The wake — the gathering after the funeral — is often where people actually talk, remember and support each other. It can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be.
The main decisions
- Where: a home, a hotel or function room, a pub, a church hall, or outdoors
- When: straight after the service, or later the same day
- Who: everyone from the service, or close family and friends only
- Food and drink: catered, a buffet, or tea and sandwiches
- Whether to mention it in the funeral notice or invite people directly
Letting people know about the gathering? →
The Funeral Announcement Generator helps you create clear wording to share the funeral and wake details with family and friends.
Keeping costs sensible
Venue hire and catering for a large group can cost as much as the funeral service itself. Holding the gathering at home or in a community hall, with a simple buffet, is every bit as warm — and far kinder to the budget.
What actually matters
People remember the atmosphere, not the sandwiches. A few photographs of the person, some of their favourite music, and space for people to talk will do more than any amount of catering.