Choosing A Venue for a Funeral Reception or Wake
Following the ceremony, you might want to think about accommodating funeral goers for refreshments, drinks or a celebration of life event. It will be useful to write a list of requirements. How many people are expected – 30 or 300? Do they need overnight accommodation? How large will the room have to be to include everyone and possible entertainment? Do you want a venue close to the cemetery or crematorium? What sort of food is required, sit down dinner or buffet?
It may be that you prefer to have your gathering at home, if so you might find it useful to refer to our section on catering. When choosing to hold a wake or reception outside the home we often make a decision based on a sentimental attachment to a building – where we met our spouse or were married for example. There are many options available including village hall’s, church hall’s, a marquee, pubs, restaurants and hotels.
Obviously the booking will be made at relatively short notice. Venues will expect this so it rarely poses a problem – pubs usually have a function room available and some hotels have designated rooms that are kept available specifically for funeral gatherings. The main advantage here is that the venue will provide food, drinks and trained staff, leaving you valuable time to spend with family and friends. If you are anticipating a number of guests who have travelled a long distance consider a pub with rooms or hotel. Does the venue have adequate parking space? These are just a few of the practicalities to consider.
Larger venues will often offer a full funeral package deal including scaled pricing for buffets, drinks etc at a price per head. If your venue does not have a license to serve alcohol or you are having an outdoor event it is possible to hire a staffed, mobile bar.
Whatever you choose, it’s important that the venue is suitable for the number of people attending and for the kind of event you want to create.
