If you need to attend a wake after someone has died, it is correct etiquette to offer a token of sympathy. You can send flowers or memorial cards for funeral services. These gifts are typically offered to the family of the deceased. They are given during the wake or a few days after the interment.
It is common to give flowers for an interment. A pretty bouquet of lilies, roses or carnations would look fitting. These are blooms that are usually appropriate for funeral services. You can bring a basket of flowers yourself or have one delivered with a note card.
If you want to give something that will last a lifetime, consider giving a plat or tree. You may present this in a small pot at the funeral service. You can also send it to the residence of the grieving family. As a lifetime remembrance to the dead, the plant or shrub can be planted in the garden.
You may also give a donation to a charity in lieu of flowers and traditional gifts. The departed or the family left behind may patronize a particular charitable group. You could make a cash donation to the organization in memory of the dead. Your contribution can be dedicated to the deceased.
You might be able to find a custom guestbook provider. Have one made for this particular interment with the name and other information of the dead etched onto the cover of the booklet. This is something that is useful and will definitely be used during the funeral service and wake.
Check out some note cards where you can write a short message of sympathy. There are those with pre-printed words of condolences and others that are blank where you can inscribe your own message. Send yours with a bouquet of flowers or a potted plant.
