5 Easy Steps to Planning A Baptism Party

A baby’s baptism is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with your friends and family. Are you looking for some ideas on how to throw a beautiful baptismal party after the ceremony?

1. First Things First: Where Will You Be Celebrating?

A baptism party can take place at your home, the home of one of your friends or family members (such as the godparent or grandparent) or at a restaurant.

If your parish has a church hall, you can contact the parish office and check for its availability. Try and reserve it as soon as possible. This will help ease any anxiety!

2. The Invitations: Who Will Be Celebrating With You?

As with any other any party-planning, write down a list of people to invite to your baby’s baptism party.

Inviting godparents, immediate and extended family, close friends, and acquaintances from your church is a good place to start.

Next, choose a baptism invitation that sets the tone of your baby’s baptism. Consider sending a photo along with the invite, which would make a valuable keepsake.

Keep in mind that you will want to send the invitations out several weeks prior to the baptism. That way guests from out of town have time to make necessary arrangements.

3. Feeding Your Guests A Delicious Spread

It is, of course, customary to provide snacks and a cake. The kind of food you serve will depend on what time of day the baptism takes place.

For morning baptisms, simple breakfast fare such as bagels and cream cheese, muffins, and fruit salad can be sufficient. For afternoon and evening baptism parties, you might want to have sandwiches and salads or casseroles.

If you are expecting a large group, consider catering the meal or having your friends and family pitch in to help prepare something.

The final attraction, apart from your baby, of course, is the baptismal cake. Cupcakes are also becoming a popular trend for baptism parties.

4. Pick a Decorative Theme

When deciding on baptism-party decorations, you might want to consider selecting a theme such as Christ the King or the Resurrection. You could also pick a particular symbol, such as the shell, which is the traditional symbol of the Sacrament of Baptism.

Or how about a color scheme instead? You could always keep it simple and choose the traditional blue and pink colors for a boy or girl, respectively.

You could also use the color of the current liturgical season (green for ordinary time, white for the Easter season, etc.) and maybe include banners or cards with verses from Sacred Scripture or famous sayings that reflect upon this time in your child’s life.

Here are some of our favorites:

How tenderly He loves them,

the children of this earth.

How carefully He guides them,

from the moment of their birth.

How lovingly He looks upon them,

sweet and fair,

May He always keep our little one safe

within His care.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;

he who comes to me shall not hunger,

and he who believes in me shall never thirst."

John 6:35

For he will give his angels charge of you

    to guard you in all your ways.

Psalm 91:11

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you...”

Jeremiah 1:5

For centerpieces you could use fresh-cut flowers, or baby items such as bottles filled with colorful beads or confetti. There are so many possibilities. Check out your local craft stores and let your imagination run wild.

Also, be sure to set out a small table for baptism gifts and baptism cards from your guests.

5. A Thoughtful Idea: Commemorative Party Favors

If it fits into your budget, an special touch would be to offer your guests baptism party favors.

Keeping with the religious theme, you might give your friends and family a little angel bookmark, a mini rosary in an organza bag, or personalized favors, such as candy with your baby’s name on the box.

Don't Forget To Save The Memories

Be sure to gather mementos from the baptism and celebration to put in a box or your baby’s photo album. You will treasure these memories for years to come!

Read Next How To Plan Your Baby's Baptism

Have you thrown a Baptism party before?

Do you have any suggestions that you would add to our list here?

This article has been updated and was originally published in December 2010 © The Catholic Company