Christening invitation wording: what to write and when to send it
A christening invitation has to tell your guests whose christening it is, when it starts and where to go: the child's full name, the date and time, the church, and the place of the party afterwards. Add the date you need an answer by. The German family site familie.de suggests sending it about four to six weeks ahead.
What should a christening invitation say?
familie.de's guide to christening invitations builds the text around five questions:
- When? The exact date and the time of the christening. You can also say when the party ends, so the baby gets some well-earned rest at some point.
- Where? The address of the church and of the venue for the celebration afterwards.
- Who? The child's full baptismal name. Many guests may want to give something personalised.
- What to give? If you already have gift ideas, you can mention them or point to a gift list.
- What to bring? Whether guests should bring anything, for example when you plan a bring-a-dish buffet.
Each of its three sample texts also asks guests to reply by a date you fill in. If you want a line of scripture or a quote, familie.de suggests a christening verse or a saying that fits your family's values and beliefs.
The Protestant site evangelisch.de, in its tips for home-made invitation cards, splits the card in two. The outside can carry a christening symbol (a fish, a candle, water or a dove), the word "invitation" or "christening", the child's name and the date. The practical details, such as the place and the time, go inside.
Christening invitation wording examples
familie.de's templates are written as a letter to one guest, from the greeting to the sign-off. The three below keep its facts and drop the letter: as written here they run to 42, 43 and 30 words. Fill in the brackets and sign with your own names. Then count again, because our folded card's message holds up to 60 words and 400 characters.
Simple and classic
We would love you to join us for the christening of [full name] on [day and date] at [time] in [church, address]. Afterwards we are celebrating at [venue]. Please let us know by [date] whether you can come. With love, [your names]
Warm and personal
Our little [name] is being christened, and we would like you there. The service is on [day and date] at [time] at [church, address], followed by lunch at [venue]. Your being there is the nicest present. Please reply by [date]. Love, [your names]
Short and relaxed
Come and celebrate [name]'s christening with us: [day and date], [time], [church, address], then cake and coffee at [venue]. Tell us by [date] if you can make it. [your names]
On our folded card the front stays the birth design; your own message carries the christening.
When should you send christening invitations?
Send them once the guest list, the date and the place are settled, which is where evangelisch.de's tips begin. Two of the guides also give a timing:
| Guide | When to send | Reply by |
|---|---|---|
| familie.de (Germany) | about four to six weeks ahead | a date you set in the text |
| Documentissime (France) | a few weeks before the ceremony | at the latest a month before the ceremony |
familie.de's reason is that many people plan far into the year, so the notice lets guests keep the day free. Documentissime's model christening announcement adds that, as a rule, it is advisable to send one card per family or per couple, so count households rather than guests before you order. To get answers a month before the ceremony, as Documentissime asks, the cards have to go out more than a month ahead. Our guide to addressing the envelopes covers the outside of the card.
Can a birth card be your christening invitation?
It can, if you know what prints where. On our folded A5 card the front is a name-led cover in the birth design you pick. The inside right prints your baby's name and birth details, and the inside left takes your own message of up to 60 words and 400 characters. That message is where the christening details go. The back carries a small motif and our brand mark. Nothing on the card mentions the christening except your message, so it reads best as an announcement and an invitation in one, sent to guests who have not had a birth card yet.
Two things about the message, so it prints the way you expect:
- It is one paragraph. Line breaks are joined into spaces, so write the details as running text, the way the examples above are set out.
- Sign it inside the message. There is no separate field for your names.
Our flat A6 postcard has a front and a back and no message panel, so it cannot carry the christening details. Our comparison of folded and flat cards sets the two side by side, and our birth announcement wording guide has more opening lines. The folded card comes with envelopes, in packs of 10, 25, 50 or 100, and the editor shows the expected arrival before you pay, so add that time before your sending date.
To see your christening text on the card, write it into the folded card in the card editor.