How to Throw a Communion Party at Home: The Ultimate Guide

It’s almost that time of year again, time to start thinking about your child’s First Holy Communion! A major milestone in your child’s life, it’s worthy of all the celebrations. Perhaps you’ve sorted yours and your child’s outfits and are well on your way to the next step of the organisation process. If you’re opting to host a Communion party at home this summer, we recommend that the planning starts now in order to truly enjoy this special day. Here are our top tips on where to begin:

• Think about your space. What size guest list can you realistically host in your home?
• Decide on a budget, this will determine the type of celebration you can envision. Which brings us to our next point…
• Decide whether you are going to have a buffet or a sit-down meal. Both are great options, with a buffet serving as a more relaxed option and a sit down and a sit down meal ensuring that all guests are eating at the same time.
• Thinking of having a caterer look after the food? We recommend booking a caterer far in advance, remember that communion season is also the beginning of wedding season, and a lot of caterers will be pre-booked already. You should also keep in mind that many other children may be making their communion on the same day, another reason to ensure you book your suppliers well in advance. This also applies if you’re looking to book some form of entertainment for your child and guests and any communion cakes to order, so we also recommend pre-booking this as early as possible.
• Organise invitations if applicable.

Once you’ve completed any applicable tasks on this list, it’s time to move on to your food options.

Food:

Whether you’re cooking a meal yourself or have had your event catered for, it’s important to keep a few things in mind to ensure that the day runs as smoothly as possible. Keep in mind that a buffet is generally an affordable option and less stressful for you as guests can effectively serve their own food.

• Keep the dishes simple. Remember, less is more! As mentioned before, for buffet dishes, stick to options that are appropriate for self-service. Think salads, finger foods, etc and anything that isn’t too “fussy” to make. So maybe leave those homemade meringues for another event!
• In addition to the previous point, try to prepare foods that don’t require much last minute preparation.
• Serving hot food? Remember that you need to keep your food hot, which means ensuring you have enough chafing dishes to keep everything heated. We recommend our Chafer Unit, which Takes 1 full size 4” insert or 2 x half size 4" inserts
• “All hands on deck” is a phrase that’ll be your best friend for this event! Wherever possible, we recommend asking ask people to bring a simple, fuss-free dish that’ll appeal to all audiences.
• Remember your audience: do you have any guests with specific dietary requirements or vegan/vegetarian/pescatarian diets? These will need to be considered in advance.

Organising your space:

Consider how much space you’ll need to entertain, which rooms you’ll be using and which rooms you want to ensure are “off limits”. This will determine how you’ll be able to set up the space.

Common items to hire for communion parties are tables, chairs, linen, crockery, cutlery and glassware, all of which we stock here at Hireall.ie! We recommend getting these organised beforehand, and make sure to hire more than needed for any extra guests.

The Entertainment

It’s vital to remember the main event; your child, it is their celebration after all! We recommend games that all of the family and friends can enjoy. Options such as face painting and children’s entertainers are popular, as are our options of Giant Games including Giant Jenga, Connect 4 and Giant Outdoor Chess, which are appropriate for guests of all ages.

Decide on a Colour Scheme

This will tie the event together. Choose your Linen, along with any Centrepieces and Table Accessories to decorate your table, along with plenty of Napkins and Communion Balloons.

Choose Outdoor Furniture (If Hosting Your Party Outside)

If you’re hosting an outdoor Communion Party, we recommend hiring some Outdoor Seating to comfortably seat your guests (check out our Rattan Outdoor 4 Seater Set for a party-perfect option!) as well as a Gazebo for additional shelter should it rain.

Relax!

Now you’ve got everything you need for your child’s Big Day, it’s time to sit back, relax, appreciate your efforts and enjoy the special day ahead!

The Hireall team has over forty years unrivalled expertise, and we’re proud to offer Click & Collect or Next Day Delivery to our customers.

Have a question? Contact us at 01 295 3821 or info@hireall.ie, where our dedicated team will be delighted to assist you with any queries you may have. Hireall - The Event Hire Specialists.