It can be a problematic decision to decide what to serve up your guests at a wake. In some situations the menu you require will be determined by the time of day at which the funeral takes place. For instance with a funeral which takes place at between 9 and 10.30 it would probably be appropriate to offer your guests tea and coffee and Danish pastries and Croissants. In the summer if available see if your caterer (if you have one) can provide scones and cream. We certainly have these available at all times using our own home made strawberry and raspberry jam.
With a late morning funeral followed by a wake the food to be provided will now need to include those you would expect from a light lunch. We would seek to provide a selection of sandwiches which need to cater for both vegetarian and meat eating guests. In addition you might wish to offer a selection of both meat and vegetable canap.
For a funeral which has taken place over lunch meaning that your guests would have been unable to eat prior to the service it would be sensible to look at a more substantial buffet. As well as the aforementioned sandwiches, we would look to supply quiche, samosas, chilli and chicken bites, camembert parcels and a selection of vol au vents.
What you order will of course also depend on your budget. For the early funeral a price of between 3 and 4 would probably be reasonable. For the light per lunch buffet you could expect to pay between 4 and 5.50 a head. For the full buffet you will expect to pay between 5 and 7 per head.
Your caterer should be able to deliver and set up your buffet at your chosen venue be that at home, a church hall or a pub. Most caterers will like a bit of notice but a few days should be fine. If you do not wish to carry money on the day, either pay in advance or see if your caterer will accept a cheque sent on after the funeral has taken place.