EveryDay Info

Your child’s baptism, or christening if you prefer, is a special event. It is an amazing moment, and it deserves to be recognized and made truly memorable. Even though your baby won’t remember the day, you and your family will and your child will enjoy hearing stories about this event as he or she grows up. With a little planning, you can give your child a beautiful, memorable baptism that will serve as a strong religious foundation for them. The next step is to contact the church for information on baptisms. Some churches only do group baptisms, others will do individual ones. Your church also may have special requirements or classes that should be taken. It’s important that you have all this information from your church before you set any dates or plan any parties. The next step will be to choose the Godparents. This is a very serious decision and an amazing honor for the people you ask. Your child’s Godparents will help you raise your child spiritually, and many people ask the Godparents to also be legal guardian if something should happen to them. Because this is such an amazing honor and special role, and because you want someone who will always be in touch with your child, many people choose a family member or very close friend. Some religions have baptism classes that parents must take before the ceremony can be performed. There are also additional requirements for some religions, so it’s important to talk to your church so you can be sure you complete all the requirements. Once you are on track with the church for the baptism, have selected the dates and the chosen Godparents have agreed; you are ready to move on to invitations. You can choose store bought invitations, or you can have them custom made for a look that is as unique and beautiful as your baby.

Once the invitation list is complete, the date is set, the Godparents have agreed and all baptism requirements are met; you are ready to start making decisions regarding having a reception and what might be served. Smaller groups can be handled at home, while larger groups could be hosted at a reception hall. If you will be having the invent catered, it is important to meet with the caterer and make those arrangements as soon as possible. At some point during this process you will need to choose your baby’s christening gown. Some family’s have special, heirloom christening gowns that are actually worn by most of the baby’s. If your family has such a tradition, you can follow it or you can choose to buy an outfit just for your baby. Christening gowns are a little like wedding dresses in that they can be anything from extremely basic and simple to very elaborate and detailed. If you are buying your baby’s christening outfit new, take the time to shop around for the perfect outfit for this special occasion. Finally, you may want to purchase a special gift for the child. You will want to choose something that they can always have to remind them of this occasion. One great choice is a new bible or prayer book. The details of the day; including the Godparents, priest, date and location; can then be added to the book. This would not only be a keepsake, but could also be used by your child throughout his or her life as a guide for making the right choices.