Our Monthly Tip: Incorporate a Fall Backdrop as a Memorial in Nature for Celebrations of Life

Fabric and dried autumn foliage create a beautiful natural setting for a loved one’s eulogy

Holding a celebration of life outdoors creates a special opportunity to invite nature in as part of the ceremony. For an autumn memorial, a wooden frame draped in textured fabric and adorned with dried grasses, seasonal foliage and flowers can create a warm and intimate setting for a eulogy or remembrance ceremony. Set against a beautiful natural backdrop such as a pond, meadow, garden or grove of trees, the structure can serve as both a focal point for the ceremony and a visual entrance into the space of remembrance.

Let Nature Set the Scene

For an outdoor celebration of life, consider a location that held special meaning for your loved one. A place where they found peace, happiness or joy, allowing the setting itself to become just as meaningful to the ceremony as the decorations. Fall memorial backdrop locations such as a quiet pond, autumn meadow, wooded clearing or garden surrounded by seasonal foliage, are examples of places where the natural landscape can become part of the ceremony. Mindfully choosing the outdoor setting creates an opportunity to position the backdrop so that the landscape becomes part of the view behind the speaker. In this way, the memorial does not simply take place in nature; it becomes a part of it.

Building the Memorial Backdrop

A custom wooden frame can create a beautiful backdrop, but you don’t need a carpenter to achieve this effect. The backdrop truly begins with a sturdy frame designed to withstand outdoor conditions. A freestanding garden arbor, wedding arch, or portable backdrop stand can provide an easy alternative and is often available from garden centers, event-rental companies or home-improvement stores. Once the frame is positioned securely, it can be transformed with fabric, foliage and dried grasses to create a backdrop that feels custom-made for the memorial.

You may want to obtain:

• • •    a freestanding garden arbor, wedding arch or backdrop
  • •    textured natural fabric
  • •    moldable floral or craft wire
  • •    dried autumn foliage
  • •    dried fall grasses
  • •    pampas grass
  • •    fresh seasonal leaves and flowers
  • •    an antique table, credenza or small side table
  • •    a copper box or vessel
  • •    eucalyptus or other seasonal greenery
  • •    a microphone and any materials needed for the eulogy

Drape the Fabric

Once the frame is securely positioned, drape the fabric over both sides of the structure. Rather than pulling the fabric tightly, allow the material to fall naturally for a loose, organic appearance. Use moldable wire to create simple tiebacks to hold the fabric in place. 

Add Autumn Foliage and Grasses

Create a large spray of dried fall grasses, pampas grass, fresh autumn leaves and seasonal flowers to place at the top of the arch. Secure the arrangement to the frame using wire, allowing some of the grasses and foliage to extend naturally beyond the edges. 

Create a Simple Eulogy Table

An antique table, credenza or small side table can provide a natural decorative element while leaving enough room for a microphone, notes and any other materials the person delivering the eulogy may need.

Enjoy Remembering Your Loved One

While creating a fall memorial backdrop can add something extra special, it doesn’t have to be a complex set up. For an especially simple option, use two sturdy freestanding plant stands to support draped fabric. No matter what outdoor landscape is chosen, Autumn’s changing leaves, grasses moving in the breeze and the natural colors of the season can provide a gentle reminder of life’s cycles of change, beauty and remembrance of the one you hold dear.

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