Tuesday, April 23, 2013

No need to put on a holy show for First Communions - budget is best!

More than 50,000 children will be walking up the aisles in the coming weeks as First Communion season swings into gear.
For the beautifully clad and coiffed boys and girls, it'll be a treasured highlight of their young lives. 

But for parents it can be a pricey time – a recent survey by the EBS found families with a First Communion this year were expecting to spend an average of €573, about the same as 2012.

But as the Irish Independent revealed last week, state funding to assist families with this expense has been axed.

That means thousands of families who would have received grants in the past will have to dig deep into already depleted pockets.

However, this may help bring things back to basics after years of excess – an approach the Catholic Church is keen to encourage.
 
The Dublin Dioceses issued new guidelines last October aimed at encouraging a simpler, more faith-based, approach.
 
Fr John Dunphy, of Rowlagh and Quarryvale parish in west Dublin, said they had introduced a system where communicants wear albs – liturgical gowns – for the last 12 years.

While the children still wore communion dresses and suits under the albs, there had been a notable scaling down of excess, he said.
 
Paul McCormack, of specialist magazine Your Child's First Communion, said that parents had been cutting back on excess ever since the recession hit, but the occasion remained a huge family celebration.
 
"The excesses of the Celtic Tiger are gone," he said.
 
A lot of families were keeping costs down by entertaining at home after the ceremony instead of going to a hotel or pub – which tended to be more child-friendly anyway, and explained the huge demand for bouncy castles, Mr McCormack said.
 
Smart Consumer took a look at communion expenses to see how families can celebrate without breaking the bank.

Dressing up for the big day is a huge element of the event, but while you can go nuts, there's also a huge range of budget options.
 
Buying dresses from charity shops is an excellent way to get a bargain – and they're generally in perfect condition having only been worn once.


Oxfam Ireland has a range of lovely dresses at its Georges St Store in Dublin, for between €15 and €35, and there are added benefits.

'The proceeds of a dress that sells for €25 could provide food for a child orphaned by Aids in Malawi for three months, while a €30 gown could buy blankets for two families who fled the crisis in Syria and arrived in Jordan or Lebanon with nothing," store manager Anne L'Henoret said.

Dunnes has Paul Costelloe dresses starting from €65. Shrugs and bolero tops are around €16, while tiaras are from €12, and communion shoes are priced at €14.

Penneys stocks cream lacy dresses for €18 that would do the trick with some nice accessories. Neither Dunnes nor Penneys stocked any boys' formal wear. 

However, Debenhams has John Rocha suits for boys starting from €58, and also has discounts of 20-30pc on some of its communion dresses.

Arnotts has massive 50pc discounts on its range of designer communion dresses.

For boys, Arnotts had 1880 Club suits at €103 with discounts also available on jackets and trousers, which can be purchased separately.