Budgeting for a life celebration

Budgeting for a Life Celebration

Paolo Bassi Planning Leave a Comment

Budgeting for a life celebration

What is the cost of a life celebration?

A Life Celebration is the modern way to die and it’s catching on in popularity from Europe to the U.S. and now Canada.
As more people gravitate toward a personalized ceremonial type of event, often referred to as a “humanist” funeral, questions of costs and benefits are rising.
As one of life’s milestone events along side weddings or anniversaries, a Life Celebration event should be custom designed to resonate with the person being celebrated and their immediate family.
According to leading Life Celebration planner alavida.ca, the event doesn’t have to be costly but it should strive to be inspirational, welcoming and ceremonial. It should also try to deliver an “aha” moment when guests smile through their tears knowing that it perfectly reflects their loved one.
So, what should you expect to budget for an end-of-life event like a Celebration of Life? Well, like any event you organize, it can vastly range in price and depends on so many things. But there is a starting point of costs that you can count on when working with a coordinating service like alaVida:
Venue $300++
Food & Beverage $25 ++ per person
Decor & Ceremony $700 ++
Entertainment $250++
Floral $350++
Guest Gifts $15++
Event coordination 15% on total event

6 things to consider when hosting a life celebration in a unique venue in lieu of a funeral home setting

Venue

Moving out of the funeral home to a location of choice offers a personalized reflection of the person being honoured. The cost depends on where you host it and at what time of day. From a backyard setting that costs nothing to an art gallery or downtown loft, venue prices vary greatly so it’s best to work with someone in the know who has connections to venues to help you choose.

Food and beverage

A typical Life Celebration can happen any time of day. However, keep in mind that food & beverage play a central role, so choosing the right time of day is crucial to making your budget.

Decor & ceremony

Unlike traditional funerals, Life Celebrations are a one-of-kind event that often incorporates a little creative décor and ceremony that are key to creating a positive, lasting impression. For instance, if the person being honoured was into figure skating, you might want to host the event on ice.

Entertainment

A Life Celebration almost always has music, whether playlist, DJ or live band. Again, budget will dictate here because you can spend a little or a lot on music depending on your taste.

Floral

Floral plays a key part at a Life Celebration event. It’s easy to splurge on this element so having an expert help design floral to look like a lot without being too costly is essential.

Guest gifts

What would a Life Celebration be without a token memento to bring home and cherish? Knowing the number of people attending the event is important when thinking about mementos.

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