The complete funeral wake kit list
A wake is not a party dressed down, it is its own kind of gathering: unhurried, catering-led, and usually organised at short notice by someone who has enough to think about already. Here is the shorter, quieter hire list that actually matches it, worked at 50 guests.
A 50-guest funeral wake at home or in a hired hall typically needs: a 20m-class gazebo or small marquee only if the venue cannot hold everyone under one roof, 6 tables (5 for the buffet, 1 set aside for photographs and the condolence book), around 36 chairs (more seating than a standing drinks reception, because a wake's age range needs it), plain linens and simple tableware, catering equipment built around a hot water urn for tea plus a cold buffet, 2 toilets and 1 accessible toilet if the venue's own facilities will not stretch, and a quiet self-pour drinks table for wine and soft drinks rather than a staffed bar. Typical hire budget: £900 to £2,200 before catering.
The kit list, line by line
Worked at 50 guests. Every line links to the full category guide with prices.
| Item | Quantity logic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gazebo or small marquee | 1.4 sqm per guest → 20m-class for 50 | Skip this line entirely if a hall, pub function room or golf club already holds everyone; hire only fills the gap |
| Tables | 1 per 12 guests, casual buffet ratio, + 1 dedicated table for photographs and the condolence book | 6 tables at 50 guests |
| Chairs | Seats at a 40% standing share → 36 at 50 guests | A wake skews toward standing conversation, but the age range in the room means more seating than a party this size would need |
| Linens & tableware | Cloth per table, cup or mug per guest for tea, plate per guest for the buffet | Plain white or ink-toned cloths suit a wake better than anything bright or patterned |
| Catering equipment | Hot water urn for tea and coffee + a cold buffet spread rather than a hot plated meal | The urn gets more use than anything else on this list; wakes run on tea |
| Toilets | 1 per 50 with drinks served, minimum 2 applies at this size → 2 + 1 accessible | Skip if the venue already has enough of its own |
| Drinks table | 1m of frontage per 35 guests → 2m at 50 | A self-pour wine and soft drinks table, not a staffed bar with a running tab |
| Heating | Only if the reception is under canvas outside the summer months | A cold room makes a hard day harder; heat it properly or move it indoors |
A gathering, not a party
A wake is usually organised in the space of a week by someone already stretched thin, so the hire list should ask as little of them as possible: no dance floor, no lighting rig, no staffed bar running a tab. What it needs is a warm, dry room for people to stand, sit, eat something and talk, for two or three hours after the service.
Most of the list follows from catering rather than entertainment. The hot water urn is not a nice-to-have, it is close to the whole point: tea and coffee flow constantly at a wake in a way they rarely do at any other kind of gathering, and running out partway through is the one hire failure that people actually notice on the day.
Venue first, hire second
Most wakes happen somewhere that already has walls: a pub function room, a golf club, a church or village hall, or the family home. Hire exists to fill whatever that venue lacks, extra seating, a marquee in the garden if the house cannot hold the numbers, an urn if the hall kitchen only has a kettle, rather than to build a whole event from a bare field.
The age range at a wake is usually wider than at most events, so access matters more than it would at a party the same size: level ground from the car park to the door, enough seating close to that route for anyone who cannot stand for long, and a marquee or gazebo pitched somewhere step-free if the garden is the only option.
What it costs, honestly
For 50 guests, a full hire list, gazebo or marquee, furniture, linens, catering equipment, toilets and a drinks table, typically runs £900 to £2,200 before catering, less than most events this size because there is no dance floor, no lighting and no staffed bar in the numbers.
The venue decision is the biggest lever by far: a hall or function room with its own toilets, tables and chairs can shrink this list down to little more than catering equipment and a drinks table, while a garden reception at home carries the full structure and furniture cost.
Funeral wake: the questions that follow
Do we need to hire toilets for a wake at home?
Only if the house toilets genuinely cannot cope with the numbers or are not easily reached from where guests are gathering, such as a garden marquee some distance from the door. At 50 guests with drinks served, the standard ratio is 2 units plus 1 accessible; many home wakes with good indoor access skip hire entirely.
How many chairs does a wake actually need?
Fewer than a seated meal, more than a standing drinks reception. At 50 guests, around 36 chairs covers it: enough for older relatives and anyone who needs to sit throughout, with standing room for the rest to mingle, which is closer to how most wakes actually run.
Do we need a marquee for a wake, or can we use a hall?
A hall, pub function room or golf club is usually simpler and cheaper if one is available at short notice, since it already covers toilets, tables and weather. A marquee or gazebo only earns its place when the reception is at a private home and the house cannot hold the numbers indoors.
Is a staffed bar appropriate at a wake?
Most families choose a quiet self-pour table for wine and soft drinks rather than a staffed bar with a running tab, which suits the tone of the afternoon and needs no licence when the drinks are free to guests. A licence is only needed the moment anything is sold.
Not sure what you need yet?
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