Our Monthly Tip: Serving an Informal Display of Visitation Snacks

Our Tip of the Month

Many people hold a visitation or small get together either before or after a memorial service for a loved one who has died. If you’re planning this type of event, you may want to think about offering some informal visitation snacks to your guests.

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How-to Ideas

Some people choose visitation snacks that were their loved one’s favorite foods. This can be a good idea, but too often the dishes can be difficult to prepare and just as difficult to clean up. After saying goodbye to your loved one, you probably won’t have the wherewithal to make involved dishes.

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Instead, put together an informal array of healthy natural foods. Tightly grouped, off-the-farm presentations are all the rage right now. They are quick to buy, easy to prepare, beautiful to behold and delicious. Your visitation snacks should be elegant and easy. The less work you do, the more beautiful and enticing the presentation will be. Consider vegetables, cheese and crackers, fruit, or sweet displays.

You may also want to consider hiring a caterer to take on the chore of preparing visitation snacks for your guests. Ask them to prepare the snacks and nibbles on marble slabs, bread boards, wood trays or directly on the table. Whether the display is large or small, the aim is to provide bountiful food. Have plenty of water on hand too. Bottled water is easiest, but fruit-infused pitchers of filtered water are also a nice touch.

If you’re feeling shaky and upset, it may be a good idea to put a trusted friend in charge of the snacks. Assigning a friend to help out will also give you a chance to spend time with callers who came to pay their respects to you.

Going through a memorial service can be very trying. Natural visitation snacks can refresh you and your guests and help you through the rest of the day. After the visitation is over, invite your helpers and friends to take any of the leftover food home.