Christening and alternative naming ceremonies (merged)

Colin2511

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Colin2511

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Sea78

Hi,

I've been searching both this forum and the OS forum for the answers & ideas to some of my questions and have found loads of great info and advice

I just have a few more so forgive me if they've already been asked - I have searched!

My ds was born last August:D and I 'm wanting to have a naming ceremony for him to celebrate his safe arrival and have a formal welcome to the family. I had one for my dd but this was in the registry office with a celebrant. Very nice - went for a meal afterwards at a restaurant, everyone paid for themselves. It was the day after our wedding so everyone had been at the wedding (paid for by us obviously!!).

Now, I have since had lightbulb moment:eek: and cannot justify the registery office fees nor a celebrant which is a shame (about £169). However, my mum has said she will pay the cost of hiring somewhere so that's wonderful. I have to now plan the event - got some great ideas from here already. However, I don't know what the best thing to do about food is - should I do a buffet style thing? What's the cheapest ,easiest thing to do? I'll be inviting (hopefully) about 40 people and some will be coming to London specially so I do want to put on food & soft drinks, maybe a glass of alcohol but no more. Paper plates etc from pound shop, craft table/corner for older kids (like dd who is 3 1/2).

For the Godparents (supporting adults) we are going to take a really nice photo and give it to them in a nice frame after the event. Already bought one frame in sainsburys sale (£2 ) and will look out for another. Am going to make invitations from loads of crafty bits I have in, which will have a printed pic of ds behind velum, so I hope some might keep that as a keepsake. Not sure about any decorations, don't think they are necessary. Will make a cake, (am hoping for offers from someone to make this - lots of family are very good at cake making, I am not!!hehe:rolleyes: ). We're not going to ask for presents or anything as will probably have it in July so his birthday is the next month adn therefore he doesn't need anything and it's not the point of the party.

Does this sound ok? Most people now know about our stupidness re money and so wouldn't expect extravegance (sp) but I don't want it to be a big talking point (am very sensitive about other people's view & suffer from quite bad paranoia at the best of times, even more so now I have children, I know it's irrational but its there:o ) - I'm not worried about it not costing much or it being cheap and cheerful, it's just I want the cheerful not just cheap!!

I think I'm waffling so will stop now.

Thanks for your help, sorry if there is a big thread on this already. I have to get my bum in gear about this as only have limited time left in London and wa nt to invite mainly london people! I have no family in London that we'd be able to use their garden/house to have it and ours is tiny! That would have been a good start in money saving...

Sea xx

MrsNurseyC

Hi Sea,
What a lovely idea I wouldn't be bothered, if I was a guest, that lots of money had been spent in making the day special.
What about something really simple- a picnic in one of London's many parks/ Kew gardens maybe? -Lots of room for any children who come to run around. I'm sorry I can't help more (I don't live in London and know the parks very well) but maybe its worth having a good google for the best one as far as diving for shelter incase there's a few spots of rain on the day you pick in July! Hope you have a lovely day, however you mark the naming of your little one, Claire x

hardpressed

I think Kew gardens has free entrance on 1st and 2nd July, have seen it somewhere on MSE.

Sea78

Thanks - I thought of parks, but the weather is a problem - it'll completely ruin it ifit rains solidly, so was wanting somewhere inside -am searching this week.

Shelleyxxx

Sea78

Any ideas/ links for the food? Has anyone put on their own food for christening/naming ceremony?Did you buy the bits and pieces from, say, Asda or did you make from scratch?

Have to sort this! Trying to get fired up about it

Sea xx

runrabbitrun

Hi,

Not sure where to go for advice, so I hope someone out there can solve a quandry i'm in at the momment.

Is a christening the same as a naming ceremony (without the religious bit) and if so, how many godparents can you have? I was always under the impression the child has one/two people who have agreed to look after the little 'un should anything happen to the parents. The other half wants to nominate (if thats the best word to use) his best friends parents and I have always wanted to nominate my best friend, should anything happen to either of us.

Is this related to the Christening, or this a seperate agreement btwn the parents and the prospective godparents?

Thanks!

rchddap1

I was christened in a church and don't know anything about naming ceremonies. What I do know is that I had 2 female godparents and 1 male (because I was a girl). If I was a boy I would have had 2 male and 1 female.

Or that is what I was told when I was a little 'un anyway.

If its something you want to do then go for it...what does convention matter?

funky-footprints

my children have 4 godparents ..it wasnt planned that way, but the vicar insisted that at least one of the god parents be confirmed ..so 3 jumped to 4 ! that was after we made sure they had all been christened. we are not overly religious but i wanted my children to be christened as my dh & I both were.

We have always asked friends rather than family to be godparents as i think your family are there for you anycase. I think you can have as many as you want ..... blimey Royalty seem to have about 9!!! we also wanted to have someone who was going to be around, our age or younger, and by picking some older than us .... an older generation, that wouldnt necessarily be the case.

Although both my childrens godparents are involved in thier lives and we see them regularly, none of them have been named as legal gaurdians to be, should something happen to dh or I. We have asked my brother and his wife to be guardians of them, and have written this into our wills. I didnt think it fair asking my parents as my dad is already in his mid 60's and mum spends much of her time waiting on him and my younger brother who is still at home.
xx