Having a reception after a memorial or funeral service is something that is customary and that can help people deal with the loss of a loved one. People need to mingle and talk and offer each other support and a reception can make this possible. It can be stressful to make these arrangements on top of the funeral or memorial arrangements, however, so it can make a difference to know a few things that you can do to make the process a bit simpler. Here are some tips that directors of funeral homes in Breaux Bridge, LA want you to remember. 

The best thing that you can do when you start planning the reception is to ask people you trust to help you. You will be dealing with many other funerary arrangements and you do not want to get overwhelmed. Choose a few people that you trust and delegate tasks to them so that you can focus on other things. 

You will also want to consider the location for the reception. Some funeral homes offer discounts on renting space if you choose to have the service and the reception with them. You will want to consider a place of worship if that is your preference, or you can choose to have the reception somewhere else, like a park or even at home. 

Consider how you will let people know of the reception. If everyone who attends the funeral or memorial is invited, then you may want to announce it at the service or you can even have it included in the program. If only a select group of people is invited to the reception, you want to be more discrete about it. You can let them know privately about it, or you can even send them invitations online that they can respond to. Knowing how many people you want to invite will help with choosing a location. 

The food is another thing you need to think about with plenty of time. Catering is always a great option but it may not be the right one for everyone because of costs. You can prepare the food yourself if the reception will be a small one, or you can even ask people to donate platters of food for it. This can be a great option, since it allows you to save money and it also lets people contribute to the reception. You need to decide if it will be finger foods and drinks or if it will be more like a pot-luck dinner. 

A reception after a funeral service can be the best thing for everyone who is mourning. It allows people to offer each other comfort and to get the kind of support that they need to get through the grief. If you want to make certain that planning the reception does not take too long and is not too stressful, you will want to consider reaching out for help. You can learn more about putting together a reception by contacting a Breaux Bridge, LA funeral home like us. We are here to help you with everything you need to give your loved one the sendoff they deserve. Visit us today at one of our locations to learn more or give us a call right now to speak with an expert about our options.