When hosting celebrations for your baby’s Christening, Naming Ceremony, Baptism or Blessing it can often be rather challenging to find food that will suit everyones needs and also not leave you out of pocket! It can also be very difficult to estimate on the quantities that you will need.

Due to the current financial climate it is important nof to go too overboard with your catering budget. Many high street stores are taking this into consideration and are offering catering from as little as £3.50 a head. When ordered in advance food can be delivered to you on a certain date or picked up in your nearest store, ensuring maximum ease.

Canapés are the perfect catering choice for your baby celebration if you are intending on hosting a short reception or are lacking in space. The good thing about them is that they are intended to be consumed whilst holding a drink, minus the needs for any cutlery or plates. This also means that time is saved on the clearing up for you!

Why not ask a member of the family to circulate offering your guests canapés or simply allow guests to help themselves and pop a few trays around the room.  

On average, most caterers say to allow about 5 Canapés per person for an hours reception, obviously the longer the occasion the more you will need. Be sure to serve your food in batches so that they are not all consumed in the first ten minutes!

Also try to consider your younger guests with a less sophisticated taste, serve Mini Cheeseburgers, Hot Dogs and Cheese Sticks.

The Card Gallery offers a  wide range of Christening invitations, Naming Ceremony, Blessing and Baptism invitations, all of which can be personalised to suit your special day.

Been invited to a baby celebration? Chances are you will need to purchase a gift. Christening gifts show simularities to weddings as you need to need to put alot of time and effort into choosing your present. There are a few things that you should consider before buying your gift…

Be sure to consider your role. If you are a close family member or godparent to the child, chances are that you are more willing to spend more money or time to make the gift more memorable and personal than if you were just an average guest.

Think about the family that you are purchasing for.  Some would view a silver rattle as wonderful keepsake for their child, whilst others would think of it as a waste of money and pointless. If the family are more traditional then why not head to your local antique centre to find that one off silver treasure? If they are more modern in nature its a good idea to stick to more practical items that are going to get their useage.

Evaluate the lifespan of the gift, think about what it will actually mean the the child one they have grown up. Do you want to choose something that will only be suitable for them while they are a child, such as a toy or item of clothing? Or maybe opt for a gift that they can keep and use as an adult, such as a financial investment or silver cufflinks.

A very popular gift at Christenings for religious familys is a first bible or books of religious stories. It’s a great idea to introduce them to the church. However, for those couples deciding on hosting a naming ceremony this gift would probably be inappropriate and a more modern and contemporary gift would be more suitable.

If you would like your gift to stand out from the crowd it is a great idea to consider having it personalised.  Just about anything can be personalised thesedays. Why not visit your local jewelers and purchase a silver bracelet or some cufflinks? Many offer free engraving. Another popular idea is personalised nursery items with the childs name on it. It is important to have a long think about your gift as it may be treasured for many years to come.

Regarding budget - there is no real rule. Yes, its true that christening presents tend to be more special then the average gift, but it is possible to purchase a stunning item under £20 if budgets are tight, just have a shop around. The average price gifts spend is between £20-£50 if you are a regular guest, and £50-£100 if you are close family or a god parent. There is not written rule though so just see what takes your fancy.

The Card Gallery offers a wide range of ideas for Christening gifts including Christening photo albums and guest books – which can be personalised.

It is recommended you start a six-month countdown to make sure you look as radiant as possible for your big day. However do not fear, no matter how far you are into your wedding preparations you can improve how good you look by taking several factors into consideration.

I’m sure that you have heard it all before, but it essental to eat a balanced diet and regualary exercise. Teaming up eight glasses of water and 30 minutes of gentle exercise a day will lead to flawless skin and toned body. Try to cut down on smoking and alcohol consumption to prevent skin looking dowdy and dull. Also, due to excitement it may be hard, but aim to sleep as much as possible in the weeks leading up to your big events, make sure you get about eight hours.

However, its not just being healthy that leads to looking great on the day.

It’s recommended that you begin to have facials regularly a couple of months before the wedding. Ensure that you do not get your first one a few days before as this may lead to a blotchy face!

For lushious locks start deep conditioning your hair about once or twice a month before the wedding, depending on your hair type. Start massaging your scalp with shampoo, as this will stimulate your blood flow and encourage the growth of healty hair. Also start getting it cut often, this keeps it very healthy and gets rid of any split ends.

Finally, don’t forget about your hands and feet! Every few weeks before the big day be sure to visit your beautician for a manicure and pedicure.

The Card Gallery offers a range of wedding products for your big day - these include wedding invitations, wedding photo albums and disposable wedding cameras.