Invitation templates / Christening invitations
Illuminated Page: a christening invitation template
A page from a book of hours, made for one child: the gold leaf is laid on the first letter of the name, burnished until it lights up, and a painted vine grows down the margin as you read.
The design
The whole invitation is one folio of an illuminated manuscript, written on warm vellum and laid open on the desk: ruled lines and prick marks, iron-gall ink, red rubrics for the headings, paraph marks in lapis and vermilion, a painted vine with gilded ivy leaves in the margin, and small drolleries in the borders. It opens the way an illuminator works: the child's first letter is drawn in brown ink, laid with pink gesso, a sheet of gold leaf drifts down onto it, and an agate burnisher sweeps across until the letter lights up; then the pigments go in and the rest of the name follows in tall textura. As the guest scrolls, the vine grows down the margin beside the text and its gold leaves catch the light one by one. The guest can lift the silk curtain sewn over the child's miniature, breathe on each godparent's raised gesso roundel so the gold leaf takes, tool tiny punched rosettes into the gold around the birth details, set the pen flourishing running from the first letter of the parents' words, dip the brush in the pigment shells to paint the dress colours, turn the leaves of a gathering of photographs, and wake the snail, the goldfinch and the hare in the margins. A reply is entered in the colophon with a last dot of gold.
Colours and type
Illuminated Page comes in 4 colourways: Vellum & lapis, Rose madder, Azurite and Verdigris & gold, with 2 type pairings: Book of hours and Carolingian hand. The colours and type change in the editor at any time; the layout stays its own.
Who it suits
Made for christening / baptism, baby dedication and naming day, in the Elegant & classic style.
What is included
An invitation website with the church and the celebration after, the godparents, your photos, a song if you want one, and the RSVP with the number of adults and children coming. You write your own words and add your photos in the live editor, send every guest a personal link by email or any messaging app, and follow the replies as they come in. Free for up to 20 guests, with the full design.
More christening templates
- Christening Bells: Two polished brass handbells tied with satin ribbon on white linen: tap one to ring it and the name appears, then polish the tarnish off the brass to reveal the engraving.
- The Christening Cake: A three-tier christening cake in white fondant and sugar roses on a porcelain stand: turn it with a finger, watch the name piped onto a sugar plaque, and cut a slice at the close.
- The Certificate: An engraved baptismal certificate on a leather writing desk: press the brass stamp into the molten wax to seal it, and watch the godparents sign in ink.
- The Favour Table: The bomboniere table on the christening morning, seen from above: one satin ribbon unspools down the table as you read, threading every favour and tag of the day, and ends tied to your own.
- Fresco Under Plaster: An old chapel wall: a fresco of a May sky and olive trees comes out from under the whitewash, patch by patch, with the child's name painted in the band beneath.
- Gilt Keepsake Card: A set of little steel-engraved keepsake cards with gilt edges: turn the card in your hand and watch the gilt catch the light.
- The Keepsake Box: A real walnut keepsake box on a linen cloth: lift the lid, brush the sawdust off the new brass plate, and everything inside is laid out on the table.
- Paper Lace: Layered paper lace doilies: the lace unfolds ring by ring to the child's name, and every part of the day is cut into lace you can turn, unfold and colour in.
All christening invitation templates