Organising Christenings
A christening is a special time for the parents, friends, and family of a new baby. First of all, the parents of the child have to choose the godparents. Choices of godparents typically range from close friends to brothers or sisters. New parents should not take the decision of who is going to act as godparent for their baby lightly. Godparents should be able to be trusted implicitly as they will have responsibility to lend a hand in the spiritual guidance of the child. However, once the core issues have been decided on, focus should switch to the type of party or reception that will be thrown for friends and family after the christening.
First of all, remember that you are in charge of your own child’s christening event. You do not have to invite certain people if you really don’t want to. Decide on whom you are sending christening invites to as early as possible but don’t go over your financial budget by inviting the entire world if you cannot afford to. Christening parties do not have to be loud or flashy affairs, and there is no need to splash out on luxury decorations unless you really want to. Most people enjoy having a few balloons here and there – especially as these can provide a form of entertainment for any other young children attending the christening.
Most christening receptions involve putting on a spread of food for guests to enjoy. Rather than spending hours slaving away in the kitchen on your own, call in professional caterers who will do all the hard work for you. If you are hiring a hotel room or pub to hire your reception at, they may also offer a food service. Otherwise, there are plenty of professional mobile caterers who work in every type of setting. During the warmer summer months guests may enjoy a barbeque outside in a garden. However, if there is a chance of bad weather it is better to stay safe indoors with a buffet or sit down meal.
When sending out your christening invitations you should consider the ways in which you could further involve them in the special day. Christening or wedding guest books are a nice touch to have at any personal family celebration as they give people the chance to write down special messages directly to the parents and child. There is a growing trend to have a video recorder set up at christening parties so that guests can also record visual messages. This will provide a lovely keepsake and memory for years to come.
The chances are that there will be a lot of other young children at a christening. As such, it is often a good idea to provide a way of entertaining them. Unusual ideas can include hiring a bouncy castle for guests to enjoy, or creating a treasure hunt around the reception venue. Whatever happens, make sure that you find the time to enjoy your child’s christening as it will only happen once.
