If someone has passed on, please call us immediately. We are available 24/7, to help and guide you at every step. Call us any time on 0118 946 1393
The wake, sometimes referred to as a funeral reception, is a gathering of family and those who knew the person who has died, providing a chance to share memories, pay tribute to and celebrate their life.
While it remains a sombre event, without the formalities of the funeral, it gives more opportunity for those in attendance to pay their respects in their own way. Many consider a wake to be a great comfort at such a difficult time.
A wake can be held before a funeral service but is commonly held immediately after. If you choose an unattended funeral, you have greater flexibility on when the wake is held and it could be held instead of, rather than as well as, the ceremony.
There is already a lot to think about when a loved one passes away, and we will do all we can to support you. There are a number of options when it comes to planning a wake but traditionally a wake will:
Let's go through the options to give you some ideas.
You can hold a wake anywhere that's local, and if space permits, you may choose to hold it in your own home. Choice of venue will depend on the number of guests in attendance, but some options are:
Each venue will vary on price of hire and catering. We have listed a selection of popular wake venues in Reading below, but there are many to choose from.
The Shoulder of Mutton – 1.5 miles from our funeral home
The Crown, Playhatch – 1.6 miles from our funeral home
The Traveller's Rest – 0.5 miles from our funeral home
The catering options will vary by venue chosen, your budget and the time held. Biscuits and/or cake along with tea, coffee and cold drinks would always be welcome, but for a larger number of guests you may choose to offer a warm or cold buffet.
You could ask guests to bring something with them, perhaps a dish they knew the deceased was a fan of, or something connected with the Reading or Berkshire area such as Eton Mess or some Wigmore cheese.
If you are holding the wake in a local Reading pub or hotel, guests can, of course, buy their own alcoholic drinks or bar food. You could arrange for a round of your loved one's favourite beer or wine and propose a toast in their honour.
As part of our service, we provide a complimentary online Funeral Notice to help you inform guests of the arrangements for a funeral, or to announce when an unattended cremation is taking place. This makes it quick and easy to pass on funeral details and is an ideal way to provide information about the wake, too.
Social media is also popular when it comes to passing on information and you can, of course, include a wake invitation as part of your funeral stationery or include a notice in local press. We can assist you in making these arrangements, so please don't hesitate to tell us if you would like our help.
A well filled photo collage will give guests the chance to reminisce about their time with the person who has died. You may prefer to just have a photo album on display for guests to look through, tracing right back to baby pictures and into adolescence. But if you have the time, skills, or know someone who can help you, you could display a rolling presentation in tribute to your loved one.
Guests could provide photos/stories/video clips or kind words before the day, and these could be featured. The venue chosen may be able to assist with the necessary hardware, such as a laptop and projector.
We hope you have found this guide useful, but if you should need any assistance in arranging a wake here in Reading for your loved one, our team can help. We can help you celebrate the life of your loved one with a gathering alongside, or in place of, a ceremony.
4 King Edwards Court,
King Edward Square,
Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands, B73 6AP
Calls are recorded for monitoring and quality purposes. All calls made to 0800 and 0808 numbers are free of charge whether made from a landline or mobile phone. Dignity Funerals Limited is a company registered in England No. 00041598. VAT registered No. 486 6081 14. Registered office: 4 King Edwards Court, King Edwards Square, Sutton Coldfield B73 6AP. Dignity Funerals Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 967130. Please note that the selling and administering of funeral plans is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however if you are purchasing a funeral without a funeral plan this will not be covered by FCA regulation.