Thea’s Baptism: DIY Decor, Food, and Traditions for LDS Families

Thea chose to be baptized, and it was such a beautiful, special day. She’s been so excited for this step, and it was amazing to see her surrounded by so many people who love her.

Before the day even ended, she was already talking about the things she wanted to remember:

• She wore the same dress I was baptized in, which was sewn by my Grandma Fern. That made it extra special, even though… well, we’ll get to the dress mishaps later.
• So many family and friends came—some even flew in! It meant the world to her to have people take the time to be there.
• She was baptized with her friends Ashton and Knoxx, which made it even more fun.
• Beckham and Macie were her baptism witnesses. She loved that.
• When she was confirmed and received the Holy Ghost, she had a whole circle of people surrounding her, including her dad, who gave her the blessing.
• She came out of the font feeling happy and warm on the inside but absolutely shivering cold on the outside!
• And, of course, the classic baptism dress moment—she ripped the side of it when getting out of the font, and we had a good laugh about it, especially when I told her about my baptism mishap. (Let’s just say my underwear was very visible and not white. Thanks, family, for pointing that out.)

I loved the little one-on-one moment we had right after she got out of the font. She was so happy, and we just talked while I helped her get ready for her confirmation. I’ll always remember that.

The Lunch Setup: Making It Easy

After the baptism, we had a lunch for everyone at our church, and I wanted to keep it simple but still nice. We went with a build-your-own burrito bar (because Thea loves cheese quesadillas). We prepped everything ahead of time so we weren’t scrambling after the baptism.

The food lineup:

• Tortillas, chicken, rice, and beans – all ready to go in these foil pans with lids, which made cleanup so much easier.
• Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guac, sour cream, and cilantro ranch – all in cheap but cute serving bowls from the dollar store.
• Chips on the side – because chips make everything better.
• Cactus Cooler – our go-to party drink! It’s just Fresca, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and sugar-free Torani pineapple syrup. So good.
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And the best part—the cakes! My bestie Steph (@the_brunette_baker.slc) made the most delicious and adorable cakes: Scotchmallow cake and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cake. She is seriously magic in the kitchen, and these cakes were next level.

Decor That Didn’t Break the Bank

I wanted it to feel special but not be something I stressed over.

• I borrowed white tablecloths from neighbors.
• I used blue taper candles because Thea loves blue.
• I grabbed simple glass bud vases and filled them with flowers from Trader Joe’s.
• And we used mini temple magnets as both decorations and take-home favors. (We actually 3D-printed ours, but you can buy similar ones if you don’t have a printer.)

A Few Favorite Traditions

One of my favorite things we do at baptisms is taking Polaroid pictures of each family that comes. We used our Instax Mini camera, and while Thea was changing into her dress after the baptism, everyone wrote her a little note on 3x5 cards.

I’m putting all the photos, notes, and little keepsakes (like the invitation and program) into this memory book, so she can always look back on it. Jordan also wrote out her blessing by hand, so she has that in his handwriting, which makes it even more special.

Looking Back

The whole day felt sacred. Watching Thea be baptized and confirmed by her dad was something I’ll never forget. She was so happy. And even though she was a little cold and her dress tore, she was glowing.

If you’re planning a baptism, I put together a Baptism Checklist Freebie and the Recipes we used with everything that helped make the day run smoothly. Just fill out your name and email, and I’ll send it straight to your inbox!

 

I also designed the baptism invitation and program template that we used for Thea’s special day, and you can find them on Etsy if you’d like to use them for your own baptism celebration! You can check them out here.