Baptism Invitations

From LoveToKnow Baby

When choosing baptism invitations for your child's baptism or christening, you might want to visit your local print shop to check out the selections. You can also find numerous baptism invitations online, and most of these Internet companies offer their customers the option of personalizing the invitations if they wish to do so. Have a baptism invitation idea you'd like to share? Please do! We love hearing from our readers!

Ordering Baptism Invitations

Organization is the key to planning a successful baptism for your child. You'll need to begin planning the baptism as soon as possible.

While of course you'll also be shopping for the gown, sifting through favor choices, and ordering the cake, you'll also need to put some thought into what your invitations should look like and what type of wording you prefer. Try to mail the invitations early enough for guests to arrange their schedules accordingly. You want as many friends and family members as possible to share this special day with you and your child.

Invitation Information

Just what should a baptism invitation say? You can personalize it or stick to a standard invitation, but you still must include essential information, including the following:

Names-Be sure and include parents' names, child's name, and even grandparents and godparents if you like.
Place-While it is assumed that the baptism will be at a local church, some guests may not be familiar with the church you attend. Be sure you give the specific name and the address.
Reception-If the reception is held at the church, you'll still need to give specific details about the room or area of the church, such as fellowship hall, basement, etc.
Time-Be sure and put the specific time on the invitation as well.
Directions-In some cases, you may need to include a separate map to the church, especially for those out of town guests. If the reception will be held at a separate place, such as a hall, recreation center, or the parent's home, include a map to this place as well.

Ordering

Whether you are ordering your baptism invitations online or from a local shop, you'll need to make several decisions.

Quantity-Before ordering, consider the amount of invitations you will need. In most cases, the baptism invitations can be ordered in groups of ten and up to 250 or more. Be sure you plan for more invitations than you'll actually need. You may continue to think of others you'll need to invite as you make out your guest list.
Pricing-Pricing will vary widely depending upon how detailed and personalized your invitations will be. Check out several stores before making a final decision. In many cases, the more invitations you order the cheaper the price will be per card.
Envelope Color-While the standard envelope color is white, many companies offer several other color selections, such as blue and pink, depending upon your invitation selection.
Font Color and Style-You may be able to choose the font color and style for your invitations as well.
Text-In most cases, a company will give its customers a variety of text selections to choose from. Some companies also offer blank invitations for customers to preorder their personalized text or wording.
Layout Proofing-If you are personalizing your baptism invitations, be sure and find out what type of layout proofing the company offers. If you are ordering online, you may be able to preview a private viewing page, which essentially allows you to see an actual scan of the first printed invitation. You may have to pay an additional fee to use this feature, however.
Timetable-Be sure you find out the company's timetable in regards to ordering, proofing, printing, and shipping. Most companies also offer express shipping options.
Special Instructions-Be sure you include any special instructions that you'd like the company to address as well.