Etiquette help please - Baptism Invite.

[MG3G]

I need some help with the correct way to invite guests to our children's Baptism.
Several months ago I started attending church with my children. The rest of our relatives are not overly religious and do not attend church except for special occasions BUT I am certian they will want to be there for this. The church only offers Baptism at certain times of the year and I recently found out that they are going to be able to Baptize our baby in three weeks. My older sons and I will also be reaffirming our faith, which we need to do to become formal members of the congregation. Do you think that I have enough time to mail invitations? Should I phone people to tell them invitations are in the mail? Should I just phone and invite them without a formal invitation? AND how do I word things so that the emphasis is on the children and not myself - should I maybe not bother mentioning that I am also being reaffirmed, would it seem strange to people if I don't tell anyone and then am up there being reaffirmed? With our first two children we only invited immediate family to their baptism and didn't belong to a congregation so it wasn't as formal of an event - just a quick private prayer. I also want to convey somehow that this Baptism is during a regular service so that people are not unprepared. Thanks for you suggestions!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I need some help with the correct way to invite guests to our children's Baptism.
Several months ago I started attending church with my children. The rest of our relatives are not overly religious and do not attend church except for special occasions BUT I am certian they will want to be there for this. The church only offers Baptism at certain times of the year and I recently found out that they are going to be able to Baptize our baby in three weeks. My older sons and I will also be reaffirming our faith, which we need to do to become formal members of the congregation. Do you think that I have enough time to mail invitations? Should I phone people to tell them invitations are in the mail? Should I just phone and invite them without a formal invitation? AND how do I word things so that the emphasis is on the children and not myself - should I maybe not bother mentioning that I am also being reaffirmed, would it seem strange to people if I don't tell anyone and then am up there being reaffirmed? With our first two children we only invited immediate family to their baptism and didn't belong to a congregation so it wasn't as formal of an event - just a quick private prayer. I also want to convey somehow that this Baptism is during a regular service so that people are not unprepared. Thanks for you suggestions!

I think you have enough time to mail out invites:

Bob and Mary Smith cordially invite you to witness the bapstism of Baby Smith during Mass on Sunday May 8th, 2010. The baptism will take place during the regular Sunday Mass and Jane Smith has also been honored to reaffirm her faith.

Mass is at 8am followed by a brunch. Please R.S.V.P. at ...... or if you prefer use Regrets only.

Congratulations to you and your children. May your day be blessed and special.

 

[heatherleigh]

I would just call your family and invite them that way. I've never sent out formal invitations, personally.

If you plan on having a celebration afterwards, (we did, I think) let them know on the phone. You can mention you're being re-affirmed, but be nonchalant about it. That way, they know that the baptism is the main event.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would just call your family and invite them that way. I've never sent out formal invitations, personally.

If you plan on having a celebration afterwards, (we did, I think) let them know on the phone. You can mention you're being re-affirmed, but be nonchalant about it. That way, they know that the baptism is the main event.

Agreed. We keep bapstisms to close friends and family. I would just call and give the info. If you invite them to the service, I feel like I would need to have some type of reception to follow. We also do a lunch after church at our home. Friends have done a meal at church and one or two at resturants. Just cake would be fine but the timming often indicates a meal. For DS I did takout chicken and added veggies. Mom did dessert. For DGS, I cooked a full meal.

 

[wdwfan16]

I would call them on the phone. Also plan a nice event after. It can be at your home just get the food catered.

 

[mjkacmom]

Around here, if you mail something, it arrives the next day. I assume you will be having food after. A lot of times, even though some can't make the Church, they will come to the party after.

 

[bettymae1121]

If you are inviting so many people that calling them to invite them isn't practicle, then you should have time to mail an invite as long as you get on it right away. Tinker'n'fun's wording in the 2nd post is very good, I'd use that!

I just went to a friends baby's baptism on Saturday, it was their 4th child so it was an open invite to attend the service (no formal invites, just word of mouth), and just family and close friends all went out to dinner afterward. I also had my nephew's 1st communion two weeks ago. That was a formal mailed invite that listed the time for Mass and that a party at their home would follow after. Only family went to Mass and everyone else showed up at the party. So as you can see, there are a couple of different ways to handle religous milestones, and there really isn't a wrong way to do it.

 

[MG3G]

Thanks for eveyones suggestions. I have to ponder a bit - if we are doing invitations they really need to get out by tomorrow. (I could get them done by then though.) I do really like the wording suggested! We are having a tea with the congregation after the service. There isn't a formal lunch only because it is also my parents moving day and for most of us we will be heading directly to their house to move them. But I will make sure that we provide lots of desserts and a cake. I'm not planning on putting any of our names on the cake so that any other people who are baptised that day feel included to share.

 

[Beckypooh1972]

I would only send the formal invitations if there is to be a meal/party afterwards - I liked the wording of the 1st reply to your post by the way. If you just want to give others the opportunity to witness the ceremony, then do phone calls. Congratulations on the special event.

 

[malibuconlee]

In this case I would just call the close family and friends to let them know you are having the youngest baptized and the rest of the family will be formally joining the church on the same day. Also let them know this is being done as a group , so it's not just going to be your family, at the churches I've attended they are small enough that it's always been just the one family having the ceremony performed for them.

 

[prncess674]

I wouldn't mention your own reaffirmation on the invitation. You can mention it to those who decide to attend just before the service starts.

 

[Evi]

I need some help with the correct way to invite guests to our children's Baptism.
Several months ago I started attending church with my children. The rest of our relatives are not overly religious and do not attend church except for special occasions BUT I am certian they will want to be there for this. The church only offers Baptism at certain times of the year and I recently found out that they are going to be able to Baptize our baby in three weeks. My older sons and I will also be reaffirming our faith, which we need to do to become formal members of the congregation. Do you think that I have enough time to mail invitations? Should I phone people to tell them invitations are in the mail? Should I just phone and invite them without a formal invitation? AND how do I word things so that the emphasis is on the children and not myself - should I maybe not bother mentioning that I am also being reaffirmed, would it seem strange to people if I don't tell anyone and then am up there being reaffirmed? With our first two children we only invited immediate family to their baptism and didn't belong to a congregation so it wasn't as formal of an event - just a quick private prayer. I also want to convey somehow that this Baptism is during a regular service so that people are not unprepared. Thanks for you suggestions!

If your keeping it small I don't think you need to send out formal invites I know many will frown on this but personally I don't think every celebration merits an invitation. I think if you take the time to call the people you would like to invite and explain everything to them you could also follow up with an electronic invite if you wanted to include maps and rsvps etc. This is not directed at you but kinda a reminder to all of us. Its all paper people. Now if your using invitations made of recycled paper and soy ink and paying a carbon offset for the mailings go for it mail mail away. Don't get me wrong I love a formal invite as much as the next person but I think it should be limited for the truly most formal occasions thats part of what makes them special.

 

[Pixieflip]

I think you have enough time to mail out invites:

Bob and Mary Smith cordially invite you to witness the bapstism of Baby Smith during Mass on Sunday May 8th, 2010. The baptism will take place during the regular Sunday Mass and Jane Smith has also been honored to reaffirm her faith.

Mass is at 8am followed by a brunch. Please R.S.V.P. at ...... or if you prefer use Regrets only.

Congratulations to you and your children. May your day be blessed and special.

I like the wording on this! To the point, includes all important info. A baptism is an important affair (not a last minute BBQ in the backyard ), I'd send the invite and follow up with a call, too. Plus, if you have the invite, you can include it in the scrapbook or memory box for the children, helping them to see that it was an important day and you marked it so by sending invitations. And just because it's moving day later doesn't diminish the value of the morning. Celebrate it! Congratulations to all of you. Have a wonderfully blessed day.

 

[auralia]

i would call if you send invitations it makes it seem like you expect gifts for my daughters we just called everyone and who wanted to come came and they didn't feel like it was a "gift giving" kind of party to me invitation=gift request ? maybe that's just my family though.