First Communion outfit

[StrikesMatches]

What are the first communion mammies wearing these days? Since I haven't managed to shift the weight I'd planned to get into something I wore to a wedding in the before times, I'll need to panic shop. (It's my kid's communion so not a guest)

Oh janey. I'm facing into that in two years - at the rate I lose weight I'd better start the diet now. I'd probably go to coast and get some kind of a dress. They do different ranges so there's probably something to suit. Mind you, I went to a conformation the other week - I was a sponsor - and I was very surprised at how undresssed up everyone looked in comparison to my memories of this kind of thing when I was a child. It was what you'd wear working in the bank (not the front desk uniform) kind of thing. Slacks/skirt with a blouse and possibly a jacket.

All sorts to be honest. It goes from dressy casual to fairly casual to very dressy. There were mums with jeans at our one but most mums wore dresses. To be fair we were lockdown communions with a billion date changes so we'd all lost the will to live by the time it actually arrived. I think the rural communions in the smaller schools definitely seem to be dressier ours was a very large city school so a very diverse group. Buy something you will wear again during the summer and dress it up

Hi all, just joined, need advice please

Sooooo my daughter is doing her first communion 1st week in june.

What am confused with is are both the Cathlic and CofE communions called 1st Holy Communion or is that kust Catholic Church, and is the CofE just called 1st Communion, only am looking for decorations, cake topper ect and they are all 1st Holy Communion 😳 🤔
Am confused, and asked someone at church and they said be on safe side just get communion!!!!

TIA XX

I am forever amazed at how catholicism still has such a hold over people in Ireland.
Why are people so worried about what to wear at such occasions?
Isn't it all about the child receiving their first sacrament?
Do people actually ask their child how much they understand about it all?

Well there you are now. Some people are different to you.

Jeez @SoyMarina it's a beautiful sacrament and special occasion and if it's not part of your beliefs then butt out.
My sister recently had her daughters and she wore a dress she would wear say at Easter mass. Not quite wedding special but certainly nicer than usual. Plenty of photos of the day and her daughter, the other two boys and all the parents looked lovely.
I wore a veil (that my mother wore, indeed in Ireland) when I received my first holy communion, and that was in America (in the 70s).

My DS made his 2 weeks ago and it was all long below the knee dresses from all 12 mothers.

@SoyMarina of course the children understand it. Your ignorance shines through your post. They do months of lessons prior to the sacrament. Attendance is obligatory.

@StrikesMatches my DD did hers last year and I wore a midi dress with heels and DH wore a shirt and jeans with smart shoes. All the dads wore the same and the mums all wore either trousers & a blouse, a dressy jumpsuit or a dress.

@SoyMarina oh, and we’re in Yorkshire. Not Ireland. HTH.

Calm down easyday you know as well as I do that lots of people in Ireland just go along with it for the dressing up and party afterwards and have zeo belief in what it's actually about.

I wore the type of thing I’d wear to a wedding. Short dress and heels. There were nice jumpsuits and dresses both short and long and men in suits at the FHC service I went to last week. Not in Ireland.

Louise0701 I doubt every child knows what it's about.
My niece who made hers last year hadn't a clue. She was only concerned about the dress and the money!
And that was in South Dublin.

It was my great-nephew's first communion 2 weeks ago. I wore a jumpsuit. My niece had a beautiful dress as did my sister. We all had our hair and makeup done.
Dd makes hers next year. Her class is already started lessons.

@SoyMarina that’s her fault for not paying attention in the classes. Like with school; you’ll get some kids who care and make an effort and some who don’t. Your niece is obviously the latter.

No Louise0701 she simply doesn't believe.
You can teach it in whatever way you want but you can't force faith.
She's just a canny lass who enjoys dressing up and parties (and money!)

I do think the Holy Communion thing is a bit of a farce these days. People who don't go to mass, hate the church but go along with their kids having holy communions for 'the special day' so they don't feel left out. Don't get me started on the cost, the marquees, wedding catering,entertainment and bouncy castles. It's just hypocritical madness.

@SoyMarina @SilverGlitterBaubles this is baffling to me! My church is quite strict I suppose; no child who didn’t believe would be allowed to partake, equally any family who doesn’t regularly attend mass wouldn’t be allowed to register their child. Fr demands regular attendance before letting a child be registered and the children are asked if they understand what they’re there for numerous times.

I agree with @SoyMarina the parents I know who put their kids through it NEVER go to mass!! It was ridiculous. Most of them were doing it because their own parents (kids grandparents) would have been disappointed.

TBH, if you don't know the answer to your own question, I'd wonder if you're religious enough for your DD to be making her first communion in the first place!

Op ignore SoyMarina. Of course it matters that you feel comfy and look good. Anything smart will be fine. I went to Debenhams (obviously no longer but John Lewis do the same service) for a free personal shopper (personal styling service), she helped me choose a dress, and it was fabulous.

@Louise0701 Yes they will go to the holy communion meetings and go through whatever hoops necessary in the run up to the communion but when it's all over it's business as usual and only go for weddings, christenings funerals. None of my family members take their DCs to mass and they will all make their holy communion.

I take my dd2 to Mass every Sunday. She doesn't make her first until next year.
Dd1 attended Mass every Sunday until she left school.

A dress from like Rachel Gorrys new label Alined. floral, patterned, wrap dresses are in. The square toe healed shoe is in. I think if you dress up, but don’t like, get make up professionally done just enhance you, you’ll look fab.
Getting make up done for a communion looks silly and totally obvious. Each to their own, but that’s my opinion.m

I can see why people think it's a hypocritical mess, but personally I just think of it as a rite of passage. Nice for all the children of a year in school to have a special group celebration at milestone points of their lives, such as moving into the older half of national school and leaving national school.

There are a lot nicer dresses around than the dresses from Rachel Gorry's "label".

People wear dresses, skits, trousers etc. Nothing over the top but nice day wear.