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When the official funeral or memorial service did not meet everyone's needs, you can have an additional ceremony based on your worldview or specific situation.

If the official ceremony addressed only a portion of the person's life — or if it wasn't a safe situation for everyone to meaningfully express their care and sorrow — you can have an Alternative Goodbye ceremony.

Some situations when this might be appropriate are:

 if the official ceremony left out a part of the person's life that was important to him/her

 if the official ceremony revolved around a specific religion, excluding those who don't follow that religion

 if there wasn't an opportunity for everyone to tell their stories about the person

 if people want a ceremony created (at least partially) with spontaneous participation — more than just an "open mic" segment

 if friends of the person want to include something that might make the family uncomfortable (or the other way around)

 if the body will be cared for at home (sometimes referred to as a Home Funeral)

Ask me about the Alternative Ceremony that was a circle of friends in a meadow overlooking the ocean, where each person stepped into the center to share a reading, a song, or a story about the woman who had died.

Let me know if you want a Humanist ceremony. Or if you want a Pagan Priestess to call the directions. Or if you want the Rosicrucian Great Invocation read, or the Desiderata.

Tell me if you want to acknowledge "disenfranchised grief" — when society doesn't recognize your right to grieve.

An Alternative Goodbye for your loved one can be a small, private ceremony for specific people only, or it can be open to anyone who knew the deceased. It can be simple or elaborate.

 The possibilities are endless.

Give me a call or drop me an email and let's get creative!