life. An outline can help you get started. Get our Personal Planning Guide. Having plans in order means gaining peace of mind. Our guide was designed to help you record and organize important information, personal thoughts and your final wishes. Making final plans now is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give your family. And, when you plan ahead, your Dignity Memorial® professionals can help you coordinate every detail to create a personal, meaningful tribute.

general

HAHarvey Walden

2 days ago

Death has occurred or is near

Get Help Now You don’t have to go through the process alone. We’ll help you navigate the next steps after the death of a loved one. When you call, we'll help arrange transportation for your loved one, even if you choose to use the services of another funeral provider. 800-343-4464 We know this is a stressful time, and we're here for you. OR Fill out our contact form. We’ll get back to you within 15 minutes. Any time. Any day. What to do if the death of a loved one has just occurred or is near: 1. If a death is expected, please contact us directly. When a death occurs outside of a hospital or hospice, you must notify authorities so that the death can be legally pronounced. (Call 911 if police or paramedics are not present.) 2. Make a "first call" by calling the number above or filling out the form on this page. 3. Delegate someone to help you notify friends and family. * indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Phone Number * +1 Please enter a 10-digit phone number Email * Please enter a valid email Zip Code * Please enter a valid zip code Message Contact Me Now We will never sell your information or use it for any purpose except official Dignity Memorial correspondence. See our privacy policy. We will never sell your information or use it for any purpose except official Dignity Memorial correspondence. See our privacy policy.

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