WaterFire Providence’s mission is to creatively transform and inspire our city. Our community is strengthened when we join together to acknowledge and remember the significant moments and passages of our lives.
Over the past fifteen years, it has been WaterFire’s great honor to work with families to create personalized memorial observances to mourn the passing of a loved one, to honor a life, and to mark significant community and world events. We are proud to be able to extend this offer to you and hope that you will JOIN US TO CREATE A SPECIAL MEMORIAL or COMMEMORATIVE EVENT OF YOUR OWN AS PART OF WATERFIRE.
We have created many different ways to remember someone to better allow people to find
the best expression of their respect and love.
These offerings include:
Having up to eight family members join us on the water to assemble a brazier in a loved one’s honor and add personal notes and flowers to the bonfire;
Assembling a group of friends to light and set forth a field full of Luminaria candle lanterns to symbolize someone’s impact upon the world;
Arranging for a WaterFire Farewell Voyage where an unmanned canoe ("Orpheus") with a single floral bouquet or brimming with flowers and illuminated by a single candle lantern travels silently through the midst of the art installation. A single paddle rests by the seat in the stern with the candle lantern. The canoe travels past the crowds of WaterFire and through all the bonfires and then heads out to sea;
Holding a toast or torch procession or star processon in someone’s honor;
Distributing to the crowd a hundred flowers, each bearing a ribbon dedicating this special random gift to someone’s memory and containing a cherished quote;
Having candle lanterns lit in someone’s honor with an inscription or dedication, for one night, or for every night of the season. You can light these and set them out yourself, or you can ask that we do it on your behalf;
Hanging a luminous blue star in Starry, Starry Night with your loved one’s name upon the ribbon. You can hang the star yourself or have us do it each night;
Release a balloon sculpture that will traverse the WaterFire installation;
Release a series of floating candles upon the water in someone’s honor;
There are countless ways to honor and celebrate the memory of someone you cherish in a very personal and meaningful way and we are here to work with you to create the best observance.
We would love to work with you to observe the important people and passages in your life and acknowledge those you hold dear. Please email us with a short description of what sort of event you are planning. Tell us more about yourself and the person you are honoring, what you have in mind, the time frame, and an idea of your event scale and budget. We will email back with a selection of additional ideas to get you thinking. The observances we create range from the simple dignity of a two person toast, to more involved affairs.