Invitations for the First Communion

In spring, in Catholic parishes across Britain, it is the season of First Communions. On Sundays, groups of children receive the Eucharist for the first time — usually around the age of seven or eight, after a year or two of preparation. It is a day the whole family looks forward to: grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents. An online First Communion invitation helps you gather everyone for the day without bits of paper going astray on the fridge.

A British First Communion has its own rhythm. First the Mass at the parish, often longer than an ordinary Sunday service, with the children in the front pews. Then the family photographs outside the church. Then the meal — at home, in a restaurant or in a hired hall. The guest list is typically 20 to 50 people. In our experience the greatest stress lands in the final week, when an aunt drops out and the cousins turn up with three children after all. An online RSVP form lets you track those changes as they happen.

A good invitation carries the child's name, the date, the time of the Mass, the parish and the place of the meal that follows. The restaurant address, the time of lunch, the dress code (smart but not formal), and accommodation for guests from afar. Some families add a word about gifts. Grandparents are often telephoned, while a link by text or email does for the rest of the family. A white template with a chalice-and-wheat motif is a perennial favourite.

The digital format lightens the workload. A link to the grandparents, to the aunt who lives abroad, to the godparents — all in a single tap. Replies count themselves, separating children from adults, which helps with ordering the menu. A Google map guides everyone to the parish and the venue — and bear in mind that parking near churches is busy on Communion Sundays.