Luncheon afterwards is $15.95 a person and we are having about 50 people, this doesn't include the open bar! I'm thinking the total is going to be over $1500!
How much are you spending?
TIA!
Edit - We are having it at a resturant because our house won't hold everybody.
Re: Baptism/Christening - How much are you spending?
we are only having immediate family..under 25 people.. we are paying $23pp at a restaurant..but it is not a fancy place, more of a caual dining place..
Thank you!
Our house is big enough with the back yard for quite a group. If I were to have that many people, I'd lay out ham and bread and potato salad and throw sodas in a cooler. If it wouldn't fit in my house, I'd have it at a park. No way would I spend that kind of money.
I'm Catholic and we'll probably only have 10-20 people at ours
This was never my intention. This was MIL vs. mom. It turned into a whole thing that was just silly. We haven't baptized LO yet because we are a little afraid of what will happen this time.
Same here.
Sorry but that is rediculous! Parties for children have gotten out of control. I'm planning finger foods and soft drinks at my house. We won't invite more people than our house can handle.
If you really can't fit your guests in your house have it at the church hall with light food.
An open bar for a baby's baptism party!!!??? I have never heard of this and I think it's absurd!
I don't usually judge on here. I don't know why this is hitting a nerve for me today. What are you doing to do for LO first birthday? Live band? Private jet? Come on.
A big this. My DD will not be baptized or participating in a christening ceremony, but if she were, there's not way we'd spend that sort of money on it! Yikes!
I'm running into a similar situation.... for our family (Irish Catholic)... baptism tends to be a MUCH bigger deal that first birthdays, at least in our family..... I don't live very close to relatives .... they are all an hour + away... These kind of events (baptisms, weddings, funerals) are the only time we really get together.... holidays are usually spent with the immediate family.... so it's kinda expected your going to have an 'event' with real food.... I agree it's a bit ridiculous.... but I figure you 'pay your dues' when it's your turn and enjoy the party when it's not....
THIS!!
We bought a beautiful expensive cake, other than that we had it in the church basement and my family all brought food...
This. We'll do a small gathering at our home after with just family and order a cake from a local baker, but the food will be most likely cookout food and we'll have a cooler with soda. I don't get why you'd have an open bar at a Baptism celebration. I also don't plan on going all out for her 1st birthday. We'll have another family gathering at home...the party is really more for the parents at that age since LO won't remember it!
they'll only be 10 of us, including me and dh.
we're having everyone back to our place for lunch. just sandwiches, cake and wine so maybe $100
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
1ht
Holy cow! We are having a party and did have to rent a hall because our family totals 80 people. That's just aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. That being said, hall was 100, food we are making ourselves for about 200. Misc. supplies/pop/etc. maybe another 100. No alcohol is allowed at our hall, but I've never seen alcohol at a Baptism! I do not think people expect an elegant party.
Wow, these huge parties sound ridiculous! We're having 15 adults (all immediate family) and 3 small kids (not counting LO) at our house afterwards. Going to get some fried chicken and some sort of pasta from a catering place, then make a few things and family members will bring things.
I couldn't stomach the idea of a big to-do. I didn't even send out birth announcements because it felt like another gift grab. People have already been so generous with gifts both for the shower and when the baby was actually born. I couldn't imagine inviting all of these people to yet another gift giving event!
It is hard to be around the in-laws without alcohol.....
I know it sounds ridiculous, but I think it is different for different people. We don't do big birthday parties, but a baptism is a big deal for DH's family and my mom's family. It is the same as a bris in my dad's family. These are big get togethers. We just had immediate family (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins/spouses, and children). However just that is around 75 people for our family. We had it catered because we were all busy at the church and then pictures after. The caterers set everything up and it was ready for the guests. Plus I'm not making food for 75 people.
I just wanted to add, I don't understand why you can't/shouldn't have alcohol at a christening.
I understand it if you never drink alcohol.
But if you're someone who would normally drink at a celebration then why is a christening any different?
I drank wine at my wedding. I've drunk wine at wakes. I intend to have some wine after my daughter's baptism as part of the celebration with family.
At the end of the day I don't care if other people drink or not at their LO's baptism but I am curious as to the reasoning.
Elizabeth 5yrs old Jane 3yrs old
We had a small baptism with only the godparents (my sister and brother-in-law), their daughter, my parents, my husband, and our LO. We both got baptized that day. The baptism was free of charge and we did not have anything big afterwards. We ate at Chili's with the pastor who baptized us The bill was $150 but I work at chili's...so it took off $50. We didn't want a huge baptism, just a small family one. Dh's parents live thousands of miles away so we only did it with mine.