Patriotic Funeral Luncheon Ideas for Your Soldier

Experiencing the loss of a family member or friend is never easy. If you are reading this, you most likely have walked through the passing of a dear family member. I’m hugging you! I, too, had to embrace the arrangement process with my Grandpa. It would be my privilege to help make these steps a little easier by sharing some sweet patriotic funeral luncheon ideas that you can use to style and stage a memorial meal in honor of your precious loved one.

This post is all about funeral luncheon ideas. It contains affiliate links, meaning I might receive a commission, but at no cost to you.

Tribute to My Grandpa, Papa

My grandpa, AKA, Papa, recently went home to be with the Lord. His passing hit me very hard in light of how close we were. He was always there to encourage, listen, and support me in any way he and my grandma could.

Papa was a wonderful grandfather, dad, son, brother, uncle, and friend. He served in the Korean war and will forever be a favorite soldier of mine. He will be truly missed by so many. I’m encouraged knowing that I will see him again one day.

Funeral Luncheon Ideas

Hosting a funeral luncheon is a beautiful way to honor your loved one and show support and comfort to those who are still here. Serving good food and dressing your hosting space in a way that represents him/her will make the experience very memorable.

Feel free to honor him/her in every possible way. From food names to little added embellishments, to color schemes, to food flavors, do what they would love if they were still here with you.

For my Papa, I decorated the kitchen and dining room spaces in patriotic décor in light of his serving our country in the army. I went with a red, white, and blue color scheme on the tablescapes, as well as in some of the food choices.

The cute toothpick flags were the perfect addition as toppers to the Morning Glory Muffins. Click here for the recipe. I love the muffin name; a sweetly symbolic title for his new life in Heaven.

I created a red, white, and blue charcuterie board to bring in another layer of patriotism. Then, added blue tortilla chips and mild red salsa for more festive colors and to top off the appetizer area.

Funeral Luncheon Centerpieces

Centerpieces for a funeral luncheon can be designed in a special way that will honor your loved one. You can use picture frames with his/her photos inside for your guests to reminisce. You can showcase his/her favorite cake, on a footed cake platter in the middle of the main table. Or, you can tuck small bundles of flowers, in colors that represent his/her life, in pretty vases as the sweetest table focal points.

If you have enough time between the service and the luncheon, you can gather the floral arrangements from the funeral home and create beautiful centerpieces, as I did. I took the casket spray and created little floral clusters for the three tables at our brunch.

Typically if you are having a luncheon at a restaurant, you will not need centerpieces. Just the food and fellowship will be wonderful.

Who Should Attend Funeral Luncheon?

Depending on how many people come to a funeral service will, many times, determines how many people join the luncheon. The restaurant will ask for a rough estimate of how many friends and family members will be attending. This number is not set in stone, so do not worry. A rough guess is perfectly fine. We were under our estimate, and the restaurant was perfectly fine with it.

Funeral Luncheon Cost

At the time of this post, the average cost per restaurant plate is $25. I called quite a few venues, and the price range was between $23-$27 per person. Taxes and gratuity are extra.

In our situation, we had Papa’s funeral service on Friday morning and then went to the restaurant right afterward for lunch. His burial wasn’t until the following Monday, so we decided that I would host a small brunch at our home right after the burial.

I’m so happy we decided to connect again for some good food because it gave us another opportunity to give more hugs, shed more tears, and share more stories. This moment was much needed and so worth it!

Who Pays for the Funeral Luncheon

The experts say that the immediate family members of the deceased pay for the repast meal. In the case of my papa, my parents paid for the luncheon because he was my dad’s father. Keep in mind, if there’s more than one sibling, the bill for the luncheon can be split amongst the brothers and sisters.

Funeral Luncheon Menu Ideas

For the small brunch/luncheon that we served in our home, here is the menu.

• Red, White, and Blue Charcuterie Board- (packed with fruits, veggies, meats, and cheeses)
• Chips and Salsa
• Breakfast Casserole- (click here for the recipe)
• Ham Slices
• Bagel Bites with Cream Cheese
• Yogurt Bar with Granola, Berries, Maple Syrup, and Honey
• Morning Glory Muffins- (click here for the recipe)
• Papa’s Favorite Carmel Cake – (click here to get in touch with my sister at sweetannie_co if you are in need of a cake)

If you host a funeral luncheon at a restaurant, the food options are similar to what you would serve at a wedding. Typically, you can choose 1-2 meat options, a couple of starches, and a vegetable, and it usually comes with bread and butter.

How to Create a Similar Patriotic Look

• Blue and White Wrapping Paper- https://amzn.to/3LXmZKF
• Red, White, and Blue Wooden Stars- https://amzn.to/3FWBPNM
• Red, White, and Blue Rattan Stars- https://amzn.to/3zjpXl3
• American Flag Toothpicks- https://amzn.to/3KbmvPU
• White Cake Stand- https://amzn.to/40dPd8l
• 3 Tiered Silver Cupcake Stand- https://amzn.to/3Zlgm7V
• Red Votive Holders- https://amzn.to/3LX0eX9
• Cheese Knives Set- https://amzn.to/3KdLjqx
• Rectangular Porcelain Serving Plates- https://amzn.to/42QuPM8

Conclusion

Thank you for joining me as we looked at some thoughtful, patriotic funeral luncheon ideas. I hope this gave you some sweet ideas for how you can style a repast meal to honor and celebrate the life of your loved one.

Thank YOU! 💓

Here is my biggest THANK YOU to all of those who came to honor and celebrate Papa’s life. Barbra, Paula, and Nancy who drove about 22 hours to get here- you are WONDERFUL. To our dear friends and family who took the time to show their love, pray, send cards, and provide food and support, my family and I felt your kindness, and you gave a little bit of sweetness to this process. THANK YOU!

P.S. Note of Encouragement

Love those around you today. We are not promised tomorrow but are given this new and fresh day right now. Embrace it! Hug those tightly around you and let them know how much they mean to you. Cherish your family and friends and live fully in the moment of the here and now.

If you don’t know where you will spend eternity, you can know. You can know, that you know, that you know, you are going to Heaven one day if you believe in Jesus Christ and ask Him to come and live in your heart. He’s faithful to hold you tight every day and to walk with you as you navigate your life’s journey all the way to the finish line.

You are called for such a time as this. You have a purpose and a reason you were created. You were made for today. Fully live!