HeldFast Journeys Collection
Remembering here, there, anywhere
A Journeys Collection Gathering brings family and friends together in a setting that reflects the person being honored, while they are here or after they’ve gone. It might be a favorite fishing spot, a garden, a golf course, a shoreline, or another place that was a part of their life.
Guests spend the time together while a HeldFast Guide offers stories and prompts along the way.
People are invited to tell stories or listen. Some read a favorite passage or take part in a symbolic activity connected to the gathering.
Everyone, from children to longtime friends, has a way to take part.
Everything about the day is chosen with the person in mind.
HeldFast has a variety of regional venues, outdoor spaces and partners that can help make Journeys possible.
When a Gathering is held for a person who has passed, some families choose to include a ceremonial moment such as entrusting a portion of their loved one’s remains to a meaningful place.
(HeldFast can advise to the best of its ability about local and state laws regarding the scattering of cremains, but the family is responsible for its own choices.)
Journeys While Ashore or Beyond the Harbor
Journeys experiences are created for individuals and families who wish to set aside time together while a loved one can take part. These gatherings invite people to tell stories and say thank you while the person can still hear it, rather than waiting to celebrate a life later.
Journeys
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The Long Wake
A gathering on a boat or along a shoreline the person loved.
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The Last Cast
One more day of fishing together at a favorite lake or stretch of coastline.
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The Final Round
A round of golf with family and friends. Those who do not golf can walk along.
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The Scenic Route
Loved ones take a shared drive past their favorite places, whether through town or out into the countryside.
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The Perennial Garden
Loved ones plant a tree or a garden together, a place that will keep growing.
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Soundings
Stories shared at a favorite spot, told by the person or in their memory.
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The Harbor Table
A shared meal with guided conversation at a favorite restaurant or the family's own kitchen table.
In more detail
The Long Wake
The Long Wake is a guided gathering aboard a boat or along the shoreline. Families might take a quiet cruise, spend an afternoon on a dock, or sit together on the beach overlooking the water. Your Guide offers prompts throughout, giving everyone time to talk or to enjoy being on the water together.
The Last Cast
The Last Cast offers one more day on the water together. Family and friends fish at the place the person loved most, whether a small inland lake or a familiar stretch of coastline. The time between bites leaves plenty of room for stories.
The Final Round
The Final Round is one more day on the course together. Those who do not golf can walk along and share stories as they go. The focus is on companionship and conversation rather than the score. Please ask about our partner courses.
The Scenic Route
The Scenic Route is a shared ride to places that held meaning for the person being honored, such as the house where they grew up, the shop they ran, or the road they always took the long way home. It can be a short drive through town or an afternoon in the countryside, and memories tend to come up along the way.
The Perennial Garden
The Perennial Garden brings family and friends together to plant a tree, a perennial bed, or a patch of native flowers. The planting gives the family a place to return to in the years that follow, where they can watch it change with the seasons.
Soundings
Soundings brings a group to a favorite spot to share memories, ask questions, and preserve stories. It can be held after a person has passed, or while the person being honored is present to tell their own stories and respond to others.
The Harbor Table
The Harbor Table is a shared meal with guided conversation that encourages stories and laughter. It might take place at the restaurant where the person always ordered the same thing or around the family's own kitchen table, wherever gathering feels most natural. Please ask about our partner venues.