Funeral reception and repast RSVPs, with a count for the kitchen
The service may be open to everyone, but the meal afterward needs a number. Share one link, let households reply in two taps, and give the caterer or kitchen committee a real count.
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How do you get a headcount for a funeral reception or repast?
First decide whether the meal is open to everyone at the service or just family and close friends, and say so plainly. Then share one link with the place, the time, and a reply-by date by text, email, or the family group chat, and announce it at the end of the service too. With Hejmo, each household replies Yes, Maybe, or No without an account, adds who's coming with them, and can mention a dish they're bringing in their note. The count updates as replies arrive.
Open to everyone, or family only?
The family decides. Many receptions and repasts are open to everyone who attended the service. Others are for family and close friends, especially when space or food is limited.
Either way, people shouldn't have to wonder where to go next. Put the place and time in the link, and announce it at the end of the service too.
In many Black churches the meal is called the repast, often hosted in the fellowship hall by a bereavement or kitchen committee, and it's also written "repass." Elsewhere you'll hear a funeral luncheon, a bereavement lunch, or a reception.
Reception and repast wording you can copy
Say who the meal is for, where it is, and why you're asking for a reply. A dish note saves the kitchen a round of phone calls.
An open repast
For a repast everyone at the service is welcome to attend.
After the service, the family invites everyone to the repast in the [Church] fellowship hall. Please tap yes or no so the kitchen committee can plan.
Lunch after the burial
When the meal follows the graveside service.
Lunch will be served at [place] after the burial. Please let us know how many in your household are coming by [day].
Family and close friends
Give each household its own private link for a private reception.
The reception after [Name]'s service is for family and close friends. This link is just for your household. Please reply so we can plan the food.
Bringing a dish
When relatives and friends help with the food.
If you'd like to bring a dish to the repast, please note it with your reply so we don't double up. Thank you for helping us take care of everyone.
What to include so the kitchen can plan
A reception runs smoothly when everyone knows where to go and the kitchen knows how many.
Where and when
- The place, with the hall or room name
- The start time, and roughly how long it will run
- Directions from the service or the cemetery
- Parking notes
Who it's for
- Whether it's open to everyone or family only
- Whether children are welcome
- A reply-by date that gives the kitchen time
- Who to call with questions
Food
- A full meal, or light refreshments
- Whether guests may bring a dish
- Dietary needs, noted with each reply
- Who is preparing or catering the meal
Three steps to a count you can plan around
Set it up in a few minutes, share it where word is already spreading, and let the replies come to you.
Add the details and a few words about them
Name, date, time, and the address, plus what happens afterward. A few sentences about the person are enough.
Share one link, or one per household
Send the shared link by text, WhatsApp, email, or a Facebook post. For a private gathering, give each household its own private link instead. Nobody needs an account or an app.
See who's coming, and read their notes
Replies arrive with a headcount for the meal and any note a guest leaves for the family. A sibling or friend can co-host and watch the list with you.
Quiet by default, with their photo if you like
Every memorial invitation is free and leaves out party language. With $12 Plus Remembrance, their photo sits in a frame above their name in one of four quiet styles, shown here on a celebration of life.
IvoryWarm paper and an arched frame. The traditional choice. 
SlateDeep slate and pewter, for a formal or evening service. 
SageSoft green, an oval frame, and a small olive branch. 
MistPlain white with a simple frame. Suits any faith or tradition.
Who it's for
Best for
- Repasts, funeral luncheons, and receptions that need a number
- Church kitchen and bereavement committees planning food
- Families who welcome a dish noted with the reply
- Private receptions with one link per household
Not the best fit for
- Ordering catering or booking a venue
- Collecting donations
- Printed cards or programs; Hejmo is for the phone
Easy on your guests.
They open the link and tap an answer. That's the whole ask. No account, no app, no phone number, and never an ad. Works on any phone.
Questions
Common questions about funeral receptions and repasts.
What is a repast?
The meal after a funeral, especially in Black church tradition. It's often held in the church fellowship hall, at the funeral home, or at a family home, and it gives people time together after the service.
Is it "repast" or "repass"?
The dictionary word is repast. "Repass" is a common spoken and written form, and people use both.
Do you need an invitation to the repast?
It depends on the family. Many repasts are open to everyone at the service, and others are private. Follow the program, the announcement, or the invitation.
Who pays for the repast?
Usually the family, though a church, a fraternity or sorority, or another group sometimes helps host it.
Should I bring food?
Ask first. Some families welcome a dish, and others have the meal catered or prepared by a committee. Noting it in your reply helps avoid duplicates.
What does Hejmo do for funeral receptions?
Hejmo is an online invitation and RSVP link for an in-person funeral reception. Memorial invitations are free, with no ads and no party language. Guests reply Yes, Maybe, or No in two taps without an account. They can add who's coming with them and leave a note for the family. You see a live count. Plus Remembrance ($12, once per event) frames their photo above their name, with "In loving memory" and their years.
Give the kitchen a number
One link, two-tap replies, and a note from each household, such as a dish they're bringing. Free, with no ads.
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