Alternatives Event

Some families without any religious affiliation find that a formal funeral or memorial service feels out of sync with the deceased and themselves. And the recent trend toward “celebrations” can feel uncomfortably close to a “party” for some people. As a result, more families than ever know what they don’t want, and are left wondering what to do.

More To address this situation, Alternatives created a completely new and unique service option: the Alternatives Event™. Our Licensed Funeral Directors and Event Planners will design and present theme proposals to the family, and will preside over the order of service on your behalf. The content of the Event will be customized for your family, and often held in a unique facility or location relevant to the deceased’s life. And here’s another key distinction: unlike most ceremonies at which attendees are merely spectators, an Alternatives Event™ encourages involvement and participation.

Example of an Alternatives Event^™:

We arranged for one family’s Alternatives Event^™ to be held in a hangar at a municipal airport in honour of a deceased pilot. The Event was staged in a hangar, and we catered a barbeque – a favourite of the deceased – outdoors on the tarmac for guests to enjoy. We also stationed a bartender dressed in a flight attendant’s uniform at an open bar, and arranged for the family to arrive by helicopter bearing the ashes of the deceased so that the guest of honour would be present. We also organized a fly-by of restored World War II aircraft to serve as the finale for the Event.

Guests also had an opportunity to fly and land radio-controlled helicopters in exchange for donations to the deceased’s charity with the amount based on accuracy of flight. The result was a completely involving and interactive event that proved truly meaningful and memorable to everyone who took part and attended.

Sounds very different from a funeral or memorial service, doesn’t it? Perhaps now you have a better idea of what your family would want.