Designing ceremonies of the heart — guided by love, story, and sacred presence.
Designing ceremonies of the heart — guided by love, story, and sacred presence.
COLT Event Design was born from lived experience — from
that we don’t have enough ways to honor a life with both soul and structure.
Why legacy storytelling means so much to me…
The first memorial I ever designed was for my nephew, Terry.
In the days that followed, I wrote his eulogy, designed ceremony visuals, and helped shape the emotional flow of the gathering. I was holding space for grief while trying to create something honest and meaningful in the midst of shock and sorrow. In that sacred moment, something became clear to me: we have funerals, but not enough ceremonies of the heart.
I felt the pull toward this work then, but I didn’t act on it. Years later, when someone told me I’d make a great death doula, it reopened a door I’d quietly closed. I looked again at memorial design and found that while the industry hadn’t changed much, my understanding of people, families, and grief had.
This work isn’t just about design for me. It’s about creating a thoughtful container that honors the person who is leaving and supports those who remain. I am not a therapist, but people trust me with their stories, and I know how to listen deeply and translate what matters into something tangible, beautiful, and true.
Earlier in my life, I may have understood this work differently. Now, with age, experience, and years immersed in mindfulness and human-centered work, I understand the responsibility it carries.
COLT arrived when I was ready to hold it.
I’ve spent over 25+ years designing deeply personal events — weddings, celebrations, and gatherings where story becomes form and meaning becomes experience. I see events as containers in time — spaces people carry with them long after they’re over.
I’ve always been attentive to the unseen dynamics in families — the stories we inherit and the ones that surface in moments of transition. That awareness shapes how I listen, design, and support families through loss.
I believe grief deserves care, not performance.
I believe rituals should hold us, not control us.
I believe story is one of the most powerful ways we make meaning — especially at the end of life.
Memorials should reflect the truth of the person being honored, not a prescribed script or expectation. When we create space for honesty, remembrance becomes healing — not because it fixes anything, but because it allows people to feel seen.
Take your time.
Share what feels important.
We’ll meet you there.
We’ve received your message and will be in touch soon.
For now, take a breath.
You’ve already taken an important first step.
