When a loved one passes on, celebrating their life with friends and family is beautiful way to honor them. But grieving can make it difficult to organize the services and responsibilities that come with taking care of the deceased. Things like ordering flowers for the service or sending out memorial invitations can feel overwhelming or lengthy. We’re here to help. You can use this guide to help simplify your process for ordering your celebration of life or memorial invitations. Whether you just want guidelines for your celebration of life invitation wording or full memorial service invitation templates, find the information below.
Jump to:
- What Is A Celebration Of Life?
- Wording For A Celebration Of Life Invitation
- Celebration Of Life Invitation Template
- Additional Resources for Celebration Of Life Invitation Wording
What Is A Celebration Of Life?
A celebration of life is a service in which someone who has passed on is honored by their loved ones. They also follow more unique proceedings than a funeral. These services often differ, based on the values and personality of the deceased. Similar and at times interchangeable to a memorial service, families hold celebrations of life weeks later than funerals. Often, the deceased has already been cremated or buried and the service becomes a way for loved ones to tell stories about the deceased and honor their legacy. For that reason, celebrations of life are one of many ways to keep someone’s memory alive.
Wording For A Celebration Of Life Invitation
Remember to remain respectful and honor the deceased when deciding on the right celebration of life invitation wording. There’s a variety of different ways to do this with with wording and imagery. We’ve listed the most common ways below:
Make Sure to Include Important Information
Leaving out details from your invitation can mean confusion on the part of the guests. To avoid this, make sure all your invitations for a celebration of life include the following:
- Name of the Deceased
- Birth Date and Death Date of the Deceased
- Location of Service
- Time and Date of Service
Highlight Their Legacy
While not required, many families choose to include a short description of the life and legacy that the deceased is leaving behind. This can be the names of children and grandchildren, a description of their professional work, or even their hobbies.
Keep The Invitation Simple and Respectful
It’s best to keep messages on celebration of life invitations brief and focused on informing loved ones of the ceremony. Try to save longer messages for during the celebration of life, obituary, or eulogy.
Include Special Photos
Including a special portrait or photo of your loved one makes for a beautiful touch to a celebration of life invitation. Consider including a mix of old photos from different stages of the person’s life. If you need help restoring some of these old photos, visit our guide on how to restore old photos. After that, consider reading our resource on what to do with old photos to help preserve your loved one’s legacy.
Make The Card Stand Out
There’s no one way to create a celebration of life invitation. Each card will differ from family to family and there’s a variety of ways to make yours extra special. For example, you could consider adding a meaningful quote to your invitations. Visit our resources on bible verses about family or family quotes for additional examples.
Celebration Of Life Invitation Template
If you’re looking for specific wording examples or templates for your celebration of life invitations or sympathy cards, see the examples below. And if you’re looking for a guide for writing thank you notes after your celebration of life, consider our resource on funeral thank you card wording.
1st Sample of Celebration Of Life Invitations
Celebrating the Life of Olivia Reece Mitchell
07.10.78 || 05.23.20
Olivia is survived by her husband Liam
and their two dogs, Miles and Amelia.
Olivia loved photography, traveling, and socializing.
Her warm smile and contagious laughter will be missed.
Memorial to be held June 5th, 2020 at 2pm
Hartford Memorial Home
1232 Poppy Road, Hartford
We hope to see you there
2nd Sample of Celebration Of Life Invitations
Celebrate the life of Marge Thea Anderson
August 31, 1942 – December 5, 2020
Marge was a devoted naturalist,
Mother of 3, grandmother of 7,
And a lifelong advocate for our Earth.
Her warmth, love, and laughter filled our spirits with joy.
Join us December 12th, at 12pm
St. Mary’s Church
2342 Grassland Lane, Redding
3rd Sample of Celebration Of Life Invitations
Celebrating the Full Life of
Grace Gloria Li
August 21, 1943 || November 3rd, 2020
Memorial Held November 15, 2020 || 2pm
Westwood Memorial Homes || Room B
Open to all family & friends
1st Sample Memorial Service Invitation
In remembrance of Edward Fremont
3.20.44 – 09.12.20
Beloved husband to Edith, father to Janice and Peter,
Grandfather to Isla, Ian, Sebastian, and Olivia.
Join us for a Memorial Service and celebration of his life
September 20th at 2pm
Grace Family Memorial Home
1234 Austin Way, Dallas
2nd Sample Memorial Service Invitation
In Loving Memory
Margaret Ruth Seawald
Margaret leaves behind her husband Carl,
Children Annabelle and Peter, and five grandchildren.
Her bright smile will be missed by all.
Born March 26, 1944 | At rest September 5th, 2020
Memorial to be held September 15th at 12pm
Saint John’s Church
234 Lillie Road, Bandon, Oregon
We hope you will join us in celebration of her life
Additional Resources for Celebration Of Life Invitation Wording
If you found this guide on celebration of life invitation wording helpful and you’re looking for similar resources, we have a few recommendations. For helpful content after the passing of a father, consider our Miss You Dad messages. Or if you’re looking for ways to preserve the memory of your loved one, you can visit our tribute photo books.
If you’re looking for resources for offering your condolences after a loved one’s passing, please see our guides on what to send when someone dies and what to write in sympathy cards.
