For plenty of families, the baptism of a child is a milestone event. Whether you’re the parent, godparent, or close relative of the baby, you might find yourself tasked with hosting a reception to celebrate the occasion. Though it can feel like a big responsibility, putting together a perfect party is simple when you follow the right steps. Use this guide to plan your christening party without missing any critical components. 

The Overall Event

Before you can do anything else, you must consider the size and style of the party. Are you hosting a large group of people or an intimate collection of friends and relatives? Your answer matters, as it will dictate decisions like picking a venue. Most families keep this party simple, so there’s no need to go to extremes sending out invitations to distant family members and loose acquaintances. 

The Location

After you’ve got your guest list down, it is time to select a location. Since baptism parties are often small in scale, many people choose to host the events at their homes or in local restaurants. When you’re only dealing with a few dozen people, you have a bit of flexibility with the venue. If the baptism takes place in the spring or summer, you may even find an outdoor party is the perfect setting.

The Food

Selecting a menu for the event will depend heavily on your venue. If you’re going to have the party at a restaurant, you’re typically going to be given the option between a preset menu or allowing guests to order from the restaurant’s regular menu. Usually, preset catering options are more affordable and can provide guests with a robust selection of what the eatery has to offer. 

The Aesthetic

Though not nearly as involved as a wedding or baby shower, the baptism is still a party. This means you might want to play around with a theme. You don’t need to go overboard, but a few decorations in the right color scheme can go a long way to cultivate a unique aesthetic. If you find yourself overwhelmed with other responsibilities, ask a trusted friend to take on this job for you.

The Invitations

At this point in the process, you are ready to start notifying guests. Again, this is not a wedding. You don’t need to send out invitations months and months in advance. Experts advise about three or four weeks is the average amount of time between sending out invites and the date of the event. To make life easier on yourself, opt for a digital RSVP. This means guests can just send a text or visit a website to alert you to the response.  

The Dessert

The last major task you need to tackle is the dessert. Some restaurants allow guests to bring in outside cakes and confections, especially when the establishment doesn’t offer this kind of dessert. After the invitations have been sent, reach out to local bakeries and start pricing out your cake options. Wait until you have a majority of your responses from guests and place your order about two weeks before the event to give the bakery enough time. 

The Last-Minute Points

As with planning any type of event, there are a few points you’ll want to remember along the way. Including directions to both the location of the baptism and the reception venue in the invitation is a must. You definitely don’t want to be fielding calls and texts from lost relatives on the day of your child’s christening, so be sure to look over the invitations more than once to ensure all vital data has been included. 

A baptism is a joyous occasion for all present. To keep the spirits high and the mood festive, put together a christening party that will do justice to the importance of this day.