A to Z Christening

When you are organising a christening for your child, there are many aspects to consider. It’s not just about booking a session at your local church, there is the actual ceremony to consider, as well as choosing outfits and godparents. Follow our easy guide on how to organise a christening and your day will be a guaranteed success.

The Ceremony

Make sure you are happy with the venue that you have chosen, and that they availability to suit your needs. There’s no point booking a weekday christening if half of your guests won’t be able to attend.

The ceremony will last about half an hour with some services lasting longer. Meet with your vicar or minister at least once in advance to agree on the structure of the ceremony. This will include an introduction, a reading, an announcement of the baby’s name, a promise by you and the godparents and usually finishes with another reading.

It may be possible for you to choose the readings for the ceremony as well as any music that is included.

The Guest List

This is your family’s event so you’re in charge of who gets invited. Don’t let anyone else tell you who should or should not be there. You can think along the same lines as a wedding though, with additional guests at the party and not at the ceremony.

The Outfits

There are many choices for christening outfits for your child, ranging from the traditional long white dresses for girls and boys to more modern offerings. Make sure that you are comfortable with what your child is wearing, it should reflect their personality and not be too embarrassing when they look back through the photos in later years!

Also consider having a back up outfit or at least a change of clothes readily available in case of any accidents, including those that might spill on to you!

Your outfit should be smart and suitable for your location but also practical. You will be standing and holding your child for a long period so choose something which will be comfortable too. If you are breastfeeding, consider taking some formula or expressed milk with you so that your style options aren’t restricted.

The Party

Be honest with yourself about the party after the ceremony. Whilst it might be memorable to have it at your home, it will be a very long day and there’ll be a lot of preparation and cleaning up to do. If you do have it at home, rope in plenty of family and friends to help out and allocate them specific tasks to do so that you can focus on your child.

Depending on how many guests you have invited, and how many children, you may want to consider arranging some form of entertainment for the party If the weather is nice, a bouncy castle always goes down well or even a truckload of balloons will keep even the biggest of kids happy.

Wherever you choose as your location, think about an appropriate theme for the decorations and any tableware. Popular colour choices this year include pale yellow and beige, as well as traditional pastel tones. Again, choose a theme which reflects you as a family.

The Gifts

The guests may ask you for gift suggestions so it can be helpful to have a gift list set up, or at least some helpful suggestions. Choose items which are a mix of commemorative and practical, and that will fit well with what you already have. You could also consider asking for contributions towards a savings fund or one larger gift.

Organising a christening does take a fair amount of planning and preparation, but that does pay off on the day. It’s important to remember that the day is about your child and your family, so everything should be your choice and no-one else’s!