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Visitation is one of the services offered by funeral homes in Maple Shade, NJ. A visitation is an informal gathering held before the funeral where friends and loved ones visit the family to express their condolences.
We sometimes refer to it as wake or viewing. In a visitation, the most crucial part is the visit.
But don’t let the informal nature of the event fool you. You still need to observe a few etiquettes if you are attending one.
This article explains all of them, as it applies to dress code, attendance, and gifts.
Visitation Etiquette for Dress Code
A visitation is an informal event, certainly less formal than a funeral. But ‘casual’ means different things in different cultures.
In Maple Shade, business casual or church clothes are good enough for a visitation. It means, for men, a long-sleeve dress shirt, suit or dress pants, and a modest tie. A dark sports coat is acceptable if you don’t have a business suit.
Women should wear a dress, plain skirt, dress slacks, blouse, business skirt suit, pantsuit, or a sweater set.
How you combine them is your choice. But an important etiquette to observe is avoiding bright, flashy colors or wild, colorful patterns.
You don’t want to be a distraction, and your dress should reflect the mood of the moment.
Visitation Etiquette for Attendance
There are a couple of attendance-related etiquettes to observe when attending a visitation. First, you should attend both the visitation and the funeral, whether you knew the deceased well or were an acquaintance.
If you cannot attend both, you should let the grieving family know in advance. Via phone call, never text.
Secondly, when you arrive, there may be a line of people waiting to offer their condolences to the family. Do not cut the line. It may cause a distraction and pull focus from the deceased.
Instead, join the line and wait your turn.
Lastly, you should spend at least 15 minutes at the visitation. It covers enough time to sign the guest book, express your condolences to the family, and have a drink. But if you wish to stay longer, that’s okay too.
However, if you are a family member or close to one, you should arrive early to help prepare or stay late to help clean up. This is a valuable etiquette to observe as doing so is considered a show of support.
Visitation Etiquette for Gifts
It is unnecessary to bring the family a sympathy gift for visitation, but it is encouraged. A flower arrangement or basket of plants and flowers is particularly well appreciated. They are displayed at the funeral and later delivered to the family’s home.
Other appropriate gifts include a DIY gift basket, compassion package, and personalized throw blanket.
Showing up to express much-needed love and support is the most important etiquette of all, and following these tips will help you do just that.
If you have additional questions or need a funeral home in Maple Shade, NJ, to help you plan a visitation, reach out to us. Answering these questions and helping people with end-of-life services is what we do. Feel free to call us anytime.