A combined baptism and first birthday invitation has two jobs, and on a Greenvelope invitation both fit on one card: name each celebration, and give every event the recipient is invited to its own date, time, and full location. Close with a reply deadline and a way to respond, such as "Please reply through this invitation by [date]." And use the word your church uses: some congregations say baptism, some say christening, and a dedication is a different service, so match the invitation to the service your family is celebrating.
What a Combined Baptism and First Birthday Invitation Should Say
Most combined invitations carry the same pieces. Adapt them to your event rather than treating the list as a script:
- Both occasions, named plainly: "the Baptism and First Birthday of" makes the two parts unmistakable.
- The host and the child: traditionally the parents extend the invitation. The child's full name is the formal choice; a casual card can use the first name.
- A date, time, and full location for each event the recipient is invited to: the church's full name and address, and the party venue named separately, even when it is the family home.
- Which parts the guest is invited to: clear wording often settles this on its own; add a line such as "You are warmly invited to both" when it does not.
- A reply deadline: a specific date about two weeks before the earliest event on the card, earlier if your venue or caterer needs the count sooner.
- A response instruction: "Please reply through this invitation by [date]" tells guests the reply lives on the card itself.
Baptism and First Birthday Combined Invitation Wording Examples
The five examples below cover different styles, guest lists, and schedules. Swap the bracketed placeholders for your details.
Traditional Church Ceremony with a Family Lunch
For a formal service followed by a seated lunch at a second location:
[Parents' names]
invite you to the Baptism and First Birthday celebration of their son
[Child's full name]
Sunday, [Month] [Day]
Baptism at [10 a.m.], [Church's full name], [church address]
First birthday luncheon to follow at [1 p.m.] at [restaurant or hall name], [address]
You are warmly invited to both the service and the luncheon
Please reply through this invitation by [date]
This structure sits naturally on Petite Daisies, a Greenvelope design by Paper Raven Co. with a foil cross surrounded by small daisies and a matching thank you note.
Casual Birthday Party After the Ceremony
When the ceremony is traditional but the party is relaxed, the ceremony lines can stay formal while the party lines loosen up:
Two milestones, one happy day!
[Parents' names] invite you to celebrate the Baptism and First Birthday of their daughter
[Child's full name]
Saturday, [Month] [Day]
Baptism at [11 a.m.], [Church's full name], [church address]
Then join us for cake and a backyard birthday party at [1 p.m.] at our home, [home address]
Come for the service, the party, or both
Please reply through this invitation by [date] and let us know which parts you can join
A fitting home for this one is Pastel Watercolor, a Greenvelope design by Carmia C. with soft watercolor washes, a cross, and gold foil accents; its own description covers christenings, baptisms, and first birthday parties.
Short and Modern Combined Invitation
Some families want the whole day in six lines:
[Child's first name] is being baptized and turning one!
Join [parents' names] for both
[Day of the week], [Month] [Day]
Ceremony at [time], [Church's full name], [address]
Party at [time], [venue name], [address]
All guests are welcome at both. Reply through this invitation by [date]
Pair it with Color Block Trio, a Greenvelope design by Claudia Owen: three photos of the guest of honor in a minimalist, modern layout that suits a short wording block.
Celebration Only, with a Private Ceremony
When the baptism is limited to immediate family and godparents, this version goes to guests invited only to the party; it leaves the ceremony's time and address off the card entirely:
Following a private baptism with her godparents,
[Parents' names] invite you to a celebration for the First Birthday and Baptism of their daughter
[Child's full name]
Saturday, [Month] [Day] at [2 p.m.]
[Venue name], [address]
Cake, lunch, and a toast to [child's first name]'s big first year
Please reply through this invitation by [date]
Baptism and Birthday on Separate Dates
When the ceremony and the party land on different days, one invitation can carry both dates, with the reply deadline set before the earlier one:
With joy, [parents' names] invite you to two celebrations for their son
[Child's full name]
Baptism: Sunday, [Month] [Day] at [10 a.m.], [Church's full name], [address]
First birthday party: Saturday, [Month] [Day] at [11 a.m.], [park or home], [address]
You are invited to both; come to whichever you can
Please reply through this invitation by [date] and tell us which days we will see you
One Guest List or Two?
Decide first whether everyone is invited to everything; the answer sets up the RSVP on Greenvelope.
Everyone is invited to both parts. Send one combined invitation. Each guest replies once, and a checkbox question identifies which events each attending guest will join: in the editor, open the Details step, then the RSVP Page section, and choose Add a New Question under Survey Questions, with options such as "Baptism ceremony" and "Birthday lunch." Tell guests plainly that anyone joining either event should reply yes and check the events they will attend. The checkboxes sort attendance within one reply, not a second RSVP, and they do not limit what guests see: everyone who opens the invitation sees everything on it.
A private ceremony with a larger party. The guest list splits into two groups: guests invited to both events receive the combined invitation, and party-only guests receive the celebration-only version above, with no ceremony details on it. Keep the two groups separate. The combined invitation still carries the attendance checkbox question, since its ceremony and party selections feed both headcounts; the celebration-only invitation needs only its ordinary RSVP. On Greenvelope, two versions of a card are set up as two mailings, each purchased as its own single-mailing package, and each collects its own replies on its own guest list.
Either way, group couples and families who live together under one contact, from the Send step via Add Contacts, New Contact, then Couple or Family. The household shares one invitation link, and the person completing the RSVP records a separate attendance response for each named guest.
Why the Two Headcounts Differ
Suppose the combined invitation goes to 24 households, 52 named guests in all. Invitation recipients and attending individuals are different numbers: the mailing list counts every named person, while headcounts come from the replies. By the deadline, 44 guests have replied yes; the attendance question shows 41 at the ceremony and 33 at the lunch, since grandparents may skip a long afternoon and some friends come only for cake. A guest attending both parts appears in both counts, so read the two numbers side by side rather than adding them; 41 and 33 does not mean 74 people. Review each guest's RSVP status and survey answers together to tally them, and treat the totals as an expected headcount based on RSVPs. With the two-version setup, the full party count is the combined mailing's party selections plus the attending guests on the party-only mailing.
Optional Lines Worth Considering
None of these is required; add the ones that fit your day:
- Godparents: "Godparents: [names]" on its own line after the ceremony details.
- Children and household scope: "Children are welcome at both parts" or "The luncheon is for adults and the guest of honor."
- Gifts: "Your presence is the only gift we need," or say nothing and let guests ask.
- Dietary needs: "Please note any allergies when you reply" works best as a question on the reply form; answering stays optional.
- Travel between venues: "The restaurant is a ten-minute drive from the church" saves a dozen day-of texts.
Send Checklist
- Confirm the ceremony date and time with your church, and the party venue, before anything goes out.
- Give each event the recipient is invited to its own date, time, and full location. Leave private ceremony details off celebration-only invitations.
- Set the reply deadline about two weeks before the earliest event on that invitation, earlier if the venue or caterer needs the count sooner.
- Add the attendance checkbox question to the combined invitation, whether it goes to everyone or only to guests invited to both events. For a private ceremony with a larger party, set up the combined and celebration-only versions as two mailings to their separate groups; the celebration-only version uses its ordinary RSVP.
- Group households under one contact so each named guest gets a separate attendance answer.
- Preview the finished wording on your chosen design and send yourself a test to check the reply flow.
- Send 4 to 6 weeks before the earliest event on the invitation, earlier when family is traveling, then schedule RSVP reminder emails for guests who have not replied.
When the wording is set, choose the artwork from the baptism and christening design collection, or browse the birthday invitation designs if the party is the centerpiece, then set up the reply questions to match your plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the wording for a combined baptism and first birthday invitation?
On a Greenvelope invitation, combined baptism and first birthday wording names both occasions, gives each event the recipient is invited to its own date, time, and full location, makes clear which parts the guest is invited to, and closes with a reply deadline and instruction, such as "Please reply through this invitation by [date]." Use your church's term for the service. If your family is holding a dedication, name that service and adjust any baptism-specific language.
Can guests RSVP separately for the baptism and the birthday party?
On a combined Greenvelope invitation whose recipients are invited to both events, each guest submits one overall RSVP and selects which events they will attend through a checkbox question on the reply form, added from the Details step under the RSVP Page section and Survey Questions. Tell guests that anyone joining either event should reply yes and check the events they will attend. Each answer saves with that guest's RSVP, so the ceremony and party counts read from the same replies, as expected headcounts rather than fixed totals.
How do you invite some guests to only the birthday party?
Send party-only guests a celebration-only version with no ceremony time or address on it, and send the combined version to guests invited to both; keep the two groups separate. On Greenvelope, two versions of a card are set up as two mailings, each purchased as its own single-mailing package, each collecting its own replies. The full party count is the combined mailing's party selections plus the attending guests on the party-only mailing.
When should you send a combined baptism and first birthday invitation?
Send it 4 to 6 weeks before the earliest event on that invitation, with more notice when godparents or grandparents are traveling. Set the reply deadline about two weeks before that event, or earlier if the venue or caterer needs the final count sooner. When the baptism and the party fall on separate dates, the deadline goes before the earlier date.
Related Resources