Who Do You Invite to a Christening?
A celebration of your child, and a promise to raise them in faith, a christening is an important celebration. But when you're writing the guest list, who should you invite to the christening?
How many people to invite
Often, a christening is held as part of a normal church service. You'll be around strangers and members of the church. Inviting 100 family members and crowding into the pews may not go down as well as you think. To you, the christening is a wonderful personal celebration. To other people, this is a standard Sunday at church and a sudden influx of guests might intimidate.
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Keep invites to the ceremony to close friends and family. They might include the child's grandparents, aunts, uncles, first cousins, a few friends and of course their selected godparents.
If you're hiring a venue for a celebration after the ceremony, you have the option to open up the guest list. This is where you can invite 100 people if you choose to. More distant family members and the rest of your friends can be included in this celebration.
Who to invite to a christening
Often, people invite the same people to the christening that they might invite to their wedding. This means that many family members will be included, along with friends of the child's parents. In most cases, children are christened when they're too young to express guest list preferences. But, if your child is older, it's important that their friends are in attendance.
Some children won't happily sit through a church service. If you're inviting children to the christening itself, think about each child's temperament. Will they be comfortable sitting quietly, and are they used to a church environment?
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Holding a christening party on the day of the christening, or another day of your choice gives you the freedom to invite as many people as you'd like. Stock up on christening invitations, and be limited only by the size of your venue.
What might factor into your decision
Are you catering? The price per head of food can quickly begin to add up. Christenings don't need to be lavish and expensive celebrations, and often they're best with a party food buffet and plenty of room to mill around. After all, most people are there simply to coo over your baby.
If you're on a tight budget, hiring a hall is the best way to keep costs down whilst inviting lots of people. Once you've paid for the room, you can invite as many people as you'd like.
If you're instead choosing a formal venue and paying a per-head price, don't be afraid to whittle down your guest list.
