1-Year Passing Anniversary Memorial Ideas – Celebrating a Life

April 15, 2020

If the 1-year passing anniversary of your loved one is approaching, and you are in need of memorial ideas to honor their passing, Lake Memorial can help. The 1-year mark is a significant day for those who have lost someone dear to them. Because of this, many family and friends feel compelled to do something special in remembrance of the dearly departed.

There are many ways to celebrate the 1-year anniversary that will help in coping with this significant day, as well as pay tribute to someone you love. Let’s take a look at a few 1-year anniversary memorial ideas that you can implement on the date your family member or friend passed away.

Celebrate Your Loved One with These Wonderful Memorial Ideas

The following death anniversary memorial ideas will give you a chance to honor, as well as bring back memories of the person in your life who has passed away. The 1-year mark of their passing can be a very difficult time for those who were close to the departed. It’s a day that can bring tears, sadness, and a great sense of missing their loved one.

A memorial can redirect this sadness into a meaningful celebration and tribute to their family member or friend. It’s especially helpful to invite others to participate in the memorial idea you decide to use. Being surrounded by those who knew the departed, those who care about you, can add a level of support that will help you get through this difficult time, and turn the memorial into more of a celebration of life.

1. Dedicate a Memorial Bench or Brick

This 1-year memorial idea is a great way to have your loved one’s name out there for all to see and to keep their memory alive for years to come. It’s common for either a memorial or brick to be dedicated in memory of someone you care about.

Let’s take a look at each in detail:

Memorial Benches: This time-honored tradition of dedicating a memorial bench is utilized by many family members on the 1-year death anniversary. Benches are typically in parks, church areas, cemeteries, beaches, colleges, and other public places. Some also place memorial benches near garden areas in their personal yards. Plaques will have their loved one’s name, along with their birth date, and the date they passed away. Some inscribe a short sentence that pertains to the dearly departed. There are many memorial bench programs and companies that can be found by doing a specific search in your area.

Memorial Bricks: A Brick with your loved one’s name engraved on it is another way to keep their memory alive. Like memorial benches, there are many programs and places where bricks such as these can be placed. A few examples would include the college they graduated from, certain public parks, even sports venues can have memorial brick programs. This is perfect if your family member who passed away was a sports fan. A memorial brick also looks lovely in home gardens, or other areas outside your house.

2. Create a Memorial Shadow Box in Honor of Their 1-Year Death Anniversary

This 1-year anniversary memorial idea provides a special hands-on way to pay tribute to your family member or friend who you are missing. A shadow box is an enclosed case of some sort, sometimes framed, typically with a front glass or glass-like material that displays photos or objects that have great significance to you and your loved one. It’s a special way to get the whole family involved, and also allows you to create something that you can display for years to come.

You can purchase shadow boxes at most craft and hobby stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Additionally, these stores can also provide secondary items to place in your shadow box. This can include fake flowers, pendants and charms that come in just about anything you are looking for – crosses, butterflies, musical instruments, hearts, golf clubs, and so on. They offer many items that will look wonderful in your memorial shadow box.

Here are a few personal items that are typically placed in a shadow box:

Photos of your friend or family member
Jewelry that belonged to the dearly departed
Your loved one’s trinkets or memorabilia
Items pertaining to hobbies or passions that they had

3. Release Balloons to Send Messages to Heaven on the Anniversary of Their Passing

If you are looking for a fun and lighthearted way to honor the 1-year anniversary of your loved one, this idea is a personal and touching one. It involves releasing balloons and watching them float towards the sky, signifying they are heading towards heaven to deliver your message to your close friend or family member. This is especially fitting when children have lost someone they love – a parent, grandparent, and the like.

Special messages or prayers are written on the balloons by each person, a message meant for the one they miss. Then, the balloons are released and sent high above. Although lighthearted, it’s an emotional and meaningful way to celebrate the one you love.

There are a few things you will want to take note of if using this memorial anniversary idea. Ensure that biodegradable helium latex balloons are used, as compared to foil/mylar balloons. Refrain from using a tail such as strings or ribbons; hand-tie your balloon instead. Plan your memorial balloon release in a wide-open area that’s clear of trees and wires. Check with your city to see if there are any balloon release laws currently in place.

4. Make a Charity Donation in Their Name

The 1-year mark of a death of a loved one is often a time when friends and family donate in their name.

The organization is typically one that the deceased was involved with, or just passionate about. It’s a memorial idea that will make you feel good at a time when sadness can come upon us.

For those who are donating for a family member, you most likely already know which charity they would prefer. If you are donating in the name of a friend, you can ask those who were closest to them if they can suggest a charity organization.

If you are not sure which charity to donate to, here are a few ideas:

Animal charities such as the Humane Society
The American Red Cross
Veteran’s charities such as Hope for Warriors
The Alzheimers Association
American Wildlife Foundation

5. Host a Las Vegas Celebration of Life 1-Year Memorial Lunch or Dinner

One of the most popular 1-year memorial ideas is to have a celebration of life lunch or dinner to pay tribute to your loved one who has passed away. Close friends and family members can attend and gather in honor of the 1-year mark of their passing. There are venues specifically designed for these types of celebration of life events which can take care of all the details for you, one such venue is Lake Memorials in Las Vegas, NV.

Lake Memorials is comprised of professional, knowledgeable, and thoughtful team members who can help you plan your 1-year memorial, take care of all the large and small details, set up and break down the event, and more. Everything that’s needed to make your remembrance lunch or dinner a wonderful event will be provided.

Here is a sampling of what Lake Memorials’ packages include:

Use of our Las Vegas memorial reception space for a specified amount of time.
Tables and chairs conveniently set up for you and your guests.
Table linens with many colors to choose from.
A professional memorial service coordinator.
Projector and screen for displaying images of your loved one.
Set up and break down of your memorial event.
An onsite florist will be conveniently available.

It’s a nice touch to plan a 1-year celebration of life memorial that includes a meal. This is because it gives everyone a chance to enjoy their meal as they sit and chat, tell stories of the past, and just have a nice time together. This is also a great time to utilize a projector and screen to display images or videos. This can be a touching experience as everyone has not seen the dearly departed in a year.

Lake Memorials in the Desert Shores area of Summerlin offers appetizer preparations, as well as full memorial lunch or dinner set up. Depending upon which package you choose, here are a few items you will see on the menu:

Baby roasted twice stuffed potatoes
Bacon-wrapped scallops
Mini beef wellington
Prime rib of beef au poivre
Bow tie pasta with sun-dried tomatoes
Hosted and cash bar options are available at our Las Vegas banquet hall

Take a look at the links below to see everything that Lake Memorials has to offer in each Las Vegas memorial service package tier.

Las Vegas Remembrance Appetizer Packages

Las Vegas Memorial Buffet Packages

If you’re looking for reception venues in the Las Vegas area, Lake Memorials is a wonderful place to host your celebration of life 1-year anniversary event. Take a look at our testimonials to see how happy others were with our venue and level of service. Feel free to contact Lake Memorials if you have any questions; we would love to speak with you.

1-Year Passing Anniversary Commonly Asked Questions

Once the 1-year mark is just around the corner, it can leave some individuals a bit confused as to what they should do, or if they should do anything at all in remembrance of their friend or family member. Because of this, many questions can arise. Lake Memorials near downtown Vegas has the know-how and experience to answer your important questions during, what may be, an emotional time in your life. With that said, let’s take a look at a few common death anniversary questions that have come our way:

1. If I plan a 1-year memorial event, who is it appropriate to invite?

In our experience here at Lake Memorials in Las Vegas, 1-year death anniversaries are attended by close friends and family for smaller events. If you are capable of hosting a larger memorial celebration, you may choose to invite your loved one’s coworkers, neighbors, and so on. But when it comes down to it, you should invite who you are comfortable with. If you are planning on hosting a remembrance lunch or dinner, Lake Memorials can host up to 100+ guests. We offer large memorial venue spaces so your gathering won’t feel overcrowded.

2. Do you have any decor recommendations for celebration of life 1-year death anniversaries?

Depending on your personal preferences, and of course, what your loved one would have preferred as well, there are many ways you can dress up your 1-year memorial celebration event. Most decorate their space with beautiful flowers.

Lake Memorials offers a wide array of flower arrangements and a consultant that can help you along the way. Our most popular memorial flowers are traditional white lilies, but if you want something a little more colorful, we also offer a yellow rose and sunflower wreath.

You can also choose to adorn your 1-year death anniversary memorial event with photos of the dearly departed. Display them on poster boards, in frames, and other creative ways. Additionally, you can set out memorabilia that belonged to your loved one on a decorative table. This would include items that meant a lot to the person who has passed away. There are other ways to decorate your remembrance gathering, take a look at this helpful memorial decor post to see what they are.

3. Do you offer outdoor memorial receptions at your venue?

Absolutely! Lake Memorials in the Desert Shores area of Summerlin offers beautiful and tranquil outdoor memorial celebration venue spaces. Our 1-year anniversary memorial reception areas provide stunning lake views, all in a lovely lush green garden setting with swaying willow trees, flowers, and more. Like our indoor memorial reception venues, our outdoor spaces also include set up and breakdown, as well as event planning. Our professional staff will take care of all your 1-year remembrance event details. You can then focus on your friends and your family who have gathered together in honor of your loved one.

Lake Memorials in Las Vegas is Here to Help with Your 1-Year Memorial Celebration

Lake Memorials can assist you and your family in any way with your 1-year anniversary memorial celebration. We understand that our guidance is an essential part of the process so that you can plan a stress-free and enjoyable tribute to your loved one. No matter what your needs – a small space for a few of your closest friends and family, or a large reception hall for a lunch or dinner memorial event, we can help. If you would like to plan a 1-year death anniversary reception with Lake Memorial, feel free to contact our Las Vegas celebration of life venue online, or give us a call at (702) 762-2812. We look forward to speaking with you.

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