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Even if you haven’t set foot in Los Angeles, you’ve likely seen parts of the city in your favorite films or TV shows. It was featured in award-winning movies like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Chinatown, and La La Land and the setting for legendary shows, such as Beverly Hills, 90210, and Baywatch. When not used as a filmmaker's muse, Los Angeles is an unmissable holiday hotspot with so much to offer, from endless attractions and fun outdoor adventures to exciting nightlife and mouthwatering food.
A funeral service may not be the first thing you’ll want to plan when visiting this vibrant and scenic city. But with multiple serene funeral venues in Los Angeles, you know you’re making a sound decision. After all, what better place to honor your departed loved ones than the City of Angels?
It's common to use funeral homes, places of worship or churches, and community centers but be open to alternative venues, like an art gallery, a serene garden, a golf club, or a town hall. The secret is finding a funeral location in Los Angeles that's meaningful and may have been your loved one's favorite.
It's hard to say goodbye to someone dear to you, and planning a funeral service while dealing with your grief doesn't make things easier. With LA's multiple funeral venues and dependable memorial service providers, you can organize a less stressful and more manageable event. Here are more reasons why it makes sense to have a funeral reception in LA.
Easy to Reach
The easier the family and friends of the deceased to reach the location and access the venue, the better. Thankfully, Los Angeles is well-connected and offers accessibility services whether you’re taking public transport or entering a building or facility. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the city’s main airport is only about ten miles from Downtown LA and can be accessed by public transportation or private vehicle. You can also get anywhere without a car with six rail lines and over 2,000 buses operating throughout the city.
Variety of Funeral Venues
A local chapel or a funeral home isn’t the only place to hold a memorial service in LA. Other funeral venues in Los Angeles, CA, include parks, beach clubs, theaters, private homes with beautiful grounds, and even event spaces. When choosing a site for the memorial day, you might consider places that the deceased used to visit or are meaningful to your loved ones.
Pleasant Weather
You’re already mourning the loss of a loved one, so you won’t want wet weather affecting your plans and dampening everyone’s mood. Thankfully, most days in Southern California are warm and sunny, with a gentle ocean breeze in summer. Los Angeles has nearly 300 sunshine days a year, so you don’t have to worry about heavy rains during funeral receptions, especially if they're held outdoors.
When you lose someone close to you or a family member, you’ll often have to make time-sensitive decisions even before the realization of their passing sinks in. But you don’t have to carry the burden on your own. Apart from your friends and family, you can rely on the funeral companies and vendors in Los Angeles to help you arrange the service and celebrate your loved one in the most special way.
Los Angeles Funeral Services
Established in 2006, Los Angeles Funeral Service has been the go-to destination for those looking for memorable, personalized, and dignified funerals at reasonable prices. When you work with their friendly and compassionate team, they’ll give you options to help you decide and make the process undemanding and less taxing. You’re welcome to call at any time during the day or week with no obligation. They can do everything from arranging conferences with family and responsible parties to recording essential statistics.
Poppa Joe's Kitchen
A dedicated husband and wife team started Poppa Joe's Kitchen in March 2020, which is now a favorite caterer in LA serving throughout Southern California. They understand that planning a memorial service or funeral can be exhausting, and it’s a lot to handle when you’re going through a difficult time of grief. But with them on your side, you can take one thing off your to-do list and rest easy, knowing everyone can enjoy a nourishing and delicious meal.
SameDay Caskets.com
Purchase a superb casket from the convenience of your home and have it delivered to your funeral venue in Los Angeles and beyond with the help of Same Day Caskets. Apart from LA, they offer same-day delivery to San Diego, Long Beach, Riverside, and other areas in between. Deliver is free without hidden charges or extra fees because they don’t use another company to make the delivery. They have in-house professional drivers who will go to your location or event space and handle the casket with great care.
Out of all the special events you'll host or attend, a funeral is probably not something you're looking forward to. But when the time comes you have to organize one, it’s good to know your options, what to do, and how you can make it more memorable and beyond the ordinary. Check out a few funeral trends in Los Angeles, CA, and identify which works for you.
Celebration of Life
Instead of focusing on the loss and sadness of saying goodbye, many families choose a more upbeat alternative to traditional funerals, often called a celebration of life. You remember and share happy memories, and there’s more room for creativity than a typical funeral service. It doesn’t have to be in a crematorium or church—you can pick a vibrant place with great lighting or natural light, live music, and easy access to public transportation for out-of-town relatives and friends.
Garden-themed Memorial Service
You can host a memorial service weeks or even months after the burial or cremation, so you’ll have more time to plan with the family. Unlike a traditional funeral service, you can bring more personality and style into the arrangements, highlighting the deceased life well lived. You can be creative with the memorial venue, but nothing beats a picturesque garden in Los Angeles in the middle of spring. Set up tables and decorate them with your loved one’s favorite flowers, centerpieces, and photo displays.
Personalized Funeral Service
While many still like to incorporate religious and cultural traditions into the funeral service, some prefer to move away from the norm and request unique services that better reflect the life and personality of their loved ones. You might want to choose an unusual location overlooking the Pacific Ocean or have energetic live music. You can also ask guests to bring a photo or an item that reminds them of the person who died or get them to write a personal message dedicated to the deceased.
The City of Angeles isn't the Entertainment Capital of the World for nothing. Besides its long history in the TV, music, and film industries, it takes pride in its annual events and festivities that attract millions of visitors from around the world. You don't have to wait long for the next event because there's always something going on in LA.
July 4th Fireworks Spectacular
Prepare for mind-blowing colorful explosions up in the sky throughout Los Angeles on Independence Day. If you have nothing to do on the 4th of July, head to the city for the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular. It’s one of the most famous and much-anticipated summer traditions in Southern California, held at the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to the fireworks displays, expect legendary music performances and nights of outdoor fun.
Film Independent Spirit Awards
Not everyone can attend but you can tune in live to watch your favorite indie films and celebrities receive a well-deserved award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. In operation since 1984, this premier award show celebrates some of the most reputable filmmakers and acclaimed films of the year. It traditionally takes place in Santa Monica, a few miles from Downtown LA.
Fiesta Broadway
Everything about Fiesta Broadway is jubilant, colorful, and festive, from the delightful activities for kids to exciting lucha libre matches and musical performances that captivate attendees. It’s the country’s biggest Cinco de Mayo celebration with over 200,000 attendees each year. It features multiple concert stages by Latin superstars, sports activities, games, and booths in downtown Los Angeles.
You've probably decided to have a send-off or memorial service in Los Angeles, CA, but because it's a big city, you're unsure where to start your quest for the best funeral spaces. Every LA neighborhood is unique and offers a different vibe, but here's some of our top choices:
Los Feliz
This central Los Angeles neighborhood is between Silver Lake and Hollywood and its hills, so you’ll notice a nice blend of greenery and urban epicenter. You can spend an entire afternoon at a local café or bookshop and finish the evening in one of the quaint restaurants or bars. If you want to enjoy the great outdoors, there are trails you can tackle for a solo hike or a group excursion with friends.
Echo Park
Find funeral venues in one of LA’s most culturally diverse areas known for its trendy shops and popularity among creatives, musicians, and artists. At the heart of the neighborhood is a beautiful lake and urban park called Echo Park Lake with walking paths, picnic tables, and pedal boats. If you’re not into paddle boating, you can explore the surrounding area filled with recreational facilities, restaurants, and shops.
Venice
No, it’s not the Italian city of canals and bridges but a buzzing beach area in the city of Los Angeles. Many enjoy its creativity and free-spiritedness, so anyone can’t help but feel relaxed and be themselves when visiting this part of town. Check out the famous boardwalk, where you’ll often encounter street performers and find colorful murals and funky shops adding personality to the neighborhood.