There will be many things you need to do after the death of a loved one and this can be overwhelming. One of these things can be to put together a reception after the funeral or memorial. Receptions can be a great way to get people to mingle and feel less alone with their loss, but you may be feeling stressed about having to make arrangements for this, as well. To make things a bit easier, there are some tips that directors of funeral homes in Lebanon, PA want you to consider. 

One of the first things that you need to do is to put a budget together. The budget you have available will impact all of the other decisions you make, including the location for the reception, and what kind of refreshments you will offer, so do this first. Get quotes from different caterers, locations, and even from flower providers, so that you can have all of the information you need to be able to create a realistic budget you can follow. 

You also want to consider the number of people that you want to attend the service. This will have an impact on many decisions, so it is important to think about it early in the process. You want to make sure that the location you choose can accommodate the guests, so having a clear idea of their number is crucial. If you are not planning on inviting everyone for the reception, you will want to send individual invitations so that no one gets offended. 

The refreshments that you offer is another thing that you want to think about carefully. Catering can be expensive and not everyone can offer this option. If you are worried about this or if you are working with a limited budget, you will want to consider asking guests to donate platters of food. This can be a great solution. 

Something that people worry about and that can make it more stressful to plan a reception is whether or not to invite all of the guests or a select few. This will depend on the budget you have. If you want to invite everyone, then you can let them know of the reception in the obituary or even during the service itself. If you want a few people only, then you can send them individual invitations or call them and let them know. Consider this before making a decision about how many people to invite. 

These are all excellent ways to save yourself lots of stress when planning a funeral or memorial reception. You want to think about the different options you have in terms of location and the kind of food options that you want to consider. A lot of this will depend on the budget you have available, so do not hesitate to start thinking about this early in the process. You can get started making arrangements for the reception by contacting a Lebanon, PA funeral home like us. We are ready to help you with the reception and to ensure that you get all of the options you need. Stop by our location or give us a call right now to speak with our experts.