Planning a Christening or naming ceremony
Timing
To a certain extent, the date will be determined by whether you want a religious or secular ceremony. Christening services tend to be held at the end of a regular Sunday service and the ensuing party tends to roll on into the afternoon and ends early evening. A naming ceremony, however, is more a service and party all rolled into one and can be held on any day of the week, at any time. Neither, however, needs to be held within any particular period of the birth — it’s quite common nowadays to see two or more children from the same family christened together.
Numbers
There are no hard-and-fast rules about the number of people to invite. It can be a small affair with only close family members and godparents or, in the case of a naming ceremony, the adults you want to have a strong presence in your child’s future. Alternatively, you may want to have a larger gathering that includes neighbours and even work colleagues.
Venue
As the party tends to follow on after the church service, it makes sense for the venue to be nearby, ideally walking distance. If you can’t get (or don’t fancy) the church hall, there’s a lot to be said for choosing an informal venue such as your house or even a pub with a garden. Chances are there will be other children present, and a more casual setting means that they can run around and enjoy themselves too.
Invitations
These need to go out about a month beforehand to ensure that people are free. Family will often travel long distances to attend a Christening, so it’s worth including details of local B&B’s and hotels for those who may want to stay overnight.
Food/drink
If you’ve gone for the at-home option, a simple buffet or food that can be eaten on your knees is ideal. If the christening is being held in the summer, you could turn it into a barbecue. Remember to lay on soft drinks for the children, drivers and non-drinkers.
Entertainment
While the adults may be happy to listen to some music playing in the background, the kids will quickly get bored. If possible, set up your TV and video in a separate room for them. If you know that a lot of kids will be present and you have a large garden, it may be worth booking something like a bouncy castle — it will keep them (and a few of the adults) occupied for hours.
Making bookings
You need to meet your local vicar as soon as possible to arrange for your baby’s baptism. Once the day has been confirmed, it’s a good idea to confirm any other bookings, such as the function room in the pub.
Checking dates with key people
If you’re having a religious ceremony, you’ll need to check that the child’s godparents are free to attend. Equally, it’s worth checking all grandparents are free, together with close family members and friends.
