Please come and help me..DS2's first communion next week and I've planned nothing and am now in a state.

[LynetteScavo]

In my defense DH is Catholic and I'm not, yet I'm expected to organise everything.

So the service bit will be fine. DS2 has his clothes.

DD who is 5 wants to wear a shirt and tie and will not wear a dress. God help me, but that's another thread.

The God parents have moved abroad so won't be coming...my side of the family won't be coming...not religious so won't drive 2 hours to visit, but would if I begged.

That leaves the five of us and FIL and his wife. Service is a 3pm, so will finish about 4pm.

I have no cake. I hate making cakes. I thought about buying an M&S one and decorating it, but how?

I thought it would be a good idea to go for a meal, but 4pm is a bit early!

Please talk me through this step by step, as I am actually crying.

Help!

I cannot be the only Mumsentter with a child receiving FHC this year! [consfued]

Hi Lynette,

For my dd's 1stCommunion we also had a small group, we had a morning service so went for lunch in a pub afterwards followed by a long afternoon tea in the garden. It was June, sunny and a lovely day. Could you do something similar in reverse? (long picnic type afternoon tea afterwards followed by going out for a meal in the evening?). We didn't do a cake (but there was nice cakey type food in the afternoon tea). Has your ds got a best friend he could invite along?

Or has your ds got friends doing FHC at the same time - could you arrange to do something together, perhaps something picnicky again if the parish isn't doing anything? How many are there having FHC? We left it very late to arrange anything for confirmation but ended up teaming up with the other families at the last minute to do a reception in the parish rooms. We just invited everyone at the (fairly small) service to come along and had a party. Even the Bishop came. It was great but very low key and last minute.

Good luck...take lots of photos...

Thank you acorntree!

There are about 30 from his school, l receiving their FHC. All the parents I have spoken to have said they are going for a meal afterwards. I think there might be a cup of tea provided in by the church afterwards...I'll have to check that out.

I hadn't even thought about photos!

The M and S wedding cakes are lovely, and you could buy a simple cross and stick it on with icing. You can buy special 1st communion decorations for cake, ribbons etc if you want.

Alternatively go somewhere like Tesco and they will put whatever words you want and a picture (so long as its not copywrited) on the cake. We did this with DS.

The M and S wedding cakes are lovely, and you could buy a simple cross and stick it on with icing. You can buy special 1st communion decorations for cake, ribbons etc if you want.

Alternatively go somewhere like Tesco and they will put whatever words you want and a picture (so long as its not copywrited) on the cake. We did this with DS.

(sorry for double post!)

Right, I have decided to do tea here. I have ordered some 1st communion ribbon, and some white balloons. I have some champagne left over from Christmas to help me through spending a couple of hours with FIL.

I've also bought DS a rosary as a gift, and have ordered DD some clothes, so am feeling a little more in control.

:)

Don't worry I am on number 4 FHC and I have never done a cake! we went out for a meal for number one and for the others had a buffet at home. Have just had dd2s and we had all bought buffet from Tescos- bought finest quiches and posh pizza and did sticky cocktail sausages, salad, nice crisps,strawberries and cream and cream cakes. I was getting quite stressed due to lack of time and both sides of family coming(Dh's parents who aren't catholic have just moved up) but it was all fine. Make things easy for yourself, I think you are great for doing it as you are not catholic yourself!

Well, it was yesterday, and decorating the cake was a disaster! In the end I handed the decorations over to my 5 and 8 year old and they did a fine job. in a comedy sort of way. (I can laugh with hindsight, it wasn't funny yesterday!)

FIL forgot to come.

It was a lovely service, though, and even my 12 year old who normally refuses to go to mass, seemed to enjoy himself.

Can't wait until it's DD's FCM...the girls looked fabulous. But I will insist on going to a restaurant.