Technology company Vivedia, widely recognised for its bereavement-facing sub-brand Obitus, delivers advanced audiovisual services to support funeral directors, venues, and officiants in offering families a more personal, meaningful, and positive end-of-life experience. Their services span music, video streaming, bespoke content creation, booking systems, and venue management – supporting over 300 venues and 5,000 funeral directors and facilitating over half of all funerals in the UK.
In line with its mission to redefine funeral services through immersive technology, Vivedia has partnered with Gedling Crematorium in Nottingham – owned by Westerleigh Group – to launch the world’s first experiential funeral venue. The site integrates innovative sound, lighting, and visual storytelling to deliver a deeply personalised service. A key partner in the delivery of this project was 3LR Lighting, which provided lighting design, concept development, and technical consultation.
The project followed over two years of R&D, during which Vivedia engaged directly with families to better understand what makes a service emotionally resonant. 3LR’s involvement, led by Business Development Manager Stuart West, began with a request to improve standard presentation lighting. However, once deeper conversations unfolded, the role of lighting quickly evolved into a central component of the overall immersive experience.
Gedling Crematorium’s immersive offering is built on three technological pillars: a Canvas Wall for dynamic projection and custom visuals, a multi-point audio system for spatial sound and selected tracks, and a customisable lighting design that brings atmosphere and emotion to each service. 3LR was responsible for designing and implementing a lighting system that complemented both the audio and video elements and contributed to the holistic emotional environment.
West detailed the technical selection process, which included fixtures from ETC, Studio Due, and LEDFlex, chosen for their colour accuracy, dimming capability, and architectural discretion. ETC’s Irideon Washes were used for presentation lighting, Studio Due SMART17 RGBWA fixtures handled ambient colour washes, and LEDFlex RGBW linear lighting was used to uplight the Canvas Wall area.
For the Catafalque area, ETC’s Navis 100 range was deployed – with both Chroma and Fade-to-Warm versions enabling colour tuning that enhances natural wood tones and floral arrangements, regardless of whether colour theming is used.
Control and power were centralised via an ETC F-Drive R12, offering modular expansion and consistent dimming across all fixtures, future-proofing the infrastructure while maintaining system simplicity.
Final commissioning and creative integration were led by West, who worked on-site to ensure the lighting perfectly aligned with Vivedia’s bespoke video content. Following a high-profile launch attended by industry organisations such as the ICCM, SAIF, and the Cremation Society, the venue now sees over 95% of families choosing to incorporate these features into their services.
Vivedia has already announced plans to expand this experiential model to other venues nationwide, with 3LR set to remain a key delivery partner. Stuart West remarked on the significance of the project:
“It’s been inspiring to see how lighting can influence emotion in such a meaningful context. Vivedia’s vision aligns perfectly with our philosophy of ‘lighting by emotion,’ and it’s been a privilege to support the evolution of funeral services in such a forward-thinking way.”
Simon Taylor, Venue Experience Producer at Vivedia, added:
“This project allows us to personalise every aspect of the chapel experience. From mood to message, the lighting design helps us control and elevate key moments throughout the service. Working with 3LR has been invaluable – their technical insight and emotional intelligence helped us unlock the full potential of the space.”
