Looking for a celebration of life or memorial service venue near Fort Lauderdale? The Center for Spiritual Living Fort Lauderdale, at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, seats up to 275 for a service in its Main Auditorium, with a screen for a photo slideshow and livestreaming for family far away. A reception or repast follows in the Lobby (200 standing) or Multipurpose Room, and 150 parking spaces are on site.
At a glance
- The service: Main Auditorium, 2,944 sq ft, seating up to 275 in rows, or 110 at round tables for a seated meal.
- Slideshow and livestream: a professional sound and video booth with projection and streaming. A Center technician can run it; ask about operator fees.
- The reception: the Welcome Lobby holds 200 standing guests; the Multipurpose Room holds 70 cocktail-style.
- The repast: a licensed commercial kitchen for your caterer or your family, with place settings for 200.
- Someone to lead it: our ministers can officiate a celebration of life for families who are not members.
- Parking: 150 on-site spaces.
- To reach us: call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868.
A place to gather, remember and share a meal
When someone you love dies, the days that follow fill up quickly. There are calls to make, relatives to find flights for and a hundred small decisions. Choosing where to hold the service is one of the first, and it’s easier when one building can hold all of it: the service, the photos and music, the meal, and the hours of conversation afterward.
The Center for Spiritual Living is an inclusive New Thought community that welcomes people of every faith and background. Families hold services here that are religious, spiritual or entirely secular. You don’t need to belong to the Center, and the gathering can look however your loved one would have wanted. You can see all the rooms on our venue rental page.
How quickly can we plan a memorial service?
We know families often need to decide within days. The fastest way to find out what’s possible is to call Jim Wood, our Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868 as soon as you have a few dates in mind. If you can’t reach him right away, leave a message with your name, your preferred dates and the number of guests you expect, or send the same details through our contact page.
Availability depends on the Center’s calendar, so we can’t promise a particular day before we’ve checked. Having two or three possible dates, plus a rough sense of whether you want a meal, helps Jim give you a clear answer on the first call.
Planning tip: Ask one family member to be the point of contact for the venue. When one person holds the dates, the guest count and the slideshow file, decisions move faster and nothing gets asked twice.
Which room fits your service and reception?
Most families use two spaces: one for the service and one for the reception. These capacities come from the venue’s posted numbers.
| Room | Size | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Auditorium | 2,944 sq ft | 275 auditorium-style; 110 seated dinner | The memorial service, eulogies, music, slideshow, livestream |
| Welcome Lobby | 1,418 sq ft | 200 cocktail-style | Greeting guests, a guest book, memory tables, a standing reception |
| Multipurpose Room | 1,026 sq ft | 70 cocktail; 50 auditorium; 40 conference | A smaller service, a family room, or a seated repast for a close circle |
For a small gathering, the Multipurpose Room can hold both the service and the meal. For a larger one, the service fills the Main Auditorium and guests walk out into the lobby for coffee and food.
The service: photos, music and a livestream
A slideshow and video on the big screen
A photo slideshow is often the part of a memorial people remember most. The auditorium’s projection system can show photos and video from a laptop or a file you bring in, and the sound system carries recorded music or a short video tribute. Bring the file on a USB drive and test it during your planning visit if you can.
Livestreaming for family who can’t travel
Relatives in another state or another country may not be able to fly in on short notice. The booth has streaming capabilities, so a Center technician can broadcast the service so people can watch from home. You can see how the Center streams its own gatherings on our livestream page. Ask Jim Wood about equipment and operator fees when you call.
Eulogies, readings and live music
The stage gives speakers a place to stand where everyone can see them, and the sound booth runs the microphones for eulogies, readings and live musicians. The teleprompter can help a nervous speaker who wants their words in front of them.
Who can lead the service?
Some families already have a clergy member or a friend in mind. Others don’t, and that’s common when a loved one wasn’t part of a congregation. A CSL minister can lead a celebration of life for families who are not members. Ask Jim Wood about arranging a minister when you call, so the service can reflect your loved one’s life and your family’s beliefs, whatever they are.
If you want to learn more about how our ministers lead ceremonies for the wider community, see our page on ministers who officiate for non-members.
Contact us about a memorial date
The reception and repast
After the service, people want to stay, talk and eat together. A funeral reception or repast here can be as simple as coffee and pastries in the lobby or as full as a seated meal for 110 at round tables.
What comes with the rooms, as listed on the venue’s rental page:
- Kitchen: a licensed commercial kitchen with a commercial coffee maker, two microwaves, a double-door refrigerator and a commercial reach-in refrigerator with 26 tray holders. Kitchen use is included at no additional charge with the Main Auditorium or Multipurpose Room.
- Dinnerware: place settings for 200, including salad and dinner plates, full dinnerware, basic linen napkins and water glasses.
- Tables: 60″ rounds, rectangular buffet tables and high-top cocktail tables, with basic linens. A buffet table also makes a good memory table for photos, flowers and keepsakes.
- Seating: 275 banquet chairs in the auditorium, plus couches and club chairs in the lobby for older guests who need to sit.
- Wi-Fi and parking: complimentary password-protected Wi-Fi and 150 on-site parking spaces.
Families sometimes ask about bringing food from home, hiring a caterer or decorating the room. The Director of Operations walks you through policies before you confirm, so you’ll know what’s possible. For larger meals, our banquet hall page shows how the auditorium is set for a seated dinner.
How booking works
- Call or inquire. Call Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 with your preferred dates and expected guest count, or write to us through the contact page.
- Visit if you can. A short walk-through of the auditorium, lobby and kitchen helps you picture the day. If time is tight, Jim can talk you through the rooms by phone.
- Hold your date. Jim confirms availability, goes over policies and gives you a quote.
- Plan the setup. Work out the order of the service, the slideshow, the livestream, the officiant and the reception layout with Jim Wood.
Planning from nearby?
The Center is on North Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, a short drive from much of Broward County. Our city guides cover drive times and local details for families coming from Dania Beach, memorial and event space near Pompano Beach and event venues near Tamarac. For the whole county, see our guide to event venue rental in Broward County.
Frequently asked questions
Can we hold a celebration of life if we aren’t members?
Yes. The Center for Spiritual Living welcomes families of every faith and background, and you don’t need to be a member to rent the space. A CSL minister can also lead the service for non-members if you’d like an officiant.
How soon can we book a memorial service?
It depends on the Center’s calendar, so call Jim Wood at 954-566-2868 as soon as you have a few possible dates. Leave a message with your dates and guest count if he can’t pick up. He’ll tell you what’s open and what’s needed to hold the date.
Can the service be livestreamed?
Yes. The Main Auditorium’s sound and video booth has streaming capabilities. A Center technician can run the stream, the microphones and the slideshow; ask about equipment and operator fees.
Can we show a photo slideshow or video?
Yes. The auditorium has projection and a professional sound system for photos, video tributes and recorded music. Bring your file and test it ahead of time if you can.
Where can we hold a repast or funeral reception?
The Welcome Lobby holds up to 200 standing guests, and the Multipurpose Room holds 70 cocktail-style. For a seated meal, the Main Auditorium can be set for 110 at round tables. A licensed commercial kitchen and place settings for 200 support the meal.
How many people can attend a memorial service here?
The Main Auditorium seats up to 275 people in rows. Smaller services of up to 50 seated can use the Multipurpose Room.
Is there parking for guests?
Yes. The Center has 150 on-site parking spaces at 4849 N. Dixie Highway in Oakland Park, so guests and caterers can park on site.
We’re sorry for your loss, and we’d be glad to help. Call Jim Wood, Director of Operations, at 954-566-2868, or send us a note with your dates and we’ll get back to you. You can also look through every room on our rent our space page.