For many Christian families, a child’s baptism marks a milestone moment in his or her life. Not only is this a religious tradition with a lot of depth and meaning, it is also a time for celebration. Most families opt to host a small gathering of friends and family members after the ceremony in order to thank them for coming. Naturally, planning an event like this can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. To make the situation easier on yourself, take a look at these helpful tips. By having a guide, you’ll have an easier time putting together your baptism party.
Determine the Size
As with any event, the first step you need to take is to assess how many guests you plan on inviting. This is not a set guest list, of course. This is a preliminary list of all the people you would theoretically like to invite to the event. Write down all the names and see how many people this puts you at. You likely will need to add or delete names from the list as the process moves forward, but for now it will act as your general guide.
Having a rough estimate of how many people you will invite is important. Without taking this step early, you will not be able to move forward with selecting a venue, vendors, and other vital details.
Set a Rough Budget
When you have a general idea of the guest list, you can get started with setting a budget for the event. This is a very important step, as it dictates exactly what you will be able to accomplish with your event. For example, you may realize that you need to adjust the food portion of the budget after you realize the venue costs more than you initially thought. You can only do this if you give yourself the opportunity to set the budget early. This allows you to make changes as you move forward with other steps of the process.
Pick a Venue and Vendors
Next, it is time to pick a location for the party. Do you want to host the event at home, at a restaurant, or at a third-party venue? If the weather is nice, you might even find it interesting to throw the party outdoors. Weigh out the procs and cons of each option, as you want to make sure the space properly reflects the mood you want to set for the party. If you plan on an outdoor event, you should also have a contingency plan in place in the event of bad weather or other issues.
As you select a venue, you should also start to think about food and drink. If you’re having the party at a restaurant, then it is likely the food will be covered by the space itself. However, having the party at someone’s home or outdoors means you will need to make other arrangements. Look into potential vendors early, as you want to guarantee they can take on your job.
Take a Breath
Basically, that is all you need to do to make arrangements for your child’s baptism party. Naturally, you will need to take specific actions like mailing invitations and making a speech thanking guests for attending, but these items will fall into place on your itinerary as you move forward with the planning process. You may also want to think about small details like decor and how you’d like to arrange the event space. Be sure to prioritize these items correctly and you will have no trouble putting together your party.
Make the Moment Magical
Celebrating your child’s baptism is a big deal. As long as you give yourself plenty of time to plan out each step of the process, you will be able to throw an event that does justice to the importance of the day.