The complete christening and naming day kit list
A christening or naming day is a short, seated afternoon for close family, not a party that needs a dance floor. Here is the shorter hire list that actually matches it, worked at 40 guests.
A 40-guest christening or naming day reception at home typically needs: a 20m-class gazebo or small marquee, 5 to 6 round and trestle tables, around 40 chairs with a few spares, linens and afternoon tea tableware, catering equipment for a cold buffet or afternoon tea, 2 toilets plus 1 accessible, a small drinks station for the toast rather than a staffed bar, and a small PA only if speeches need to carry outdoors. Generator hire is often unnecessary if the house supplies power to the garden. Typical hire budget: £1,200 to £2,800 before catering.
The kit list, line by line
Worked at 40 guests. Every line links to the full category guide with prices.
| Item | Quantity logic | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gazebo or small marquee | 1.4 sqm per guest → 20m-class for 40 | An open-sided gazebo suits a fine forecast; a framed marquee is the safer booking for a British afternoon |
| Tables | 1 round per 8 guests + 1 trestle for the cake and gifts | 6 tables at 40 guests |
| Chairs | 1 per guest + a few spares | Christenings run seated far more often than birthday parties do |
| Linens & tableware | Cloth per table, cake stand, china for afternoon tea | This is where a hired afternoon tea looks the part |
| Catering equipment | Hot water urn + buffet hot cupboard for a cold spread | Most naming day catering is a buffet, not a hot plated meal |
| Toilets | 1 per 50 with drinks served → 2 + 1 accessible at 40 (minimum 2) | Skip if the house toilets are genuinely accessible to the garden and guest numbers are this small |
| Drinks station | 1m of frontage per 35 guests → 2m at 40 | A self-pour prosecco and soft drinks table, not a staffed bar |
| PA & sound | Only if the garden is large or the toast needs to carry | A small portable speaker and one mic covers godparent speeches |
| Generator | Only if the pitch is out of extension-lead range or the urn needs its own circuit | Most home naming days run off the house supply; hire a small silenced set only when the site visit says otherwise |
A shorter list, on purpose
A christening or naming day reception is usually two to three hours, straight after a church service or register office appointment, for close family and godparents rather than a full guest list. The hire list should be shorter to match: no dance floor, no evening lighting rig, no staffed bar running a tab until midnight. What it needs is a dry, comfortable spot for a seated afternoon tea or buffet, and nothing the family has to think about twice.
The gazebo or marquee comes first because it sets the pitch and the weather cover, and everything else, tables, catering equipment, the drinks table, follows from its footprint. For a fine-weather booking with a generous backup plan (the church hall two streets over, or space to squeeze everyone into the kitchen and lounge), an open-sided gazebo is often enough. For anything less certain, a small framed marquee with sides is the safer choice for a country that gets rain in every month of the year.
Coordinate the reception with the service, not the other way round
The one scheduling problem specific to this event is that the reception cannot start until the church service or register office appointment finishes, and that slot is rarely in the family's control. Agree a realistic setup window with the hire company that assumes the party arrives 20 to 30 minutes later than planned, and make sure the caterer knows the same thing: cold buffets and afternoon teas are far more forgiving of a late start than anything that needs to come out of an oven on time.
Because most naming days involve at least one baby or toddler as the guest of honour, and often several more in the wider family, a shaded, level spot away from trip hazards like generator cables and trackway edges is worth building into the layout from the start, not fixing on the day.
What it costs, honestly
For 40 guests, a full hire list (gazebo or marquee, furniture, linens, catering equipment, toilets and a drinks station) typically runs £1,200 to £2,800 before catering and drink, considerably less than a milestone birthday or wedding marquee because there is no dance floor, no evening lighting rig and no staffed bar to price in.
The single biggest lever on the budget is the structure: a small open-sided gazebo hires for a fraction of a lined, framed marquee, and for a short daytime reception with a solid weather backup plan, that saving is often the right call.
Christening or naming day: the questions that follow
How much does it cost to hire a marquee for a christening or naming day?
For 40 guests, £1,200 to £2,800 covers a gazebo or small marquee, furniture, linens, catering equipment, toilets and a drinks station, before catering and drink. It is a shorter list than a birthday party or wedding because there is no dance floor, evening lighting or staffed bar to include.
Do we need toilet hire for a christening at home?
If the house toilets are genuinely accessible to the garden and guest numbers are this small, many families skip hire toilets altogether. If not, or if the garden is set up so guests would otherwise track through the house, the standard ratio is 1 per 50 guests with drinks served, minimum 2 units plus 1 accessible.
Do we need a licence to serve prosecco at a naming day reception?
No, if the drinks are free to guests. A licence, usually a Temporary Event Notice, is only needed the moment anything is sold, a cash bar or a paid entry ticket. A free toast on a tray or a self-pour table needs no licence at all.
Gazebo or marquee for a christening reception?
An open-sided gazebo is cheaper and suits a settled forecast with a genuine backup plan, such as space indoors if the weather turns. A small framed marquee with sides costs more but removes the weather risk entirely, which matters more for a fixed date tied to a church or register office slot that cannot easily move.
Not sure what you need yet?
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