8 Awesome Baptism Ideas For Latter-Day Saints + Free Printables

Turning eight is an exciting time for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is the age where children can choose to be baptized as official members of the Church. Many families like to celebrate their LDS Baptism with a lunch or dinner reception with family and friends. Keep reading to find an awesome list of LDS Baptism themes and ideas, along with some fun and free baptism printables.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we know that the most important part of a person’s baptism day is the actual baptism itself along with their Confirmation to receive the Holy Ghost. So whether you choose to celebrate after with family and friends is a very personal choice that only you can make.

Looking for some baptism gift ideas? Be sure to check out this post – 50+ Unique Latter-day Saint Baptism Gift Ideas For All Budgets

What is a baptism theme?

Many families choose to host a luncheon, brunch or dinner after their loved ones’ baptism.

This is a great opportunity for close family and friends to gather together to congratulate the newest member of the Church. If you have relatives coming from longer distances it can be especially nice to host a get-together with a meal or snacks for them to enjoy before they head back home.

Some people like to pick a theme to help them plan their reception. It can help you decide on food, decor, baptism invites, gifts, and more!

Hosting a party afterward is completely up to you. Many people have one- while plenty do not.

The most important thing to remember is to keep the focus on the baptism and covenants made. The party shouldn’t be the main event. If it is going to stress you out- keep it small or skip it all together. Go out to dinner as a family instead or have a party without a theme- the ideas we will be sharing are simply for those who choose to have a theme for their party!

Free Baptism Printables

We’ve created a set of four super cute baptism printables that you can print off and use at baptism preview, baptisms, or just for decor in your home or child’s room! Just enter your email, and they will be sent to you right away!

Baptism Invites and Programs

We have designed a few invitations and programs that you check out below to see if they’d be a good option for your baptism.

Tips for planning a Baptism Reception

• Find a location to host your party. Many churches don’t allow you to host a meal at the same building that the baptism is being held- so reach out to neighboring wards if you want to host it at a church. Other locations could include: your home or the home of a loved one, a park, a banquet room, a restaurant or your backyard.
• Determine guest list and send out an invite to those you want to include in the party
• Choose what kind of food you want to serve
• If people offer to help with food- let them! It is nice to not have to worry about providing everything
• Set up tables, chairs, decor, etc. beforehand if possible so all you have to do is show up after the baptsim
• Use paper goods and table cloths for easy clean up
• Have fun and don’t stress!

Baptism Theme Ideas:

I Like To Look For Rainbows

This is a great take on the Primary song “When I Am Baptized”. It is widely used at many a baptism and is super easy to pull off. Plan your decor, treats, invites, and whatever else you want around a rainbow theme

Here are examples from Little LDS Ideas, Parties With a Cause, and another from Larcie Bird

Other ideas may include: colorful table cloths, plates, and other paper goods, rainbow printables, a candy table filled with lots of colorful candy- including cellophane bags for guests to fill up with candy.

This was the theme we did for two of our daughters. We were able to find cheap decorations and serving dishes at The Dollar Tree making it super affordable.

I also found bulk candy online on Amazon.

It’s Great to Be 8

A quick look on Etsy will give you an idea of what to go for when picking this theme.

Some ideas may include: donuts or cookies connected to make an 8, customized cookies with an “8” on them and invites, programs or other printables or decor focused on the number 8.

“Chews-The Right”

This is a fun take on Choose The Right. Center everything around chewing gum or other chewy candy. This would be fun to use as a take-home gift- especially if you “chews” (sorry- I had to!) to keep things simple! Adding a party favor is a simple but nice way to say thank you to your family and friends for coming!

Check out Etsy for printables and ideas- it will show you everything you need to know!

It’s Soda-mazing you chose to be baptized

Have a soda bar with lots of options!

Some ideas may include fun syrups, creams other add-ins like sprinkles, gummy worms or cherries, and of course lots of soda choices!

Be sure to get straws and cups- something like this would be perfect!

If you have a soda bar you may not need to serve anything else! If you do- you could always do fruit and veggie trays to even out the sugar!

Pink and Gold, Sparkle and Shine

This is a fun idea if you are someone who loves anything girly! Sometimes a theme can be something as simple as picking a color combination and centering everything else around it.

Find sparkly banners, table cloths, and anything else sparkly to add that feminine touch.

After Rain

This is another take on the I like to look for rainbows theme, except instead of using lots of colors you focus on keeping everything white, pure, and clean.

Use white linen, paper goods, serving dishes, and find white decorations like crepe paper, white lanterns, lights, or white umbrellas to use. You could even use white flowers as centerpieces and serve white cake or cookies.

Covid Friendly Ideas

• Host an online Zoom meeting reception- drop off treats to local viewers and visit virtually
• Have a drive by reception or parade
• Individually wrap goodies and hand out to guests as they leave the baptism

Food Themes

Sometimes a theme is as simple as focusing on the menu. Instead of going all out on a lot of extra stuff- make it a themed meal instead.

• Ice Cream Bar
• Pasta Bar
• Taco Bar
• Donuts and Hot Cocoa
• Lemonade and Cookies
• Smore’s and Hot Dogs

I hope that this was helpful in assisting you to plan an upcoming baptism! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Check out some of our other posts for Latter-Day Saints:

• LDS Youth Mutual Activities
• Ultimate Guide to LDS Missionary Gifts
• LDS Temple Craft Idea
• The Best List of LDS Gifts
• Mormon Pioneer Trek Ideas
• 30 Ministering Ideas for Latter-Day Saints
• Come Follow Me Resources and Lesson Helps
• Virtual Relief Society Activities
• Kahoot Quizzes for Come Follow Me
• 20 Virtual Activities for Latter-Day Saint Youth Groups