“Live with Kelly and Mark” co-host Kelly Ripa shares some of the most personal details of her life with her fans in a unique way. So it came as no huge shock when the New York-based television talk show host revealed that she has decided to plan her own funeral.
Kelly Ripa said she came up with the idea after reading an article in People Magazine about an 80-year-old Georgia woman named Shelvy Neal, who decided to throw her own funeral so she could enjoy her send-off with family and friends, calling it her “FOMO funeral.”
Per People, Neal’s husband passed away earlier this year, and ever since, she had begun thinking about her own funeral. Neal spoke with her daughters and revealed that she hated the thought of not attending her own funeral. So instead, she came up with the idea of planning and attending her own funeral before the time came. Her daughters, understanding their mother’s FOMO, agreed to her wishes and planned the event to coincide with Neal’s 80th birthday.
Kelly Ripa Considers Jumping on the FOMO Funeral Bandwagon
Needless to say, Kelly was so captivated by the idea that she revealed on Live with Kelly and Mark that this is what she would also like to do as well. Ripa admits that she has a few requests when planning her FOMO funeral. First of all, she wants her Live family members and the show’s producer, Michael Gelman, to take charge of the festivities.
“Put everybody in charge of what they’re typically in charge of. Everybody has their typical jobs. You be there, you eulogize, say nice things,” Ripa assured Consuelos before reminding the audience that she’s “going to be there, because I’m alive” in this scenario, calling it “the FOMO funeral.”
However, should she change her mind beforehand and opt for a traditional funeral, which will be out of her control, she wants everyone to know her final requests include a destination funeral service. But most importantly, she absolutely does not want her husband, Mark Consuelos, to have anything to do with choosing her final outfit. She is pre-banning him from having anything to do with her wardrobe at all, and with good reason, she states.
Mark Consuelos Banned From Making Wardrobe Decisions
Kelly claims that Mark lost all rights to have any opinions or make any decisions on her wardrobe years ago. She reveals that following the birth of their first child, Michael, she suffered a scary health issue where she passed out, leading to a trip to the hospital.
This shook up both Kelly and Mark, who hurriedly grabbed some clothes for his wife to put on before heading to the hospital. The outfit to this day still gives Kelly nightmares. Consuelos, per Kelly, dressed his wife in a green leotard, soccer pants, and high-heeled shoes. “Let me just say, I sailed in right past the gunshot victims because I looked so bad,” Ripa quipped.
What is a FOMO Funeral?
These days, more and more people are moving away from the traditional/somber funerals for their loved ones. Wellbeing News reports 50 to 60 percent of families are opting for alternative types of funerals these days. Fun-erals/celebrations of life and now FOMO options are on the rise.
Families are choosing more cheerful and personalised services to help the grieving process. Distinct Cremations Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Hull, reveals that these days many families prefer to focus on remembering the joy of a person’s life, rather than focusing on the sadness of saying goodbye.
“While they often include similar elements to a traditional service, there aren’t any strict rules around planning a celebration of life service, so you can make them as casual, upbeat, and unique as you please, with no pressure to follow certain traditions or expectations.
“Many choose to incorporate a cheerful theme that represents a person’s interests, hobbies, or passions, which can influence the day’s music, decor, and food.” This also allows a more flexible dress code, moving away from the traditional black attire.
Traditional Versus Celebrations of Life
So whether you are like Kelly Ripa and agree with the changing, more trendy funeral options, or tend to follow the traditional funerals most are accustomed to, it all comes down to personal final wishes and how the family chooses to grieve the loss of their loved ones.
But for Kelly Ripa, it all seems to be less about a final goodbye and more about enjoying a gathering with all of her loved ones, and being there to share the memories with her friends and loved ones. No matter which final plan option Kelly decides to choose, one thing is clear, she will be dressed to the nines, and without any input from Mark.
Joann covers high-profile industry features, investigative entertainment stories, and long-form trending media profiles. She has 15 years of experience in the online news vertical.
