When Shanika and I learned about Death Over Dinner parties, we couldn’t wait to host our own! At work, we’d always talk about subjects surrounding death, so this was right up our alley.

We had a black, white and red theme and requested guests to wear those colors. We knew it would be a memorable night, but as our guests became more and more engaged, we all connected in ways we hadn’t imagined. Note to ourselves: GIRLS LOVE TO TALK! In the planning phase, we stressed that people wouldn’t talk so openly about death, so we created a document full of conversation starters, but quickly realized we wouldn’t need them.

We began the night upstairs in my loft with wine, watching YouTube videos about brave souls facing death, which led to heavy discussions. We then headed downstairs to feast at a beautifully-decorated table where we shared personal stories and learned about options surrounding death. At the end of the night, we took pictures and after a close look at them, swore we were being visited by some “other realm” friends :).

It was a night that our guests continue to speak highly of. They have even requested that we host more informational nights similar to our Death Over Dinner one. Thank you so much for sparking the idea to bring people together to talk about something so taboo. We hope others take the leap and contribute to getting these types of conversations started around the globe!