Living Wake Geelong — Celebrating a Life While It Is Still Being Lived
A living wake is a ceremony held while someone is still alive — a chance for family and friends to gather, share stories, express gratitude, and celebrate the person’s life together, in their presence.
What Is a Living Wake?
A living wake is not about giving up hope or dwelling on loss. Rather, it is about embracing life as it is now — celebrating relationships, honouring a person’s journey, and creating memories that will be treasured long into the future.
For many people living with a terminal illness, advancing age, or changing health, a living wake offers something deeply valuable: the chance to hear the stories others tell about them, to witness the impact they have had on family and friends, and to feel surrounded by love and appreciation in the present moment.
Why Families Choose a Living Wake in Geelong
People come to a living wake for many different reasons. Some want to ensure that the people they love have the chance to say what they might otherwise leave unsaid. Others want to be present for a celebration of their own life — to laugh, to be moved, to feel the weight of the love around them.
Whatever the reason, a living wake is an extraordinary act of love. And I consider it a privilege to help create them.
What a Living Wake Can Include
Sharing stories and memories
Family and friends gather to share the moments, memories, and stories that have defined the person being honoured.
Personal tributes
Prepared or spontaneous tributes from the people who love them most — words that might otherwise be left unsaid.
Music with special meaning
Favourite songs, meaningful pieces, or simply music that captures who they are and what they love.
Readings, poems, or letters
Written words — read aloud or shared quietly — that honour the person’s journey and legacy.
Symbolic rituals or keepsakes
Rituals that reflect the person’s values, passions, or beliefs — creating something tangible to carry forward.
Laughter, gratitude, and connection
Living wakes are often joyful. Space for laughter, warmth, and the kind of connection that only comes from truly being present.
How I Create Your Living Wake
As a living wake celebrant serving Geelong and surrounding communities, I take the time to understand the person at the centre of the gathering — their story, values, humour, achievements, and the people who matter most to them. Together, we shape the ceremony to reflect who they are and what they would like this occasion to mean.
Because while funerals honour a life that has been lived, a living wake celebrates a life that is still being lived — and there is extraordinary meaning in that.
If you or someone you love is navigating a terminal illness or end-of-life planning, Palliative Care Victoria offers compassionate resources and guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
A living wake is a ceremony held while someone is still alive, giving family and friends the opportunity to share stories, express love and gratitude, and celebrate the person’s life together in their presence.
Living wakes are often held for people living with a terminal illness, advancing age, or changing health. They can also simply be a choice to celebrate while everyone can be together.
No. A funeral is held after someone has died. A living wake is held while the person is still alive and can be part of the gathering. The tone is typically celebratory and connective rather than focused on grief.
Get in touch to have a conversation about what you have in mind. There is no obligation, and I can help you think through the shape, size, and tone of the gathering.
Get in Touch
If you would like to talk about creating a living wake, I would love to hear from you.