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The 1st Holy Communion Party –
Planning a Celebration that is Personal and Meaningful
A child’s 1st Holy Communion celebration can be
anything from a simple backyard gathering to a posh
hotel or restaurant reception these days. Every family
will have its own traditions and expectations of events
such as these, but with some basic thoughts in mind,
and a little attention to details, such as theme, décor,
and event favors, whether large or small, simple or
elaborate, it can be a personal and meaningful occasion
for all that attend.
The most important part of planning any event is to
have a clear idea going in of your focus and desired
result and to realize that there could actually be more
than one. As in the case of a Catholic Holy Communion
celebration, there will be guests of all ages attending
and the desired result you’d like to create for
the young ones may be different than that for the adults.
Again, every family is different how they celebrate
such occasions. Some will have a more structured event
with time for toasts and speeches to tribute the guest
of honor and family members, similar to a wedding reception,
and others will leave the more formal part of the day
to the church ceremonies and keep the party time more
open or relaxed. It truly is up to you.
Although of course a religious rite of passage, the
theme of such a celebration can either focus on that
aspect by emphasizing it with décor and Communion
favors with the Cross, chalice and wafer symbols or
you can choose to highlight the child’s interests
and personality more prominently with a theme that recognizes
him/her as the guest of honor and his/her accomplishing
this important step in life. An example of this would
be to feature the child’s love of horseback riding,
or swimming by including it, or even making it, the
theme of the party with decorations, the cake, event
favors, even entertainment and allowing the actual rite
of passage, in this case the 1st Holy communion, that
has brought everyone together and the ceremony preceding
the party, to be the overall theme of the day. You often
see this kind of personalization with weddings as the
couple chooses a theme for their reception based on
one of their interests such as using a location by the
beach with tropical fish décor to share their
passion for scuba diving with all in attendance. It
is unlikely that anyone will forget that they’ve
gathered for an important ritual (the couple’s
marriage vows!) but they will also not likely forget
that they enjoy scuba diving and that this was a unique
and personal gathering.
Sending guests home with a Communion favor that tributes
the guest of honor and also commemorates this celebratory
day is an opportunity to convey many things as well.
It can be a simple reminder that they attended the special
event and therefore are an important participant in
your family’s life, or in the case of a Communion
favor it can also serve as a symbol of their own beliefs
and rituals that are significant in their life.
These days, the possibilities are truly endless in
what you can create for an event. By defining your desired
result right from the start and taking factors such
as budget, the number of guests, location and time of
day into consideration you are on track for a successful
party. Although there are many details to be thought
through, keeping the reason for the party in the first
place, your child’s rite of passage -- his/her
1st Holy Communion, as the focus will help guide your
thoughts and decisions.. Only you will know what is
most appropriate for your family and this special time,
and that in itself, will help you to plan a celebration
that is personal and meaningful for your child and your
guests.
Cheryl Salto loves helping to make celebrations personal
and meaningful as the owner of AllInOneFunFavors.com
specializing in providing an extensive online selection
of Communion and Event favors for life’s special
celebrations. http://www.allinonefunfavors.com/communion-favors.html
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