Introduction
Ceremony type
Number of guests
Food and atmosphere
Cost
Other considerations

Introduction

Much like a wedding, a christening or naming ceremony isn’t just about the ceremony. It also includes a party – or reception – afterwards. It’s a chance to catch up with friends and for everyone to meet your baby. It can be a simple afternoon tea with cakes right through to a three-course sit down meal. The question is, where to hold it?

Here are some things to consider which may have an impact on your christening or baby naming venue:

Ceremony type

For church ceremonies, it’s best to use a reception venue that’s easy to reach from the church, either by foot or car. Many people use their local church for the ceremony making their own home, local pub or restaurant obvious venues. But options like nearby hotels, golf clubs or even outdoor spaces like a beach or park could be used. The key is to make it close to the church so that guests don’t have to drive a great distance.

Naming ceremonies using a registrar usually need to be held in an approved venue. Very often these are hotels or golf clubs, which means the reception can be held in the same place as the naming ceremony. See our Venues directory for examples of approved venues. If you’re not using a registrar, you can hold the ceremony and reception anywhere, including your own home. However, bear in mind that the celebrant might have to visit in advance to check for health and safety purposes.

Number of guests… and don’t forget the weather!

Who do you want to invite? Is this going to be a small family gathering with just your close friends? Or is it a chance for all the extended family, neighbours, friends and baby group buddies to get together?

The number of guests you have will largely determine where to have it. Unless you have a very large house and garden, holding a reception at home for a big group is probably not a great idea. Equally, hiring a large reception hall for a handful of people to rattle around in will make the day feel awkward.

Find a space that fits the number of guests you’ll have. Don’t rule out restaurants, hotels or golf clubs if you have a small party – many of these venues have small, private dining or function rooms. Call around to get minimum and maximum capacities allowed. Equally, don’t think that just because you have a large party you can’t go to your local pub - you might be able to hire it out for the afternoon. But don’t expect to be able to squeeze a big group in comfortably while sharing it with regular Sunday lunch-goers.

If you’re holding a naming ceremony, consider whether the ceremony takes place in a separate area or if you’ll need to convert the space for the reception afterwards. And if you’re planning on holding the ceremony at home, think about using a marquee to expand the useable space into the garden.

Wherever you choose, remember the changeable English weather. Do you have a wet weather back up plan and equally, do you have shade – particularly for older and very young guests – on a hot summer’s day? If you’re having it at home, do you have outdoor shading, rain cover and might you need heaters? If you’re using a venue, how far in advance do you need to let them know about a change of weather plan?

Food and atmosphere

The type of atmosphere and food you want will also help you determine where to hold it:

• Traditional: Think cupcakes and cucumber sandwiches! Traditional christening receptions are afternoon teas held either at home, at a restaurant or somewhere with a garden or lawn
• Formal: You can give the day more structure and a touch of formality with a sit down lunch. This is something best done at a restaurant or hotel, rather than at home unless your house is vast!
• Informal: Opting for a stand up fork or finger buffet or canapés can still be elegant but slightly less formal than a plated sit down meal. This option is easier to do at home, but equally can be arranged at a venue with less tidying up for you!
• Fun: This is a day to celebrate your baby so it can be as fun and imaginative as you like. You could try a hog roast or BBQ with plenty of entertainment for older children. Or theme it – like a Teddy Bears’ picnic or Fairground Fun with a bouncy castle and ice-cream vendor. Your theme will help you decide where to hold it.

Look at our Supplier directory for ideas or speak to caterers to find out where they’re happy to operate from. See our Food & Drink section for inspiration.

Cost

A big factor to consider when determining the venue is your budget. Use our Budget tool to work out what everything will cost. Here are some money saving tips:

• Reduce the number of guests you have. The more people you have, the bigger the venue you need and the more food you need to supply.
• Ask the venues about reduced rates and bargain for them. Sundays are less popular for weddings and conferences so room hire should be cheaper. Rates are also occasionally cheaper if a room is used during the day only.
• Book out of season. Summer is when most weddings take place, pushing venue prices to a premium. Opt for a less busy time of year to get a better rate.
• Find out whether you can bring in your own catering and drinks, which can reduce costs. However, most places will still charge corkage on wine or champagne.
• An event at home might seem cheaper initially, but equipment hire like chairs, glasses, crockery and a marquee can push the total cost up. You can reduce costs by making your own food, rather than getting outside caterers in or by asking family to bring a plate of eats. 

Read our Celebration At Home article for more advice. The downside to consider is the extra work for you.

Other considerations

When looking at christening or baby naming venues, there are a few other things to consider:

Guest profiles: It’s not just the number of people you invite, but who those people are. If you’re likely to have a large number of elderly guests, you’ll need to ensure there’s room and facilities to sit down. If you’re having a large number of children, make sure there is space for them to play as well as child-friendly facilities like nappy changing and highchairs.

Special significance: You might want to choose a venue that has special significance to your family. Perhaps you want to use the church or venue where you got married or a location with a family connection.

Entertainment: Are you planning any entertainment for either children or adults? You’ll need to factor in space for a bouncy castle, a dance floor or a separate room for an entertainer if you’re planning any of these. See our Entertainment section for more ideas.