When an owner becomes the client… Interesting enough, I was the first recipient of alaVida services when my mother died in August 2018. alaVida was launching in September. I right away found myself on the other side of the fence, the side of the grieving family. I had started to put some thought in what I would want to do for my mother when the time would come but here I was all of a sudden and not quite prepared. I knew right away that I wanted to celebrate her figure skating life. My mother lived and breathed figure skating. I turned to my team. I did not have the courage to organize the celebration myself…I was just too tired and emotionally fragile. I am very proud to say that my alaVida team came through for me with a very special tribute in a skating rink (1000 de la Gauchetiere). It was so nice to show up and experience exactly what I had envisioned without having to do the work myself and fret about the details and logistics. I was able to concentrate on my guests and take in and enjoy every moment of the celebration. The guests were invited to participate in the event by skating in her memory instead of being mere bystanders. Children enjoyed themselves yet understood why they were there. There was her favorite music, a special figure skating tribute, ceremony, food, drink, and beautiful decor. It was perfect. I was surprised the next morning to wake up with a smile and a great satisfaction that I had honored the true essence of my mother. I have fond and positive memories and, actually, enjoy reminiscing about her celebration. Thank you to my team…you delivered with grace and expertise.

AlaVida turned the most painful event of my life into one of the most joyous and life-affirming. They created a touching, elegant and beautiful celebration of my mother's life, attending to every detail, allowing me to truly experience it without a single burden placed upon me during my grief. This was not a funeral by any means. They made it a coming together of loved ones, friends and family to truly pay tribute to an incredible person in the way she would have liked us to: with joy, laughter and love, not sorrow. I can't even begin to convey how comprehensive their work was. They sought to embody the essence of my mother in every aspect of the event, from the decor, to the program, to the overall vibe. They brought her into the room with us and allowed us to say goodbye in the best way possible. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Alavida’s approach to celebrating a persons life through a “Beautiful Goodbye” to me is the new frontier of funeral services in Canada. When I was introduced to the idea of planning a “celebration of life” of a loved one or even for one’s self I knew this way of saying goodbye was in synch with my highest values where death is not to be feared but to be celebrated. Alavida walks family members through one of the hardest moments in life with compassion, sensitivity and creativity. They help plan a Beautiful Goodbye and Celebration of Life that expresses the heart and soul of the departed(or the one in the process of departing) in ways that family members and friends will never forget. Nadine Schwartz