#MySundayPhoto - trying the dress

Beatrix is preparing to receive her First Holy Communion next month. And this week she tried on her outfit ahead of the big day. I love the massive grin she has in this photo - you can tell how excited she is about this milestone in her life as a Catholic.

She’s been preparing to receive the Sacrament of her First Holy Communion for several months: learning all about what it means to receive Jesus into her heart; understanding the importance of forgiveness; and finding out about special meals like the Last Supper.

And recently we’ve been preparing what she’ll wear on the big day. Much like baptisms and weddings, white is a key colour as it symbolises purity.

Often people comment that First Communicants (that’s what the group receiving their first Holy Communion is called) look like brides and bridegrooms. This is because these children are giving themselves to Christ through the Sacrament of Holy Communion, much like a bride or groom gives themselves to their partner in the Sacrament of Marriage.

The white dress reminds us of the first Sacrament, Baptism, and the veil is an added symbol of respect and humility.

Beatrix will be wearing the dress I wore for my First Holy Communion (a long time ago!), which was also worn by my sisters and cousin. My mother made it from her wedding dress, so it has a real family heritage and is turning into a bit of an heirloom.

She was also keen to have a veil and tiara, so we spent an evening perusing the internet to find something we both agreed on. I was keen to have a veil with a cross in, but she was more interested in the bling so we compromised on a veil and tiara with tiny crystal droplets from Communion Angels. After all, the dress has a simple ribbon cross sewn into the belt and she will be wearing a simple necklace with a crucifix.

Now I need to work out what the boys and I will be wearing!

I have received no compensation from any companies named in this post and all opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.