Christening format advice needed please Post Reply

[Postman Pat]

Could anyone offer some advice on christenings?

We will be Christening our 5 month old in May and we are working to relatively modest budget.

I am thinking to invite only immediate family and Godparents (21 in total) and ideally no additional children, which has caused some questions from siblings.

I am wondering whether a buffet style lunch or a sit down lunch would be the best option? Although most (not all) will have met at our wedding, they don't all know each other that well and I am worried that if we go for the buffet things might get a bit stilted after a few pleasantries. If we go for the restaurant option, we can sit people next to people they know and although this will be more spenny with a combination of ages from 40 through 80, I am wondering whether this will be a better if more expensive option.

In summary I am wondering if it is OK not to invite children and any advice on format greatly received :-) I'm going around in circles, if that wasn't obvious!!!

[sid_seal]

Hi,
Christening should be about welcoming a baby into their community, so I'm afraid I agree with your siblings that not having other children would be strange.
It's not the long ceremony and long reception of a wedding, so most children should be fine and would probably love to be involved in the ceremony! 
If having to cater for too many is a problem, why don't you simply consider a buffet in the church hall? Cheaper and easier for children, too. In my experience a sit-down meal can be more awkward than a buffet if people don't know each other well. But you know your people and can predict their dynamics better than any of us would 

[Stickystick]

I didn’t have much money when DC was born and was an SP (the father didn’t attend the christening). I invited very close family, and godparents and their partners/children, of whom most but not all came.

I booked a semi-private area of our local pub, and we had a Sunday lunch. I put people on tables where I thought they would get along and mostly they did. Between the roast and the cake (which I made and brought myself, there was a bit of milling around because everyone wanted to hold the baby (who slept through the whole thing). It was very nice and didn’t cost much considering - I think the kids were half price.

[NVG]

I assume this is your first baby? You will soon realise how difficult it is when people invite you and not children to events like these. I remember my husband swanning off to a wedding in the south of France when my children were very little because they weren’t invited and I couldn’t find anyone to look after them for a weekend.

Not everyone can afford or find childcare so you’ll have to be prepared for people not to come if their children aren’t invited. What does it say to your friends that they should come and celebrate your child while you have no interest in theirs? I’m not sure it’s a good look!