Organizing the christening of your child can be a very stressful task for parents. It can seem as if there is a mountain of things to consider and elements to arrange! However, with a calm attitude and careful planning the occasion will go smoothly. Here’s our ultimate christening checklist that will help you get organized for the big day.
- Choose the godparents
First of all, select the people that you wish to be your child’s spiritual guardians and ask them if they are willing to take on this role. Traditionally, only three people will stand up in the Church
as the godparents, but this doesn’t mean you can’t ask more people to act as guardians for your child. You may already have the perfect people in mind, but if not, do take your time as who you pick will play an important role in your child’s life.
- Select the location and date of the christening
First of all, decide where you wish the ceremony to take place. Most people will choose their Church or a Church in their local area. This makes it easier in terms of travel for your family and all your guests. Contact or visit the Church you have chosen and arrange a suitable date and time for the ceremony.
- Choose and book a reception venue
If you have decided to have a reception following the ceremony, it’s important to get this reserved as soon as you know the christening date. If you leave it too late, you might end up missing out on the best venues. Alternatively, many parents choose to host a small party at their home for the comfort factor and to save money, so you may wish to consider if this is a possibility for you. However, if you are hosting at home, remember you will have to organize the food and drinks yourselves.
- Send out invitations
Now that you have the date and locations organized, you can start inviting the people who you want to be present. Give them as much notice as possible so they can take time off work or arrange travel and accommodation if necessary. Make it easy for them to respond, by email or phone, for example, so that you can start tallying up the numbers sooner rather than later.
- Buy the christening clothes
Christening clothing for your child can be custom-made or bought from a store. Remember your child grows very quickly, so avoid buying the attire too far in advance of the big day. There are so many ways to get your baby boy christening outfit, there's the hand-me-down or making it yourself, lots of ways.
- Think about gifts
Your guests will no doubt want to give a special gift to your child to mark this very important occasion. However, if you don’t want to receive presents, be sure to politely decline in your invitation. If you want to get your child something, there are many traditional Christening Silver items that are symbolic of this event.
- The big day
When the big day arrives, remember to pop a pack of tissues in your bag as well as a camera to capture this very special day.
If you have any other important christening tasks you would like to contribute to this list, please let us know.
