A communion is a very special time in a child’s life when they first accept the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. This sacred event is a tradition passed down straight from the Word of God through the Catholic Church and as such, demands the reverence and respect any holy ceremony deserves. This extends to every aspect of the communion, from gifts, to outfits and right down to the communion invite.
If you’re taking charge (or put in charge) of designing a communion invite, there are some things that you should certainly keep in mind throughout the process. Here are five of the most important things that you need to be aware of when designing communion invites.
Five Major Things to Consider When Designing a Communion Invite
1. Know the denomination to know the age of the child as well as the seriousness of the event. The first thing you want to take into consideration when you’re choosing or designing a communion invitation is the family’s denomination. As mentioned, it is a very serious affair in the Catholic Church, but Catholics aren’t the only denomination of faith that celebrates first communions. For Catholics, the Eucharist is one of the central focuses of the Church so the invite should reflect the solemnness and sanctity of the ceremony. This typically takes place around ages 7 or 8. Lutherans also traditionally practice First Communion and hold the affair as a solemn occasion.
Further, Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East practice infant communion, so the invitations should reflect the baby’s age. Some Anglicans allow infant communion while others practice confirmation, an event taking place typically during the teenage years. In most Protestant churches, the communion is a loose affair so you can create invitations that are more fun and celebratory in many occasions.
Tailor your communion invitations to the child’s age. For instance, it would look silly for a young child or 5 or 6 receiving communion and invitations go out with a little baby on them. Alternatively, you don’t want to send out a teenager holding Jesus’s hand on a communion invitation for a baby.
2. Know the difference for what communions mean to different religions. In the same vein as knowing the denomination, it helps to be aware of how the Eucharist is viewed by different religions. This will help you pick out features of the invitation such as the font, color and design. What it really boils down is that Roman Catholics, some Protestant denominations, Lutherans and some Anglicans, believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. It’s important to note that for the preceding denominations that are not Catholics, this is not in the form of transubstantiation.
Other denominations that practice communions have different understandings and interpretations of the event, ranging from the Eucharist being viewed as a strictly symbolic meal to a meal of remembrance in honor of Christ’s last supper.
3. Communion invitations can be gender specific. While it may seem silly to mention this, you’d be surprised at how many people overlook the fact that invitations based in blue are for boys and communion invitations for girls are based in pink.
You can also pick a genderless card, something that is typically more appropriate for solemn communions as well as communions for teenagers.
4. If you’re allowed to have fun, do so. For those denominations that take the communion as more of a ritual of celebration in a child’s life in the church rather than a religious ceremony, be aware that there are some really unique and fun options available for you. For instance, an invitation can be on a balloon, on a candy bar wrapper, on a cupcake holder—just about anything can be a communion invitation.
5. Most communion invitations become keepsakes. Finally, it’s important for you to be aware of the fact that communion invitations won’t be tossed in the trash like a birthday party invitation would. Instead, they become commemorative tokens of the event, kept in baby books, scrap books and other memorabilia holders. With this in mind, you should try to create or pick something that is timeless and classy—for instance, don’t go with Justin Beiber invites because in twenty years from now, nobody will know who he is. Instead, a great idea for a communion invitation is to use the actual child’s picture so it is more personal and meaningful.
Finding More Ideas for Communion Invitations
To cut down on costs, it’s highly recommended that you shop online for communion invitations. You’ll be able to find great designs and layouts or personally customize your own for just a few cents per card.
Image courtesy of africa/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Nick Welch, the author of this article works for Personalization Mall, specializing in personalized communion gifts. If you’re on the lookout for making your communion invitations stand out, do check out personalizationmall.com for more details.
