When planning funerals at funeral homes in Adelphi, MD, people should consider having funeral receptions after the funeral service. Funerals, by nature, are a blur of many decisions at a very rapid pace after your loved one dies.

The reason for this is that you are in shock and numb at the loss of your loved one, even if you knew their death was coming and you thought that you had mentally and emotionally prepared for it. When your loved one died, your brain and body went into protective mode, which is why you’re both in shock and numb in the days after their death.

That is why you should consider having a funeral reception after the funeral service. A funeral reception gives you a break from all the activity that surrounds funerals and lets you spend some relaxed time with friends and family sharing memories and stories of your loved ones and getting some much-needed nutrition and hydration.

You’ve got enough on your plate, so think about turning the planning of the funeral reception over to someone who has offered to help you during this difficult time. The funeral home can help with accommodations for the funeral reception and that person can work with them to plan the funeral reception.

If you’ve been given the responsibility of planning a funeral reception, the best advice is to keep it family-friendly and keep it simple. There are many different ideas you can use for a funeral reception that won’t burden you with a lot of preparation all by yourself.

One of the most popular ideas for a funeral reception is having a potluck meal. People who will be attending the funeral reception can each bring a dish to contribute. You can assign the responsibility for drinks, ice, disposal plates, cups, and eating utensils to specific people to make sure you have everything you need to serve the potluck meal.

If you’d like a more simple funeral reception that doesn’t require people to sit, but instead allows everyone to mingle and talk, here are a few ideas.

Always be sure to have cold water, hot coffee, hot tea, and hot chocolate options for people to drink. Adequate hydration is always an issue for the grieving family because they are so consumed with everything they have to take care of, so having these on hand at the funeral reception will help them out.

You can do a funeral reception based on a theme. You might want to do cookies, dessert bars, and cakes. Instead of spending a lot of time in the kitchen making these sweet treats, go to the grocery store or to a bakery and purchase everything you want to serve. Grocery stores often care all of these dessert items already precut, so all you will need to do is the presentation at the funeral reception.

You can also do a funeral reception that features a variety of crackers, cheeses, spreads, and fruits. Fruits should be in season and should be cut up so that they are easy to eat. If you are using fruits like sliced apples or pears, add a touch of lemon juice to them so that they don’t turn brown before you serve them.

Funeral receptions are a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the funeral process. You will find that they provide a lot of comfort and support at a point when you need it most.

If you’d like to know more about funeral receptions at funeral homes in Adelphi, MD, you can talk with our knowledgeable team at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A.