Religious milestones: christenings, communions and confirmations

Christenings, communions and confirmations follow the same shape: a short service, a room full of family afterwards, and a card that gets kept for decades.

This hub links to a full guide for each one - what happens, what to give, what to spend and what to write - written for UK churches, prices and families.

Start with the milestone you're marking. If you only need the card, the collections at the bottom go straight to the designs.

Christenings and baptisms

• Christening timing and costs: when to book, what a UK christening runs to, and what to write.
• Baptism timing and costs, including adult and full-immersion baptisms.
• What is a christening: what happens, who does what, and how long it takes.
• Christening gifts: keepsakes, savings and what UK guests, family and godparents spend.
• What to write in a christening card, plus a page of ready-made messages.
• Baptism card messages, including wording for an adult baptism.
• Christening party ideas: timings, food, decorations and real costs.
• Christening cake ideas: sizes, wording and how to dress a plain cake with a topper. Shop this card

Godparents

• Godparent proposal ideas: how to ask, what to say and what goes in the box.
• Godparent gifts: keepsakes that mark the role rather than the day.
• Christening gift ideas for a godson, including the sealed-letter idea.
• How many godparents you need, and the rules your church may apply.

First Holy Communion

• Holy Communion explained: what happens on the day and what to bring.
• First Holy Communion gifts, split by whether you're family, godparent or guest.
• Communion gift ideas and UK budgets.
• What to write in a communion card - religious, short, funny and family wording.

Confirmation

• Confirmation gifts for an eleven to fifteen year old who chose this themselves.
• Confirmation card messages, from blessings to short lines for teenagers.
• Sponsors and godparents: what the role means at confirmation.

Non-religious alternatives

• Naming ceremonies: the secular version, with guide parents instead of godparents.
• Guide-parent promises, and why to give them in writing beforehand.
• Keepsakes that work without religious wording - a dated print, candle or guest book. Shop this card

The party afterwards

• Christening party ideas: timings, food, decorations and what a UK christening actually costs.
• Communion quiz questions: four ten-question rounds for the room after the service.
• Naming ceremony themes: ten themes, the running order and what to hang behind the cake.
• Party games that work in any room, borrowed from our office-party guide - they suit a village hall just as well.
• Invite wording you can paste straight into a message, with a finish time on it.
• Themes and decorations: one banner, one table, ten minutes.

Things every one of these days needs

• A card with the date written under your name. It's what turns it into a keepsake.
• One banner behind the cake table, so the photographs have a backdrop.
• A cake topper rather than piped icing, so a plain cake still looks made for them. Shop this card
• A guest book or time capsule for messages to be opened at eighteen.
• Two people briefed to take photographs, because everyone assumes someone else is.
• Food out earlier than feels necessary - babies and grandparents both need feeding.

Cards for the day

Blank inside, posted first class the same working day.

Keepsakes

Candles, prints and coasters you can date and personalise.

For the table

Cake toppers, banners and confetti we actually have in stock.

Where to shop next

• Religious milestones explained
• Christening timing, costs and messages
• Baptism timing, costs and messages
• Communion timing, costs and messages
• Confirmation timing, costs and messages
• Naming ceremony timing, costs and messages
• What to write in a baptism card
• First Holy Communion card messages
• Naming ceremony messages
• What is a christening?
• Christening gift ideas
• Christening gift ideas for a godson
• What to write in a christening card
• Christening card messages
• Christening party ideas
• Christening cake ideas
• Christening celebration ideas
• Baptism gifts
• Baptism card messages
• Godparent proposal ideas
• Godparent gift ideas
• Holy Communion explained
• First Holy Communion gifts
• Communion gift ideas
• What to write in a communion card
• Confirmation gifts
• Confirmation card messages
• Naming ceremony guide
• Christening FAQs
• First Holy Communion FAQs
• Confirmation FAQs
• Naming ceremony FAQs
• Bar mitzvah gift ideas
• Communion quiz questions
• Naming ceremony themes and decorations
• Party games for any room
• Party invite wording
• Party themes and decorations
• Party ideas hub
• Christening cards
• Christening gifts
• Godparent gifts
• First Holy Communion cards
• Confirmation cards
• New baby cards
• Christening decorations
• Celebration ideas
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• Birthday badges & party pins
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Party bag ideas for adults
• How much helium do you need for balloons?
• Gifts to make someone smile
• Thinking of you gifts

Frequently asked questions

What are the main religious milestones for a child?

Christening or baptism as a baby, First Holy Communion at around seven or eight in Catholic families, and confirmation between eleven and fifteen. A naming ceremony is the non-religious alternative to a christening.

What is the difference between a christening and a baptism?

Baptism is the sacrament; christening is the British term for the naming part of an infant baptism. In practice the same cards, gifts and wording work for both.

How much do you spend on a christening or communion gift?

In the UK, guests usually spend £10 to £25, wider family £20 to £40, godparents £30 to £150 depending on the milestone, and grandparents £50 to £100, often as savings.

Do you have to be religious to attend?

No. Plenty of guests at christenings and communions aren't churchgoers. A warm, non-religious card and a dated keepsake are always appropriate.

What do you write in a card for a religious milestone?

Name the child, add one line of congratulation and one blessing or good wish, then sign your full name with the date. Keep it to five lines - these cards get read aloud.