Christenings on a budget. Did you have one?

[Bishberro]

Hi, I'm a local mum and forum user and a freelance journalist. I'm working on a story about christenings for a national newspaper and I'm looking for people to take part. I need someone who had a budget christening for their child, someone who spent around ?2,000 and someone who had a very lavish event and spent thousands. Good fee paid for those taking part.

If one of these applies to you or someone you know then please PM me with your email address or contact number and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks so much for your help.

[Mellors]

We've always just popped off to church with the sprog, rellies and godparents and then home for lunch. Is there more to it than that? Who knew?!

[Scribble]

Seriously, ?2,000 is normal!?

[Strawbs]

I spent about ?800 and I thought that was being quite extravagent for a christening but ?2000 is a bit out there!

[Otta]

Surely ?50 is about right?

I wonder how often the ?2k people actually attend Church. Is ?2k the going price for lifetime salvation cover these days?

[Mellors]

Is ?2k the going price for lifetime

> salvation cover these days?

HEH. I think I might start saving up - might be worth it to get out of those 8am Sunday morning services....

[Mellors]

Although in all fairness, I did upgrade the lunchtime booze from White Lightening to Cava (half price at Sainsbos) in honor of the non-drinking infant. Its all glamour and expense Chez Mellors.

[oimissus]

jeez, I thought we'd done a christening on a budget spending about ?200 (sarnies and booze back at our house, mainly), since when was ?2000 'on a budget'?!!

[ClareC]

I had no idea people spent a lot on christenings.....

I thought having caterers provide the cake and sarnies was extravagant! Can't remember what we spent but suspect ?400 tops with the biggest expense being the over purchase of alcohol on the basis you don't want to run out!

What do people do to spend ?2000?

[Peckhamrye]

OP is looking for 3 people - one who did it on a budget, one who did it on around ?2000 and one who did a lavish celebration.

[Privatebanking]

Culture I believe is a factor to consider. The size of a Christening could easily amount to a high spend and in some cultures, a christening is as big and important as a wedding where many friends and relatives are invited. Outside catering for 80+ people, plus drinks, venue hire and decoration, nice outfits for church, etc easily add up.

I plan to hold a christening next year with approx 40 guests. Once caterers are arranged to provide the buffet, the price will soar.

[Otta]

Peckhamrye Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> OP is looking for 3 people - one who did it on a

> budget, one who did it on around ?2000 and one who

> did a lavish celebration.

Which seems to suggest ?2k is viewed as the norm.

[Mrs TP]

I wondered what was going on with this thread i.e. who spends loads on a Christening. I can understand that those with more relatives than us and who may need to hire a venue for afterwards can face spiraling costs but perhaps it is the excessive trimmings the OP is interested in? We have had three and have only ever paid for the church fee, a professional but simple cake, bit of nice-ish buffet food and vino to have at home and and usually a new outfit for the bubba in question. For number 3 the older two got new outfits and the bubba to be Christened got a hand-me-down 'posh' dress. With rough totting up now I would be surprised if it was more than ?600 for 3 complete Christenings.

However, I have just come back from taking my brood to visit a school friend of mine in Liverpool, where I grew up but left many moons ago. My friend does face-painting and glitter tatoos at kids birthday parties, school and church fairs etc and was talking about one party she had done recently where there were loads of kids. She was grumbling that they had not been honest with her re the amount of children there were going to be at the party and she felt she had been conned into under charging. She mentioned that the party had been quite lavish and there had also been a bouncy castle at a hired venue. You can see where this is going - yep it was a Christening! I couldn't believe it, with face-painting and a bouncy castle. My friend said it is quite usual for 'Big Fat Gypsy Style Christenings' running into 1000s of pounds in her part of Liverpool.

[Otta]

Having lived in the pool that doesn't surprise me at all.

And I love the place by the way.

[Mrs TP]

Off topic but yes Otta first time in a few years I have been into the city centre and seen all the new developments, expansion of the Albert Dock to the new Liverpool Museum and Liverpool One shopping - it was fantastic. Do love it. Had been there 10 mins and saw a litter bin on fire outside St John's Market and a Stag Do with all dressed up as superheroes with Buzz Lightyear stopping the traffic to allow his mates to cross including Duff Man from the Simpsons, Mr T and Crocodile Dundee and the hundreds of obligatory chicken (pronounced 'Chucken') takeaways - loved every minute.

[Pugwash]

If I remember correctly our daughter' christening 25 years ago was a cheap affair. Donation/fee to Father John at St Thomas More, a new dress for our daughter who was about 18 months at that time, then everyone back to the house for food and drink -for about 15 guests plus kids - less than ?50. My church wedding in 1982 with 40 guests, caterers. hall hire and clothing cost less than ?600.