Wording guide

Baptism and christening invitation wording

Two events on one card, often in two places, usually with a guest list that mixes people who go to church and people who do not.

A plain white card propped against a small unlit candle on white linen

A baptism invitation is carrying more than it looks. There is a service at a specific time in a specific building, there is usually a lunch or reception somewhere else afterwards, and there is a guest list that typically spans the whole family, some of whom attend church every week and some of whom have not been inside one in twenty years. The card has to serve all of that without assuming knowledge.

Practically, that means naming the church in full with its address, giving the service time and the reception time separately, and saying plainly whether guests are expected at both. Family who are not religious often assume the service is the private part and only the lunch is for them. If they are welcome at both, the card should say so in words.

Naming the godparents is a choice rather than a convention. It is a lovely thing to see printed and it is meaningful to the people named, and it also makes the card longer. If the design is small, godparents can go on the reception card or be left for the day itself.

The wording, written out

Service and reception

With joy and thanksgiving James and Katherine Whitfield invite you to the baptism of their son Thomas James Sunday, the third of May, at eleven in the morning Saint Brigid Church, 4735 Cass Street, San Diego Lunch to follow at 1424 Willow Court, Poway Kindly reply by the twentieth of April

The rule between the two halves is doing the work. Service above, reception below, both with their own address, so nobody arrives at the wrong building.

Naming godparents

Thomas James Whitfield will be baptised on Sunday, the third of May Godparents: Grace Okonkwo and Michael Vance

One line, below the child's name, before the logistics. Naming them on the invitation is a kindness to the godparents and often the first time the family sees it in writing.

Christening, more traditional

Mr. and Mrs. James Whitfield request the pleasure of your company at the christening of their daughter Amelia Rose Sunday, the third of May, at eleven o'clock Saint Brigid Church, San Diego and afterwards at 1424 Willow Court, Poway

The formal structure suits a christening well, particularly in families where the wedding invitations looked like this too.

Reception only for some guests

The service is at eleven and everyone is welcome Lunch follows at one, and we would love you there Please come to whichever suits you — or both

This is the wording that solves the mixed guest list. It removes the awkwardness for people who would rather not attend a church service without ever naming the issue.

What goes wrong

The mistakes worth avoiding

Giving the church name without the street address, on an invitation going to family from out of town.
Running the service and reception together so guests cannot tell they are in two different places.
Assuming everyone knows whether they are invited to the service. Say it.
Leaving out the reply date because it is family, then having no idea how much food to make.
Printing the child's name only as the nickname everyone uses. This card gets kept.

Questions people ask

How far ahead do baptism invitations go out?

Three to four weeks for local family, six if people are flying in. Baptism dates are often set by the church calendar months ahead, so there is usually plenty of runway.

Should we mention gifts?

No. If people ask, the family answers directly. A baptism invitation with gift information on it changes what the card is.

Do godparents have to be named on the card?

Not at all. It is a warm touch, not a requirement, and on a small card it is often the first thing to cut.

What about a naming ceremony that is not religious?

Same structure exactly, different words. "Naming day" or "welcome celebration" in place of baptism, and the rest of the card works unchanged.

Want the wording set properly?

Wording is included in anything designed here. Tell me who is hosting and anything delicate about it, and I will set it and show you two versions to choose between. $45 for a First Look concept, back in three days, and it comes off whatever you book.

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