Inside: Funeral table decoration ideas that will help to honor our loved ones memory in a thoughtful way.
Losing a loved one is never easy; in fact, some may argue that it is the hardest thing that we as humans have to experience during our time here on Earth. But sadly, it is inevitable. It’s the way of life. There are truly only three things that are guaranteed: Birth, Death, and taxes. But today, I am just going to focus on the middle point.
I have lost a few people in my life, so I have a good understanding of what goes on at a funeral/celebration of life party. When I was younger, attending these would always have me in tears…I often would avoid them if I could. But as I have grown older and more people around me have passed, I see the importance of them.
If you clicked on this article, I want to say that I am deeply sorry for your loss. Though you are probably in a great deal of pain at the moment, I wanted to help you shift your focus a bit. They call it a celebration of life for a reason; there are truly so many things to celebrate. One way is to put together a funeral table!
Below you will find everything you need to know about funeral table decoration ideas, so keep reading.
Table of Contents
What Is A Funeral Table?
This may seem like an obvious question, but there are many tables present at a funeral, so there is room for confusion. The funeral table that I am talking about is the one you see filled with photos and memorabilia from the one who passed. These tables are a dedicated space for people to come and look at moments from the deceased person’s life.
If they were a father, include fathers day decorations. If they were a Veteran, include their medals and clothes.
There are many different ways that you can decorate this table, but I am going to give you some of my favorite ideas. Grief can really take up lots of mental space, so you may not have the capacity to brainstorm at the moment. That is where I step in.
What do you put on a table at a funeral?
This can be one of the most confusing things about putting a funeral table together. Again, in your moment of grief, collecting items can be very emotionally hard and perhaps even draining. So you can use this list as a checklist to make this a little easier. You don’t have to add everything on this list, but these are the important ones to touch on.
Photographs
This is probably one of the most important ones that you can include. Gather up some of your favorite photos of them throughout their life, have them framed, and include them on the table. They are going to be the star of the show. I have done it a few different ways, but my favorite so far has been lining up the photos in a timeline order of their life.
This shows them at ever stage, and it leaves such a sweet sense. It really gives their loved ones a full sense of who they were and how they lived their lives.
Important Personal Items
This one is the one that really hits home for me. Personal items can hold so much meaning and significance that even just the sight of them can be painful, but it adds so much to the table. You really want this collection to make you remember your lost loved one in all of their glory. Things you can include could be:
- Favorite Hat
- Memorabilia from their service in the army or military
- Things they loved
- Favorite foods
This will really be up to you. But these ideas are a good place to start.
Signs
Having a sweet sign on your funeral table is something that I think is a must. You can write an important message on it, a sweet quote, or perhaps just their name and birthday on it. You can have more than one if you want to add to this list. At the end of the day, this table is meant to make you feel, so do whatever feels right for you.
Flowers
I love adding flowers because it helps to bring life and happy feelings back to an otherwise somber occasion. It can be so hard to look back and celebrate someone’s life when you are still in the beginning process of morning them. Sometimes I feel like this portion should be saved for a year later or more when the big waves of pain have subsided.
But if you are able, adding flowers can be a nice way to remember that this is, in fact a celebration. There are so many awesome things that you can focus on, like their laugh or their favorite experiences. Try and shift your awareness to how much they got to do.
Notes
I think one of my favorite things that I included on a funeral table was a section with empty notecards and pens. The idea was that the guests would write down some of their favorite memories of the person that passed. Then at the end of the night, or whenever you want, you can draw those cards to reminisce on how many lives they touched while they were here.
Oh and heres a tip: If you want to add some more lighthearted fun into this celebration of life, check out these printable games.
Must Have Ideas
Now that you know what to include, I wanted to give you some more specific examples to draw from. The list below is full of some must have funeral table decoration ideas that I think you are really going to love. Check them out.
9. Photo Timeline of Loved One
10. Notebook and Pen
Sweet Funeral Table Decoration Ideas
Lastly, I wanted to share some extra sweet funeral table decoration ideas that I just know are going to be the perfect addition to the funeral or celebration of life. You don’t have to include all of them, but the more, the merrier! These are examples of real funeral tables, so you will know what to expect.
12. Twinkle Lights
13. Big Poster Idea
14. Classic Frame with Chalkboard Sign
15. Photos of Their Loved Ones
17. Share a Memory
19. Photo Collage
20. In Memorial Candle Take Home
I hope that you found these funeral table decoration ideas helpful and that you have a strong sense of direction in terms of your own decorations. Sometimes, getting started can be the hardest part. I hope that you find this process to be as helpful and cathartic as I did.
Losing a loved one is such a painful experience, but there can be good moments too. Reflecting on their life may pull at your heart strings, but I promise that it’s worth it. They lived such a beautiful life, and focussing on that will bring you such a strong sense of relief.
I will leave you with this thought that helped me during my hard times: What is grief if not love persevering? The pain you feel is just the love you have not being sure where to go. If you are looking for some more things to include at a celebration of life, why not check out this biodegradable confetti cannons tutorial?
Thank you, this helped me so much this morning. Today I start putting together Celebration of Life for mom who passed away a month ago. It is really hard.