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5 Tips To Plan A Christening

planning-a-christening

Planning a christening – it’s just deciding on an outfit, a cake and some guests, right? Erm, wrong! If you want your baby’s special day to go off with a baptismal bang, you need to get party planning, pronto. But if your head is swimming with christening questions and you have no idea where to start, fear not. It’s going to be ok, we promise! How do we know? Well… Because we’ve compiled your step-by-step planning guide, that’s why. And the good news is – planning a christening, baptism or naming day is actually pretty easy! So make a coffee (or grab a glass of wine), sit back, and check out our ultimate christening checklist!

  1. GATHER YOUR GORGEOUS GUESTS

Collating your christening crowd is pretty straightforward. Your bubba is obviously the star of the show; next up in the importance stakes are the parents, godparents, grandparents, family faves and close friends… But be warned – whether you intend to pack out the entire church, or just occupy a few pews, churches often need up to six months’ booking notice for a christening. So get your date in the diary ASAP, order some personalised invitations from a site such as Optimal Print – and then start gathering that gorgeous guest list.

 

  1. PICK YOUR PARTY FOOD

It’s traditional to throw a little party after a christening. And rather excellently, it seems that anything goes. Some folks choose to host a buffet back at their home; or in a local pub. Others will keep things simple with a family lunch at a nearby restaurant. Or if you have a large christening crew and you fancy a more formal party – it’s not unusual these days to book a wedding reception venue and hire in catering professionals. So work out your budget, decide your venue, grab your guests’ dietary requirements – and remember that wherever you end up, there will be a beautiful baby being passed around all day for cuddles. Cute!

 

  1. BE A DECORATION DIVA

So you want to dress your post-christening party space. Are you daydreaming of grand themes and colour schemes? Or are you happier with simple balloons and a christening cake? Either way, this tick box on your ‘planning a christening party checklist’ is what we like to call the Godparent Zone. Yep, gone are the days when godparents would rock up to the church, stand next to the font and then leave. Bestowing the duty of Chief Balloon Blower or Grand Flower Arranger on your godparents will mean more decorating hands on deck – and a smoother day for you. Decoration delegation!

 

  1. GET CHRISTENING OUTFIT READY

Google ‘christening gown’ and get ready for pages and pages of total outfit confusion. So, first things first. If you’re planning the christening far in advance, it can be difficult to envisage what stage your child will be at on the big day. A long traditional christening dress would be a nightmare on a crawling baby. Likewise, a mini suit and tie on a breastfeeding bubba could be uncomfortable or hot. So our top tip is to leave your christening outfit planning until a month before. Easy peasy. And this way, you’re freeing yourself up to concentrate on your OWN outfit instead. Winning.

 

  1. DROP SOME GIFT HINTS!

Did someone say presents?! It’s traditional to give a silver baby gift at a christening. Yet so many guests seem to arrive with silver-plated money boxes, that you’d often think a memo had gone out in advance. So to avoid cringeworthy gift repetition, drop some hints that you’d prefer more unique luxury christening gifts instead. From Thai-style expanding anklets and bracelets – to six-sided lockets and candy-shaped boxes, the Saffron Bells silver christening gift collection is a firm favourite with celebrities – and currently offers a £30.00 discount on all anklet pairs. Enjoy!