If you find that your pregnancy coincides with your wedding preparations, you might like to combine the two happy occasions and hold a joint wedding and christening celebration.

It may not be traditional, but it’s practical for many reasons. Here are a few tips for making a combined wedding and baptism run smoothly:

1. Most Church of England ministers are happy to hold a dual service, and they have even been known to happen within the Catholic diocese, but discuss it thoroughly with your local clergy officiate. Although weddings can be held in any licenced venue, christenings are generally only performed in churches, so you’ll need to look into a secondary venue for the reception.

2. You could make it a surprise by keeping either the wedding or the baptism a surprise from your family and friends. Imagine their delight when they turn up to attend one ceremony, and find themselves sharing in a second happy moment in your life as well. It’s certainly something that will be remembered for years to come, but it will take a lot of planning and you may need to get one or two helpers involved to pull it off without any hiccups.

3. You can combine your reception venue decor with nods to both your wedding and the baptism. You could opt for two smaller cakes, or have a custom-made half-and-half cake styled to commemorate both celebrations.

Delamere Manor is a top party venue in Cheshire, and we’re happy to accommodate both wedding and christening receptions, as well as joint celebrations. Give us a call today to chat to us about your plans.