Category — Christening News and Articles

The baby has arrived, the godparents are chosen, the christening invitations have been mailed and now you’re ready to plan a special christening reception. This is your baby’s special moment created just for him or her and you want it to be a perfect beginning for his life for the future.

Location: Depending on the size of your guest list, you might want to consider places in your town that often host wedding receptions. Typically, these places will have the space and the equipment you need such as table and chairs, table cloths, a kitchen for a caterer and might even set everything up for you. Research the places you think would be the most appropriate venue for your christening reception.

If you’d rather go with a more informal setting, a local park with a children’s play area would be ideal and you could host a picnic or BBQ. Just check with the local council/ranger to make sure there are no fees or reservations needed.

Caterer: Should you choose to have a caterer, find someone who has experience in christening receptions. You’ll also want to make sure you’re on the same page for what to serve. Tell them if you want something as simple as cake and punch, or something as extravagant as a four course meal. Typically the menu will be based on the time of day the reception will be held. During peak lunch or dinner time hours, a full meal should be served. If it’s between those peak times, serve refreshments.

Favors: You’ll want to thank all the people who came to your baby’s christening and reception by having favors available as they leave. There could be something as simple as candy wrapped in tulle and tied with a ribbon or as fancy as a glass cross ornament or bookmark in a ribboned bag. Think about something that’s special to you and your baby’s birth and go for a christening favor that your guests can look at and remember where it came from.

Show Off Your Baby: What else is a christening reception for other than showing off your newborn and celebrating their birth? It’s also a time to enjoy family members that you haven’t seen in awhile or haven’t been able to visit with since the birth of your baby. With ample cause to celebrate, sit back and enjoy the gifts you’ve been given from God!

As you prepare for your child’s birth, something that many fail to think about is finding the perfect godparent or guardian for your child should something happen to you and your spouse. Whether Catholic or not, it’s important to think about who you would want to raise your child and help bring them up in the church.

How to Choose the Perfect Godparent or Guardian:

1. Look to your family members and friends. Contrary to popular belief, this does not have to be the next of kin. The person you choose should ultimately have a similar parenting style, the same spiritual beliefs and the same family values.

If your strict or believe that children should be given free reign; believe in God or don’t, watch the people you’re closest to and see whose parenting is similar to yours. Make a list of the people that would be an appropriate fit. Of course, you and your partner should sit down and discuss each of the people on your list. Once you both agree on someone, invite them over to dinner or somewhere private where you can approach them about the role you’d like them to play in your child’s life. Keep in mind, these people must be willing to perform the duties you ask of them. If they’re not, consider someone else.

2. Do your families get along? Some do and some don’t. If they do, choose someone from each side of the family to be a godparent. If they don’t, don’t discriminate and simply choose someone outside the realm of your family. The last thing you want is for everyone to fight over your child or feel left out because someone else was chosen over them. Consider the personalities when choosing, not only if they get along, but if they could work well together.

3. Begin planning your child’s Christening. You may not have even given birth yet, but you’ll need to plan ahead with your church to see if there are any required prerequisites for you and your child’s godparents. You’ll also need to coordinate a date with your church, find the perfect Christening gown, order Christening invitations and buy Christening favors. Some compare a christening to a wedding with all of the preparations. You’ll not only need to get together a mailing list of your guests that you plan to invite, but also take the time to figure out your christening invitation wording, handwrite your invitations if you choose and mail them out. Doing this prior to your newborns arrival is ideal.

Having a Christening is an exciting time for parents. This is a time when they gather their family and friends to Christen their child into a life of goodness. Many people love to send great invitations to their friends and family to welcome them to the celebration. Usually a ceremony takes place and then a party afterwards.

When parents want to send invitations for their child’s Christening they need to keep several things in mind. First, they should be aware of the price for the invitations and the postage. Remember the more people that you invite, the higher the cost will be. Consider this when you are making your list of how many people you would like at the ceremony because more of the people you invite are likely to attend.

Secondly, they should consider the makeup of the invitation. Wonderful invitations for Christenings have butterflies and flowers on them. That is always a safe bet when parents are sending out Christening invitations. The weight of paper can make a difference too. The sturdier the paper the more expensive the invitations will be. If you are on a budget, you should stick to a lower grade of paper. They will still look just as nice if you pick a good design. Take your time when you are looking at the different designs and find the one that represents you and your wishes as parents for your child.

Thirdly, parents should only send out the amount of invitations that they can afford. Sending too many will result in more people attending than was first thought. Plan ahead and know exactly how many people you have the budget to afford. That way your party after the Christening will be a huge success.

When you are shopping for Christening invitations you can check with your local printing shops. They usually have some great deals. You can also find great sales online. There are several baby stores that also sell wonderful Christening invitations for great prices. You can also make your own invitations if you are really on a tight budget.

Christening invitations are important. They alert your friends and family to the wonderful experience you are about to have when you Christen or Baptise your child. They will love to come so make sure that you send them one so that they can mark it on their calendar. A Christening or their baptism is an important part of your child’s life. Make sure that it is an enjoyable and beautiful experience for all that attend.