What was your budget for your childs christening?

[AliBaby]

You dont have to answer if you dont want to but my sis who is helping me organise this has asked me for my budget. Well I have no idea what is a realistic budget. We are having 50 people.

[shellbell3]

Guess it depends what your doing.
The church asks usually for a donation not a set amount, think we gave $120.
We had a BBQ here afterwards so provided all the food can't remember how much we spent sorry.
Plus the outfit we bought for her.
What are you planning on doing?

[tan32]

we donated to the church i think they asked for $50 donation.
All our children have worn family gowns handed down through generations.
Cake was about $40
then we just did the usual finger food at our house after

[briggsy's girl]

we kinda went the whole hog seeing some family and some awesome BB chickies were travelling down from sydney and brisbane to meet this very much longed for little poppet. we catered for about 100 people so cake (DIVINE mud cake) was $100, probably $200 or just over on food (a lot of which we knew, if not used, could be frozen and eaten later - i'm still munching sausage rolls mmmm yum!). ummmm, gown was a lot more exxy - but that was personal preference - there is no need to spend heaps - we got the one we did cos we wanted to start a family tradition of having the same gown handed down, so wanted a classic one kwim?

i think, excluding the gown, it probably cost about $400 including dinner for those that were still here that night (god parents, 8 kids between the two sets, ummm gargy and montyp) so it wasn't too exxy. we had everything here after the baptism at the church next door


ooh, i will add - we spent more than intended simply because we'd had a win on the horses a couple of weeks earlier and decided to spend a bit more! we've still got softdrink that DH is taking to work and things! we also bought an urn for the day that i'm using all the time now lol

[AliBaby]

Thanks girls. BG I think that is what the cost of ours is going to be.

Is good to know how much you donsated to the church as I have no idea about things like that. It is my Uncle's church (he is the Minister) so I didnt want to make a fool of us and give way too much or not enough.

I was going to have it in a park but we are now thinkin of having it at The Oaks at Neutral Bay. It is a pub but a very nice one.

We can get a function room which wont cost anyhting and then I was thinking of ordering pizzas from there (they are delicious gourmet ones) probably cost us $250 in pizzas to feed everyone but I figure most people like it.

Do you think it would be rude for people to buy their own drinks (there will be bars around so people can just get drinks when they want)? I thought that would save us alot if people can buy their own.

And the cake....lets just say I have found a cake that cost $450!!!!! There is no way I can afford that or would spend that on a cake but I have a friend who makes cakes professionally who I am going to see i she can make it but a one tier instead of two tiers and for a lot cheaper!!! Still thinking it will cost me around $15o (for cake)...I wont be telling DP that!

So all up I am thinking this event wil cost us about $500 maybe $600. My sis said she woulhd help with the costs which is so nice of her.

I am so nervous about this.....I have kept putting it off and off to the point now where by Oct (when it is) DD prob wont fit into our family christening gown but all my family are going to be there and my parents have been divorced since I was one and not spoken so for my sis and I we are going to have to do some serious working of the room!!!

[MrsB26]

I think its ok to ask people to buy their own drinks - we did this too as we really couldnt afford to have that extra expense also. We donated $100 to the church, i made the cake myself which probably cost me $40 in ingredients and decorations (fed 60 people). $300 on food at the hotel function room, gown was my dh's. I bought myself a new dress $50.
So we spent around $500

[Erin_25]

well we not only asked everyone to buy their own drinks but lunch also LOL. We lived in WA but had bubs in SA to be by family....so it was just family when DS was only 5wks old. So we just gave donation to church, DS wore 100yr old gown (no cost). We were not staying at our place so lunch at the pub at your own cost.....but it was only our parents & siblings. I got a cake from cheescake shop with chocolate shards put on it for about $60. So didn't cost much at all.

[shellbell3]

Cake I went to our local bakery, $50 they made a huge cake decorated, written on and dated.

I don't think it'll be bad to get people to buy their own drinks, you are providing food so thats fine.

The donation can be whatever you can afford whne we did Ash's I actually started a thread somewhere in here on what is a good amount.