Baptism Week {Feeding the Party}
Welcome to Baptism Week at Team Whitaker!
This is the fourth post of a five-part series:
Preparing for the Sacrament (What the Sacrament Means)
Choosing Godparents (Finding People to Support Your Child)
+ BOWL SET Giveaway from Clarey Clayworks
Looking Your Best (Dressing the Part for Your Child’s Big Day)
+ $100 PHOTO CREDIT from Renee Blood Photography,
ST. GERARD EARRINGS from Loreto Rosaries and
BAPTISM BONNET AND THREE-PIECE SET + 20% OFF from Blessings Christian Gift Shop in West
Feeding the Party (Making the Celebration Awesome)
+ HOLY WATER FONT by Portraits of Saints
Saying Thanks (Showing Your Appreciation)
+ WOODEN DOLL by St. Luke’s Brush and NOTECARDS by FlorLarios
It’s no surprise how much I love to party. Give me a fancy dessert table and room full of people I love any day of the week. Your sweet child was just baptized and now it’s to celebrate! I’m already hoarding ideas over on my Baptism Pinterest page. Trust me, there are more pins where those came from…I’m just warming up.
Invitations
Your invitations serve as a dual purpose, invitation to the baptism and to the party after. You might even consider making them a birth announcement, too. It depends on how and when you’ll be celebrating. A word of perspective here. I’ve mentioned this before when I chat birthday parties, but I think it’s worth saying again. This day is about your child, not your sister, your cousin, your mother-in-law or your best friend. All those people can sometimes be some serious rain on your parade. Maybe you picked a bad day, chose a Godparent they don’t love, prepared food they hate or didn’t dress the baby in the heirloom gown. Whatever. Push that negativity to the side and enjoy the blessings of the day. Those negative feelings will pass, but you only get one chance to live the baptism day. Make it count.
For invites, you can DIY, Etsy-them or buy them. I think the most important ingredient is love. That’s it. I pinned a few on Pinterest, found on Tiny Prints (not a paid post, I just love their stuff). I’m a graphic designer and I do so love to design pretty things. So, when I see something that catches my eye, I have to share.
The Main Course
When it comes to the party after, there are various schools of thought:
1. Head to the nearest restaurant and order your favorite meal, all while surrounded by people you love. Bonus? You don’t have to clean up. Con? All that crazy could make for a cranky baby and you’ve got nowhere to escape.
2. Head home and cater it in. Bonus, you don’t have to cook AND you have lots of places to escape with the baby. Con? Caterers can be pricey.
3. Head home and cook. Bonus, you’re in your own home, surrounded by lots of willing sets of hands to stir the food and/or hold the baby. Con? You probably have to clean at least one toilet or at the very least, Febreeze the bathroom.
We’ve always opted for options two or three, only because we love to cook and I typically need a quiet place to nurse. For the last several gatherings, we’ve made fajitas with all the fixings. It’s what good Texans do. We cook the meat the night before, then pop it in the oven at 200 while we’re at church. The morning of the event, we make the guacamole and slice/dice the fruit. I set the tables and decorate the night before so when we arrive home, all we have to do is set out the food and dig in. Perfect-o.
Whatever you choose, remember to feel the love and enjoy time with friends and family. This day should be JOYful not STRESSful.
Sweet Treats
Every good party must include chocolate and sugar. It’s a house rule. If you’re an Austinite, you know I have some serious love for my friend Olga, the owner of Polkadots, and master cookie designer, Kendra, who recently began Sweet Spot Cookie Shoppe. Neither one of those gals ships their confections, but I’m betting you have a great baker in your neck of the woods. Maybe even in your own kitchen! There are one bazillion ideas on St. Pinterest. My best advice is to consider how many folks you’ll have attending, if there are any dietary challenges or allergies you should consider and just how many leftover cookies you want after the party ends. In our house, the answer is A LOT. Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite finds.
As badly was I wanted to give away fresh flowers, I’m no Teleflora. But, equally awesome? A holy water font to hang in your home and fill with that awesome baptismal water! This Our Lady of Guadalupe font is courtesy of Portraits of Saints. Have y’all seen their stuff? Stunning. I stumbled upon them while researching my Spiritual Board of Directors and fell in love. Their depiction of saints is so unlike anything I’ve seen before. We make it a priority to place a holy water font in all of our children’s rooms and I have it on my list of top ten nursery must-have’s. Now, a lucky reader can have one, too!
Portraits of Saints: Facebook, Online and Etsy
Happy keyboard tappin’ y’all.
Both. I like them swirled 🙂
You can’t go wrong with either one, but my vote is going halfsies so everyone can have their pick!
I like both, too. 🙂 Another suggestion for the after-party: for Lydia’s baptism, we had a reception at the church. We brought in a mix of catered and homemade items. It worked out really well — guests didn’t have to travel to two locations, the priest and deacon were already there and could more easily join the party, more time for photos without keeping your guests waiting, etc.
Really like that Our Lady of Guadalupe font!
My sister and baptized our littles on the same day. It was such a blessing to have all our family there and getting to split the cost of the party later. 😛 We opted for cookout and bought a delicious cake at Sams.
I’m a glutton for chocolate! Great post, by the way. We always opt for #2 or #3 too. I like my guests to feel like they can linger and visit for as long as they want. Plus, with 12 cousins on my side and 10 cousins on his side, they can run and play and just be kids in our home or yard.
Chocolate….all the way! Did you even have to ask?
Ohhhh, I’d have to go with chocolate with raspberry filling. Yum!
Chocolate!!
I didn’t know until this week I could have a font of holy water in my house! Must have one!
I am a mom of four and was just asked to be a Godparent to my friend’s baby on the way! I’m loving your Baptism Week!
I prefer vanilla. At our last baptism, we provided the meat and everyone brought sides. A potluck baptism. it was great!
I love both! But if I had to choose just one it’d be vanilla. 🙂 Maybe with chocolate frosting….!
chocolate definitely!
Vanilla cake with chocolate icing!
I’m hungry now. ; ) The holy water fonts are beautiful! What a great idea to have one in each room!
We’ve always done vanilla cake. I love having holy water fonts in the house. The kids really like them too. I have trouble keeping them filled!
Vanilla (maybe with some chocolate icing, though!)
Chocolate!
Chocolate!
Vanilla cake all the way!
In everything else I love chocolate, but cake (for any occasion) has to be white!
I personally love chocolate but I always do a mix because we have some family members that can’t have chocolate. I need to find a new cake lady as my other ladies have retired. Just another thing I better get on top of soon! Man my list is getting longer!
Chocolate, for sure!
Vanilla!!
[…] and BAPTISM BONNET AND THREE-PIECE SET + 20% OFF from Blessings Christian Gift Shop in West Feeding the Party (Making the Celebration Awesome) + HOLY WATER FONT by Portraits of Saints Saying Thanks (Showing […]
[…] and BAPTISM BONNET AND THREE-PIECE SET + 20% OFF from Blessings Christian Gift Shop in West Feeding the Party (Making the Celebration Awesome) + HOLY WATER FONT by Portraits of Saints Saying Thanks (Showing […]
Thank you for offering this gorgeous giveaway! About a year ago we put holy water fonts at the doorways of the bedrooms in our house and it made such an impact on our family, encouraging all of us to put that most ancient prayer — the sign of the cross — on ourselves throughout each day. My eldest daughter has a special love for Our Lady of Guadalupe and so a font with her image would have to take a special pride of place in our home.
What a great series! I’m reading them all at once, lots of helpful tips! As far as cake, I love my gramma’s devil’s food with homemade vanilla icing but my favorite local baker makes an amazing vanilla with chocolate fudge icing. Yummmmmmm……..
Both!