Articles: celebrations

A christening, a first communion, an anniversary or a small family dinner all follow a similar logic. First you tell guests clearly where and when to arrive, then you make them comfortable once they are there, and finally you give them something to keep. The pieces under this tag walk through all three stages.

An invitation that explains itself

Most questions come up when a celebration happens in two places - a church and a venue, or two different times. The invitation then has to be clear at first glance: a separate block for each address, times listed one under another, no decorative flourishes across the street name. Tone is a separate matter. A card for grandparents and godparents can sound warmer and more personal than the version for distant friends.

• Who invites whom - names spelled out, no guessing.
• Date, time and address - each part of the day on its own line.
• A request to confirm - one phone number and a date by which you are waiting.
• Extra notes - travel, parking, a line about gifts if one is needed.

What stays afterwards is printed

A printed running order often becomes the nicest keepsake, because it shows the day exactly as you planned it. Add the stationery on the table, wish cards and a case for the memory stick or disc with photographs - wooden, card or metal, depending on the mood of the party.

The easiest start is one motif: a colour, a paper and a way of writing names. Everything else will fall into line around it.