6 Celebration of Life Ideas in Los Angeles: Outdoor Venues

The Los Angeles area offers a wide variety of options for planning a Celebration of Life event outdoors. When you think of a traditional funeral or memorial service, you might think of the body of the deceased in a casket and everyone wearing black. But more and more, Celebration of Life events are honoring the deceased in colorful and unique ways, even long after the loved ones have been buried or their ashes scattered.

What is a Celebration of Life?

Unlike traditional funeral or memorial services, Celebration of Life events can include religious or non-religious elements, family traditions, cultural customs, they can take place anywhere, and can include all types of music. Basically there is no wrong way to throw a Celebration of Life. This is one of the reasons why more and more people in Southern California are choosing this as a way to honor a loved one, or pre-planning one for themselves.

It’s no surprise that religion and religious traditions often dictate how people honor the dead through memorial services, but things are starting to change regarding these customs.

According to a recent post on changing consumer behavior by Lee Senderov at the Cremation Association of North America (CANA): “As the focus on religious funeral services wanes in the U.S., families are opting for services that celebrate the life and uniqueness of the individual. Nearly a third of consumers who completed our online surveys reported that religion did not factor meaningfully into how they considered making funeral arrangements. As more funerals become joyous occasions and celebrations of life, we have the opportunity to unleash our creativity to help families say farewell to loved ones in style.”

Celebrations of Life Are Therapeutic

With so many of us dealing with loss over the last couple of years due to COVID—from the Los Angeles area to all over the world—celebrating a life can be a therapeutic way of dealing with death.

Since the passing of someone and traditional funeral or memorial services often require immediate action to honor the loved one, Celebration of Life events allow family members more time to schedule an event so more people can take part. The body doesn’t have to be present in order for people to mourn or honor a life. Direct cremation offers families time to mourn and grieve their loss while also allowing for the flexibility to plan a celebration on the deceased’s behalf that they would have loved.

We’ve compiled a list below of outdoor Celebration of Life ideas in the SoCal region.

Celebration of Life Outdoor Venues Near Me in LA

Living in LA offers several options to have Celebration of Life events outdoors in the plentiful beautiful spaces like botanical gardens. Botanical gardens are a perfect spot for Celebration of Life events because they are teeming with greenery and life all around, celebrating the beauty of the earth. Here are 6 of our favorite spaces for having a Los Angeles-based Celebration of Life event.

Bridge and small pond at Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens

1418 Descanso Dr, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011

This location looks like something out of a Monet painting, rife with flowers and vegetation. In addition to 600 varieties of camellia and five acres of roses, Descanso also has a tea house. People have been known to host everything from baby and wedding showers to birthdays here, which makes it a great spot for a Celebration of Life. Click here to plan your Celebration of Life event.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108

In addition to having a variety of themes from desert gardens to Japanese gardens, this San Marino venue is also a library and art museum, which makes it an ideal option to honor bookworms, writers, artists, or history buffs. Plan your Huntington Library Celebration of Life event today.

The Tea Room of Huntington Library

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

For a peaceful celebration, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden can’t be beat. While events are currently closed due to COVID, the beauty of Celebration of Life events and cremation memorials is that they can take place any time, which means you can schedule one for when events resume. This venue is worth the wait for its garden tours, peacocks, and overall tranquil vibe. For more information on the arboretum, click here to stay up-to-date when events will start up again.

Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden

270 Arlington Dr, Pasadena, CA 91105

Another great spot is this Pasadena venue, which boasts two ponds, a cascading waterfall, and more, all centered around a Japanese tea house. For smaller memorial celebrations, you can even have a tea ceremony for 15 people. Celebrations of Life are one of the many events listed on the website, so plan yours today.

South Coast Botanic Garden

26300 Crenshaw Blvd, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274

Lush greenery and blue skies at this Palos Verdes Peninsula location would make for an ideal place to celebrate life. Plus, there are many staging options for cremation memorials within this venue, from the amphitheater to koi pond patio to the upper meadow. For more information, fill out their event inquiry form.

Large fountain at Gatehouse Greystone Mansion & Gardens

Greystone Mansion & Gardens

905 Loma Vista Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

If you really want to go all out to celebrate your loved one’s life, this Beverly Hills garden is pretty spectacular, with a 55-room Tudor estate, a fountain, a reflecting pool, and poplar and cypress trees. Book your celebration of life event today at Greystone Mansion & Gardens.

Do you have questions about Celebration of Life events and pre-planning? Opal Cremation can walk you through how to start making a plan, step-by-step. Compassionate professionals are eagerly awaiting your call and will provide you with all of the information you need about Opal Cremation services. Contact us today.