Planning A Cremation Reception

When you have cremation services for a loved one to take care of their needs, you can do whatever else you want for them on any timeline you want in the future. You might want to have a memorial service for them, for example, followed by a reception. Or, you can just have a reception for family. If you do want to have a meal and reception, here are some things you are going to want to figure out and plan before that time arises.

Choose A Date And Time

It’s a good idea to choose a date and time for the reception before you get too far into the planning process. You can pick something that occurs soon after your loved one passes on, or you can choose something a bit into the future when you know family will have time to plan ahead and gather at the right time. You could choose a lunch time, a dinner time, or even breakfast or lunch, depending on what you want to do and how much time you want to spend with family.

Put A Budget Into Place

As is true with any service you want to have for a loved one, it’s a good idea to have a budget for the reception. If you are planning to pay for the meal, no matter what you decide to do, you will need to figure out how much you can afford to spend. A potluck will keep the prices down for you while something that is fully served and catered will be more expensive.

Pick A Location

The location where you have the reception will help you to determine certain things about it. If you have the reception at a restaurant, for example, that will help you to figure out what foods you can include. If you have it at a church, you may have to help with set up or other such things. The location will help you determine what you can and can’t do. You might also have to rent certain locations, which can go into the budgeting.

Decide On Food Options

What types of foods do you want to have at the reception? Part of that might be determined by the time of the day you have the event. If you have it at an odd time that isn’t associated with meals, you can have desserts and snacks as well as drinks available. Otherwise, you might want to have something casual, like sandwich trays, or something more formal, like a fully catered meal. Having things your loved one adored can help to instill their personality into the event, too.

Invite Family/Friends

Once you have things arranged, you will want to invite your family members and friends to the events. Whether you have the reception after a memorial service, or on its own, everyone needs to know what’s happening. The cremation services allow you to have whatever you want on any timeline and in any location. Move forward when you are certain about what you want to do.