THE OWNERS of a First Communion magazine have denied that the title is part of a creeping commercialisation of the event.The publisher has defended Your Child's First Communion as "tasteful" amid mixed responses to its use of fashion-shoot style pictures of youngsters modelling the latest gear.
Paul Collins insisted that the magazine had avoided the excesses of an industry that has grown up around First Communions.
It is a spin-off from Irish Wedding Diary and, at first glance, it bears more than a passing resemblance to its sister publication.
It began life as an outlet for wedding suppliers who also made communion wear and had nowhere to advertise. Mr Collins pointed out that the First Communion magazine contains religious articles, a colouring book section and free ads for kids charities.
But they come in between slickly professional shoots and ads for dresses, tiaras, accessories, and portrait photographers.
TASTEFUL
"We have approached it from a tasteful rather than the tacky point of view," Mr Collins stressed. "We were careful not to go near limousine companies. And we draw the line at spray-on tans."
But he had no objection in making First Communions fun. "What's wrong with having the bouncy castles and still keeping the emphasis on the religious aspect of the occasion?" he asked.
The magazine, now on its second yearly edition, sells 15,000 copies. "We have been slated by some and others think it's a fantastic idea," Mr Collins said. "Some shops may take offence and not put it on the shelves, but others have no problem."
However, a columnist with Catholic newspaper Alive said she was unhappy with any magazine targeting parents in this way.
Jacki Ascough, a mother of six, said: "That is too much pressure on people. That is not what communion is about.
She added: "Some parents come under unbelievable pressure to go to crazy extravagance. It's important to prepare a child for the significance and not get caught up in the trimmings." The National Parents Council would not comment on the magazine but said there was no let up in the pressure on parents to spend small fortunes on First Communions, despite the recession.
PRESSURE
"The choice and range of dresses in some shops now is nearly greater than for wedding dresses," said CEO Aine Lynch. "This reflects the very consumer-driven society we live in at the moment."
She added that Parents Associations had a role to play in devising ways to ease the pressure.
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(Source: EH)