Your lost loved one’s memorial after their cremation service in Oakland, CA should be special and meaningful, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need big, outlandish additions to make it so. Luckily, you don’t need photo booths, 10-piece bands, bespoke attire, or a massive dessert table to honor your lost loved one. All you need are a few elegant, simple, and personalized finishes.

The right modest yet memorable touches can elevate a memorial even more than big additions. Use this list of elegant ways to elevate your lost loved one’s service as inspiration:

• Focus on Lighting – The lighting is one of the most important aspects of a service as it can totally transform a space with the right mood. When it comes to lighting, a little bit goes a long way. Use dimmers, bistro lights, or twinkle lights to create a soft atmosphere for the service and speeches. Switch over to brighter lighting when it’s time to mingle.
• Reuse and Repurpose Flowers – Repurposing flowers throughout the day not only looks great but also helps save you money. For example, if you have a floral arrangement on a service side table, take it down and put it behind the food table for the reception part of the memorial. Or rather than spending tons of money on centerpieces for the food able, just put a simple bouquet in a clear vase.
• Creative Cocktails – The bar can create major headaches when it comes to personalization, style, and budget. The best way to curb bar-induced headaches – besides hydration, of course – is to come up with custom or personalized cocktails. A cocktail menu with a few of your lost loved one’s drinks not only adds a custom touch but also helps keep your bar tab down.
• Hire a Photographer – You will want to remember the special moments from your lost loved one’s service. Asking your friend that takes pictures sometimes to shoot may seem like a great idea to save money, but it’s actually just a disaster waiting to happen. You want the photos to capture the meaningful moments so you can remember them for years to come. That’s worth the investment in an actual photographer. Plus, if you like their work, it’s helpful to have a good relationship with a photographer. You can always hire them back for future family events.
• Get Some Help – If you don’t have the budget for an event planner, at least hire a day-of coordinator to take charge. Having someone run point on all things memorial can help take away your stress so you can just focus on grieving your lost loved one. Plus, you can’t be everywhere at once to deal with issues as they arise.

We are here to help if you want more tips on how to make your lost loved one’s memorial great or more information on Oakland, CA cremation services. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.