How to organize a baptism without spending too much money

A baptism is first and foremost a religious function, and as such, it should be organized with simplicity and without waste. All options are possible, ensuring a ceremony that's elegant (not ostentatious), warm (not cold, like a company dinner), and cheerful (the children make the difference, not the decorations).

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  Church

This is the first step in organizing a baptism. Ideally, choose a priest who knows your family and a church you attend. This makes the ceremony more intimate and authentic, and also fully restores the meaning of an unforgettable day for believers.

• Clockwise

It's important to decide whether you want a morning or afternoon baptism. This is because the resulting party will have a different feel depending on the time you choose. If you choose a morning baptism, you'll need to offer lunch or brunch to your guests; if you choose the afternoon, you'll choose an aperitif or dinner.

• Location

The location for the baptism party is important and should be chosen based on several factors: Cost – It's important to ask for the cost of the party. If we want a lunch or dinner, a buffet, or an aperitif, we'll need to get detailed estimates. Location – If the baptism is scheduled during the warmer months, you could opt for an outdoor venue with children's games and shaded areas for the tasting. If the baptism is celebrated in the winter, we'll need to choose an indoor venue, carefully considering the available space.

• Restaurant

There are also many options when it comes to catering or restaurants, and many venues offer rooms for rent with catering, allowing you to save significantly compared to a traditional restaurant.

• Guests

Make a detailed list of baptism guests, including those you'd like to give as mementos of the event. Include a generous list of those who will be informed of the baptism. Not to expect gifts, but to share your joy and this important moment in your child's life with as many as possible.

• Godmother and godfather

The choice of godmother and godfather must be made well in advance, as they must participate in the various pre-baptism religious rituals and must go to their respective dioceses to obtain their qualifications. The Catholic Church requires that godfathers and godmothers have received all the sacraments (baptism, communion, and confirmation), are not living together outside of marriage, and have not had children out of wedlock. For these reasons, it is important to choose the right friends/relatives for this role well in advance.

• Invitations

If you have a computer, you can design your own invitations. All you need is a little imagination and a good graphics program. If you don't have the necessary imagination or graphics program, you can choose from many online sites that allow you to customize invitations for any occasion and have them shipped directly to your home. Online invitations are much cheaper than those made by a printer.

• Menu

Choosing the menu is one of the variables that can increase the baptism budget. If we choose a restaurant, we have to decide whether to have a meat or fish menu, the number of courses, and whether or not to include an aperitif (you can make one yourself, for example with delicious vegan appetizers ). If we choose catering, we have to decide whether we want a hot, cold, or mixed buffet, whether we want tables and chairs, tableware, and decorations for all guests or just a portion of them, choosing a "standing" buffet .

• Cake

Christening cakes are beautiful, just like wedding cakes. Remember that sugar paste cakes cost around €4 per portion, while pastry-made cakes are priced per kilo. If you'd like to try your hand at making a baptism cake, you'll need to ask permission from the restaurant or venue you choose. It's not difficult to create a beautiful and original cake, and there are tons of ideas online.

• Favors

Baptism favors fall into two categories: small bags of confetti for uninvited guests and actual favors for guests. Making favors is a wide variety of options and can be done at home with a little imagination and originality. Many hobby shops sell materials for making your own favors and bags, making the process much easier without starting from scratch. Opting for a DIY version of the favors can save you 20% of your budget.

• Party favors for grandparents

Favors for grandparents and godparents are typically different from those for everyone else, more meaningful and original. You can opt for a useful object or a digital keepsake album where you can upload all the photos from the baptism day.

• Photo and video

The photographer could also be a friend or relative, with a passion for photography that promises to immortalize every highlight of the ceremony.

• place card

Even for the place cards and table plan, the DIY rule applies. You can find many materials in hobby shops that will allow you to save a lot and create original decorations for the baptism table.

• Entrainment

If the number of children over 3 attending the baptism exceeds 5-7, it's a good idea to hire a childminder to take care of feeding and playing with the little ones. The cost of a childminder is around 80 euros.

• Dresses for the ceremony

Ceremony dresses could be rented from specialty stores instead of purchased. This would save a good 30% of your budget. In any case, don't overdo the dress code: a baptism isn't a wedding. And you can keep a low profile, wearing simple dresses. This, too, is style.

The meaning of baptism

Read also:

• Decorations for children's parties
• 6th Birthday Party: How to Organize It
• How to organize an aperitif at home