Now it is time for the traditional baby dedication. Babies from other parts of Nigeria only stay at home for 41 days. But at the 3 month mark, they go to church for the first time. It could go a number of ways, depending on your preferences and your church's policies. But let's give you these tips to generally make your planning easier.
Like everything in life, careful planning is what ensures success. Baby dedications customarily happen between forty days, three months, six months and for some even nine months. Depending on the tradition you are wont to follow, plan accordingly. If you are the short date person, you may want to begin setting things in place even before the baby arrives.
Check Out These Tips For Planning Your Baby's Dedication
- What are the things you need? Draw a list of things you will be needing down to the most minute details. Sometimes the minutest details when forgotten are what make events frustrating.
- Set a date. After setting the date you need to send out save the date cards to friends, family, and well-wishers. It is preferable if you send it early and ask them to RSVP so you can plan along with the number of people expected. This will affect the hall size, the type and scale of food vendors you will contract etc.
- How big do you want it to be? You need to determine the magnitude of the event you want to plan. Do you want it to be a simple living room ceremony? Do you want a medium scale ceremony or a big blow out for your beloved child?
- Make a realistic budget. Based on the magnitude you want it to be, create a realistic budget that will cater to every aspect of the ceremony, including miscellaneous expenses.
- Talk To Your Church. You should also inform the religious organization where you want the ceremony to begin. This is so that they also can plan ahead to accommodate you in their programs. Do not inform them too late. This should be right at the top with the first things you do at the beginning if your preparation.
- Confirm with vendors. As the date nears, most of what you should be doing is calling to confirm with already contracted food vendors, hall decoration people, music bands or DJs etc.
- Reminders. You may also send reminder cards to those you have invited. Be sure to create a detailed guest list along with seating arrangements. This is also the time to fit in any last minute invites, as long as you have included the probability in your planning. You may also remind people to bring gifts for the baby in your reminder card.
- Souvenirs? You need to stock up on souvenirs and party favors to go around. This is however very optional. You can have a great event without souvenirs. Just give people a great time.
- Photo shoot. You may also want to schedule a photo-shoot session with you and your beautiful baby. Some people prefer to have their cute baby’s photo printed out on the party favors. This is totally up to you.
It's finally come! D Day is here.
- Ensure that you have insisted that all rental people and hall décor people have come super early. This is so that they are not still fixing and tugging at things while guests are coming in. The food must be ready and set out long before the party begins.
- If you do not want to have to worry about all these, it is better to get an event planner. So while you are busy dancing with your baby into the church or religious organization of choice, you are not worrying whether the cake people have come.
- Don’t forget to pack a change of clothes for your baby and maybe even one for yourself.
If the planning is done right, the last but not the least in having a successful baby dedication is to enjoy the celebration day. It is the beginning of a new life with your bundle of joy.
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This article was first published on AfricaParent.com