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Planning A Funeral Home Reception Event For Family

McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation • August 21, 2022

Funeral home services are often followed by receptions, which are more casual and allow family to spend more time together. But how to plan one? Here are tips.

funeral homes in Goose Creek, SC

There are lots of traditions that go into having services with funeral homes in Goose Creek, SC for a family member that has passed on. You might want to have a visitation service, for example, which is more of an open house and allows people the chance to come and go as they please and say those final goodbyes. Funeral services are next and those also give people closure and a ceremonial way to say goodbye. After that, your family will likely process to the cemetery for the burial portion of the service. But then what? It’s customary to have a reception for your family to have a meal and spend more time together. But how can you plan it? Here are some things to consider.


Set A Budget


As you likely did for the funeral, you might want a budget for the reception as well. It’s nice to know what you have available to spend on the reception before you start planning. You will need to know what types of things you can afford and what you will want to avoid so you don’t overspend. You don’t have to worry about anything terribly fancy as something light and casual can work just as well.


Think About Location


The reception will need to be in a location that allows food. You could have it in a community center, a church fellowship hall, a restaurant, a family home, a local park, or any number of other locations. You will want to think through the costs of certain locations, what you want to do, and what’s available.


Consider Menu Options


You can make a simple menu with things like chips, sandwiches, and salads, or you can do something hot that is served at the right time. Your menu will depend on your budget, of course, as well as what you want for your family. If there are any dietary needs, you might want to think about that.


Decide Who To Invite


Many times, the family will invite anyone who comes to the funeral home service who might want to attend the reception. Other times, the funeral is open to anyone, but they want the reception just for their family members to have an intimate time together as a group. You get to decide and can announce who is invited and where to go at the funeral home service.


While you are welcome to plan all of the details of the reception yourself, you might also let a family member or a close friend work out those details for you. It’s often something someone will offer to do for you and your family and it can relieve you of some of the planning burdens. Check with funeral homes in Goose Creek, SC for options and ideas and they are always there to give you suggestions for any part of the planning process, including what you might want to do for the reception after the funeral home service is complete for your loved one.

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