I'm having a First Communion party and I don't know where to begin. Theme, colors, favors, food, etc. I can't even find anything online for First Communion. I'm having about 60 people (adults & children). It's in May so there is a possibility of having an outside party. I really appreciate any help you can give me or point me in the right direction.
Donna
The First Communion parties I have attended have carried the religious theme. The cakes are decorated with the person's name and maybe a cross. The cake could also be in the shape of a cross. The colors could be ones pleasing to the person celebrating their First Communion. The same with the food, honor the person celebrating their special day. Napkins and paper plates with the First Communion-religious theme can be purchased at various places, especially around Easter. Good luck and have fun planning such a special day! (02/23/2005)
By Mitch
We are facing the same dilemma. I think that we may give it a spring/religious theme. I have tried to find a cake online, but that's not happening. I will probably get some ideas and give them to my bakery. Also, since it is a girl, I am thinking of pink tablecloths, with bouquets of lilacs on the tables.
By Patricia C
I'm doing a First Communion party for my son this weekend. Since we are on a budget, I bought plain white tablecloths (the ones that are paper lined with plastic), plain white Chinet paper plates and plain white napkins. I wouldn't spend the extra money on theme plates and napkins -- I never notice them at parties, so I doubt many people do.
As for food - My son wanted barbecue (of all things, but I guess it's better than pizza! And since we live in Texas, there are a lot of inexpensive bbq joints that can help us out there), so I"m going to order the bbq and make the sides.
For table decorations -- I looked at party stores and Catholic stores, but everything was so expensive, so I'm just going to run some gold or white ribbon down the tables and put a big white candle in the center of each with maybe some ivy around it.
I ordered the cake - it has white icing and will be decorated with a gold chalice with greenery around the bottom and the host coming out of the top. I asked them to write (quote)First Holy Communion(/quote) and my son's name.
I say the simpler the better. I know it's hard, but try to focus on the joy of this event and the sacredness of this time in your child's life! Just make or order the kind of food that she wants and she will be thrilled. Save some money on the party and take that money and buy her a special cross necklace that she can cherish forever. You can make very simple, yet beautiful, decorations without buying all those ready-made cheap (yet expensive) decorations at the store.
God bless you and I hope it all goes well! (03/30/2005)
By Julie
I was on this site looking for some ideas as well for my daughters upcoming communion that is also in May. Your question sounded exactly like my situation even down to the number of guests.
At this point, since the girls appear to be like little brides, I am taking my inspiration from the wedding department. I will be using whites, off whites and probably pale pink or peach to give it not such a bright white appearance. I will more than likely use white table cloths and make a few low bouquets of the same colored roses for the tables. I also bought some soft tulle and battery operated white lights that I may use either on the serving tables or the guests tables. In addition, I have purchased some silk flower petals in the same color scheme that I will scatter around. I will probably order some balloons in the same color scheme to use about since that is always festive and the kids favorite.
As far as food, I too will be barbecuing but have hired someone to do that as well as someone to help me serve and clean up. I know that that is an added expense but as someone else mentioned, you really want to enjoy the day. Try to cut back somewhere else financially and use it for this purpose and I can guarantee you will be so very glad you did.
I also am making my own goodie bags with the thank you included so that I do not have to do it after the event. I do not know if this is proper but I am a procrastinator and this will solve that problem. I bought, again in the wedding department, of a craft store little white mesh bags with a drawstring tie in which I will include bubbles, chocolate and a pocket coin. The pocket coin I found really inexpensive on line. The saying I chose read, "Knowing you is a prayer come true" In addition, I found a cute picture on line that I have scaled down and I will print out on card stock. I will then have my daughter sign each on and attach it to the outside of the bag with some pretty ribbon. That will be considered that Thank You Card, and thank you gift.
Hope I helped and enjoy the day! (04/07/2005)
By Kathy
I am also hosting a girls 1st communion party. I am making cross cookies and will have my daughters name in each and bag them to give as a goodie to each guest. My daughter's favorite is chinese so we are having her party unlike my other 2 home barbecues at a chinese restaurant. No cleanup and no more expensive seeing that the paper goods alone will kill you. God Bless (04/28/2005)
By Cheryl
For my son's First Communion party, we are using wheat and plastic grapes which are laid across a flat mirror. Also in the center of the mirror, we have a wide vase w/ a floating candle.We are also dyeing the water in the vase purple. Very inexpensive.And folding napkins to look like a bishop's mitre is also a nice touch! (04/29/2005)
By Tracey
Since you're having 60 people, you may want to consider catering Chinese food. It is relatively inexpensive and I always find that I can order for about 10-15 people less than invited (depending on # kids) and there is more than enough and saves $ Instead of DJ, burn CD's of your child's favorite songs to play during event and be the DJ for an hour to play dance games, like chicken dance, hokey pokey, limbo, conga, etc. Lots of luck and God bless your child on special day.
(01/13/2006)
By Denise
Very interesting reading, I was actually searching for Confirmation ideas!
For my son's communion several years back I did a buffet. We did not have many people attending as our family all lives overseas. I catered myself.
I made the cake, a sponge with rolled fondant icing. I made pastillage flowers for the top. My son loved it. I made chocolate mints using the plastic moulds from the local cake store, these were great! For dessert I made mini meringues in pastel colors filled with fresh cream.
For favors and thank you gifts I bought cards from online and made bombonieres with sugared almonds and netting and ribbon, a small gold plastic cross attached to the ribbon.
All your ideas sound great and believe me, the children will think you are the best mother ever even if you served cheese toasties! (03/10/2006)
By Kay
I too am looking for creative ideas to make my daughter's first communion a success. First, I am having vases painted with lilacs and tulips and will place those very same flowers in the vase and set on each table. I have also purchased very inexpensive candles and candle holders from IKEA. They are cool, the candle holder looks like an ice cube. This looks cool and sleek. Additionally, my daughter suggested having a wedding cake. At first I thought the idea was crazy! As I started to think about it and research, I thought we could get a very small version of a wedding cake. Mind you, we are having the party in our garage and yard, so I really wanted to make it look and feel very special. (03/28/2006)
By Gina
I'm in the process of planning my daughter's 1st communion party. For my son 2 years ago I let him pick the entertainment and food. He chose Irish dancers (he'd just started dancing) and BBQ. I let my daughter choose the food since now everyone wants the dancers to come (!) and she chose crepes. So I'm going to have a local creperie cater. There will be CDs of Irish music playing. Wine and beer for the adults. For colors I'll stick to traditional...ivory and light pink (her dress colors). I like the idea of a "wedding" cake, just one layer, but pretty and white, and even cross cookie favors. I'm not much of a baker so I'll see what our local bakery can do.
For her baptism I had a lovely white (with lemon cream filling) cake decorated with white icing daisies. I put real daisies on the cake plate. Her dress had daisies in the bodice, it was really sweet. So I'm thinking pale pink roses this time.
Have fun! (03/30/2006)
By Kelli
My granddaughter is also making her Communion in May. For centerpieces I went to Family Dollar store and purchased glass crosses about 10 inches tall for 2.99 ea. I will tie gold and white balloons to them and I bought confetti of (crosses bibles and chalices) to sprinkle on the tables at a party store for 1.99 pkg. I bought 4 pkgs. We will have 10 tables to decorate so I don't think it was too expensive. As far as favors I bought pencils(from oriental trading) that say Jesus loves Me to give to the children. Good luck on First Communion day and enjoy. (04/05/2006)
By Anne
My son is having his First Communion in May. We have rented a room at a local restaurant. They ended up having a free event planner who is taking care of everything. This has proved beneficial because now I don't have to run around like a crazy women with shopping, cooking, cleaning, hostessing etc. I can enjoy the day with my son. (This ended up being less expensive than catering yourself at home plus they are providing everything. From a customized menu to the cloth napkins, plates and dessert) My son is not into cake so they threw the dessert in for free. The only thing I am providing are the centerpieces which are crystal blue & wire votive candle holders and some balloons. Blue, Gray & Pearl White. The votive holders will also serve as the favor. (04/21/2006)
By Theresa
My daughter is also celebrating her first communion this May. All my family is on the other side of the country, and my husbands family are out of state and they won't make it. I will have probably only about 10 people attend. It's at noon on a Sunday. Any ideas? (04/22/2006)
By Sharon
THis may work for Sharon.... try a nice barbecue in your yard or at a local park. Local park with shelter may be better so younger folks can play, and you don't have to worry about fixing up your yard/cleaning ahead of time. A friend of mine in Junior High had hers this way, informal and inexpensive, but very sociable and fun. (04/22/2006)
By Kelly
We are planning my son's First Communion Party as well. We expect about 60 folks as well. We are having it at a local park (and telling everyone to bring a change of clothing). The menu is no frills - a couple of 5 foot sub sandwiches, chips and dip, fruit salad, lemonade, sodas and a pasta salad. We are making homemade ice cream and getting a cake. We also renting a snowcone machine (75 bucks for the machine and supplies for 100). For fun we are having games for various age groups: penny pick up for the young ones, a treasure hunt for the little older ones, water balloon toss, sack race and some agility type things for everyone. There is also room to play baseball (big in our family) so I expect a pick up game of that or basket ball since there are hoops near by and I will bring the equipment along with me. Also, I am putting together a couple of crafts with a religious undertone with supplies from Oriental Trading. Hope this helps. (04/23/2006)
By Sarah
What are good gifts to give for a eight year old girl who is having her first communion? (04/29/2006)
By Jennifer
Jennifer, I think a good gift for a child's first communion would be a Bible along with a nice card. You can buy student bibles that are easier for kids to understand. I'm not Catholic I'm Protestant so my religion doesn't do anything special for a child's first communion. I don't know why ... I guess different denominations do different things (04/29/2006)
By Dana Sipe
I am also planning my daughter's First Communion this Sunday. A small family gathering of approximately 10-12 people. My husband and I are planning a casual BBQ with homemade salads and fruit kabobs. I will make the cake myself. My daughter likes the box mix yellow cake with white frosting. I was thinking about cutting a 13x9 cake into a cross or chalice with a host. Trying to keep it simple, I'm no Martha, but I pretend I am.(Freeze cake after it has been cut before trying to frost, the first layer ALWAYS get crumbs in it...then you cover that layer after it dries) As for a gift idea for an 8yr old girl, I chose to order a silver double link chain charm bracelet with an Gaelic cross and a "First Holy Communion" pendant with a chalice and host on it as her first charms. There are so many to choose from and this makes for a great gift idea (charms) from anyone for any occasion in the future. Have a great day!
(05/01/2006)
By Candace
For my daughters First Holy Communion, we rented out a small restaurant and had them cook our favorite foods. We brought a cake and took our time with our friends. As far as a gift , ebay had a store that had the sweetest bracelets with a first communion charm. It came wrapped, so we didn't have to do anything. Many blessings for your family. (05/11/2006)
By Donna R
You remind me of us last year when my son and daughter had their first communion, it was easier than expected. We hosted the party for 70 people. You can buy rosaries and put them in nice fabric bag that can be find in the wedding section of craft stores, print in your computer same small tags with the child's name and date and tide this tags to the bags. You can also use a picture of the child, download it in your computer and type the information, print them and put them in nice picture frames. I found nice ones in dollar stores. I put all this on the tables so can be use also as decorations.
For centerpieces I just bought tropical flowers in my local grocery store. I also bought inexpensive glass bowls, we found nice butterflies on sticks, (meaning new life) and put them with the flowers in the flower base, that was our centerpieces.
For the cake we ordered white plain cake and we did our own thing. We bought a ceramic child and a cross which we put on the cake and we cut a couple of the flowers very short and stuck them on the cake. It looked like we paid hundreds of dollars for it.
For food, we did a lot of finger food, pasta with bread and salad. My aunt cooked meat and pork for us and we set a buffet table for the food and another one for the drinks. Good luck! (01/08/2007)
By Katerina
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