Memorial ceremony activities are things you can plan that will add personalization to your loved one’s service. By gaining the participation of guests in a way that reminds you of your loved one, you will leave guests or family members with a loving keepsake. The opportunity to do something unique that gets friends and family actively involved in celebrating their loved one’s life can be included anywhere in the ceremony, from the guestbook to the memorial ceremony closing and at any time in between. In this article, we provide a few examples of activities that we hope will provide inspiration in planning a memorial ceremony.
Memorial Ceremony Example: Random Rocks of Kindness
Lighten recently held a Celebration of Life for an artist who was known for painting rocks with fun designs and inspirational phrases. These weren’t just any rocks, though. These were Random Rocks of Kindness. The artist painted rocks to be given to friends and family and placed around her community for strangers to happen upon. Her mission was to bring joy to the beholder of the rock and brighten a stranger’s day – one rock at a time.
The memorial ceremony, planned with the assistance of Lighten, included an activity that would honor this special hobby of the loved one. Each guest received a kit to paint their own rocks, designed to provide them with a keepsake that would keep Random Rocks of Kindness going in honor of the loved one. The participation of guests from all over would spread Random Rocks of Kindness to multiple communities, leaving an impactful, lasting legacy.
Memorial Ceremony Guest Book Activities
A memorial ceremony, funeral, or celebration of life guest book can go beyond the traditional compilation of signatures and take on a creative form that is personalized to the event. Creative guest book alternatives might involve an activity that brings guests together to create a keepsake for the family that is special and meaningful.
Similar to the real-life example in the first section, one option would be to have guests create a piece of memorial artwork. This can be done as a group or individually. Group-created artwork could consist of an outline of something representative of your loved one’s interests- such as a favorite flower, sports logo, or travel destination. Then, guests can fill up the outlined object with their thumbprints, signatures, or a message to the loved one. Individually-made artwork, on the other hand, can start with a table of materials, such as flowers, paste, and paper, where guests reflect on what they would like to create that will reflect the beauty of their loved one’s life. In either case, the memorial ceremony guest book activity culminates in a keepsake for friends or family.
Bringing an Item to the Memorial Ceremony
Memorial ceremony activities can be planned to be carried out during the celebration of life event, in advance, or both. To plan an activity that involves guest participation ahead of the ceremony, you can include instructions in your celebration of life invitation to bring an item that is representative of your loved one. What items are brought might fall under a general theme that you choose that will be personalized to your loved one.
For example, if your loved one was passionate about literature, you might ask guests to come prepared with a reading of a celebration of life poem or book passage that reminds them of their loved one. You might also tie in an advanced participation activity with your celebration of life guest book activity. Asking guests to bring a copy of a photo of the loved one that they hold dear to create a collage gives friends and family a beautiful display to experience at the memorial ceremony, as well as a keepsake for the family to bring home. Asking guests to participate by preparing something for the memorial ceremony provides a unique opportunity to reflect on their loved ones prior to entering the celebration.
Lighten Can Help
If you’re looking for someone to ease the memorial ceremony planning process, Lighten can help. Start the conversation.
