Modern funerals, memorials, and other services are moving away from tradition and towards celebrating the deceased in unique ways. One common theme for this shift away from tradition is honoring what made the deceased special by celebrating their interests or hobbies. Families often seek ways to make a service at a funeral home in Chicago, IL more personalized for the deceased. Take this list of niche tribute ideas as inspiration so you can plan a personalized service to honor and remember your lost loved one: 

• Gardening Tributes – Flowers and other plants are always welcome at services, especially if the deceased loved to garden. Celebrate their love of gardening by filling the service with flowers, giving guests seed packets, displaying a casket or an urn with a flower motif, or using a memorial tree urn or casket to bury the remains. 
• Boating Tributes – Did your lost loved one enjoy boating or being out on the water? Celebrate that interest with boat-themed touches at the service. For example, you can have the service at a beach or dock, or even on a boat. You could also play tracks of ocean waves, display boat models, or display a large piece of sail cloth for attendees to sign or notate memories of the deceased. 
• Fishing Tributes – Who doesn’t love fishing? If the deceased was a big fishing fan, celebrate that in the service by serving fish at the reception, donating fishing kits to local charities in honor of the deceased, or displaying photos of all their great catches. 
• Antiquing Tributes – Many people get into antiquing as an expression of their love of decorating, the enjoyment of the style of a particular era, or as a fun way to make a little side money as they discover, fix up, and resell antique furniture and collectibles. If your loved one was into antiques, showcase the hobby at the service by creating an antique scrapbook or decorating the space with some of their favorite pieces.   
• Golf Tributes – You can easily celebrate golf! If your loved one was a golfer, there are many ways you can include the golfing theme as part of the service, from having the service at the country club and setting out their golf bag as decor to setting up a golf memorabilia table with scorecards, collectibles, photos, and more. 
• Photography Tributes – From snaps on a smart phone to old-school photo shoots, there are many ways to be interested in photography. Similarly, there are many ways to celebrate the life of someone who loved photography, like displaying pictures the deceased took, playing a slideshow of their work, or encouraging attendees to snap photos and share them. 

No matter if the service is traditional or alternative, it should be just as unique as the person its honoring. We are here to help if you want more information on planning unique services or Chicago, IL funeral homes. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.