Communion and Confirmation are perhaps the two most exciting days in a school child’s life. With the white sparkly dresses and dapper suits, I can’t blame them! Celebrating these milestones by having parties is becoming increasingly popular, especially in Ireland. Gone are the days when your parents drove you to multiple relatives’ houses to show you off. Now more than ever, with the Covid-19 restrictions almost gone, the pressure is on parents who want their children to have a magical day. This blog will give you some handy tips for party decorations, themes, ideas and most importantly how to reduce stress on the day.
Decorating for a child’s Communion/Confirmation party can be tricky, especially if it is in your home. This party is different from a birthday, in which the child can pick any theme they wish, and you decorate accordingly. Of course, your child can have a theme for their special day, it is just more unlikely that the theme will involve unicorns or racecars, as it normally would. A good rule of thumb is to choose a colour for your theme, this is of course easier for a Confirmation as you can generally pick a theme to match the child’s outfit. This can be more difficult for a communion, especially a girl. You could either ask your child or plan the colour theme around the décor already present in your home.
Once you pick your colour theme you can decide what type of decorations you want. The type of decorations you have will depend on various factors;
- Is the party in your home? If the party is in your home you will generally need fewer decorations than if it was at a rented hall, as the hall is bigger and usually bare. If the party is in your home then you should decide if the garden will also be used, as you may require some additional pieces there.
- How many guests will you have? If you are organizing a party with a lot of guests you may consider using eco-friendly cutlery and plates, as this will save your time with washing up and avoid the disaster of a smashed plate or glass around a lot of children.
After these factors have been considered you can choose your decorations. A focal point is always eye-catching at a party, whether that is a photo wall with a beautiful balloon arch, a table with sweet treats on display for guests or a dinner table decorated with decadent plated and personalized name cards for seating arrangements. Having the main focus point can reduce the number of decorations needed elsewhere, as the guests will be congregating there. This can really change the entire feel of your party and will be great for photographs. All of the mentioned decorations are available at The Party Boutique!
There are many things you can do with a Communion/Confirmation party, such as having bouncy castles, child entertainers, a disco or garden games such as giant connect four or giant Jenga are all a hit with the kids, and ensure the parents have time to mingle with each other.
Keeping calm during the day may seem like an impossible task, with all of the guests flooding in, trying to get as many photos as you can before your child’s outfit is ruined, and the potential of a disaster at any second.
The top tips I can offer you are simple, have an itinerary for the day. If you have entertainment for the children planned, ensure all the photos are before this and the food is after, to avoid any sugar crashes. Have a backup plan for the weather, if your party will be outdoors, ensure you have sufficient space to move everyone indoors if the weather turns.
And finally, try to enjoy yourself! Your child only has these special days once, all the other parents at the party know how stressful the time will be and offer to help, you’re only human and some things are out of your control!
Until next time,
Roisin x
