Category — Christenings

A child’s christening is a special moment not only for the child but for you as a parent. As the special day draws near, you’ll start thinking about a special gift that you can give your child as a keepsake for his or her christening.

Personalized Bracelet: A personalized bracelet makes a beautiful christening gift for a little girl. These bracelets are simple to make if you are creative. If not, they can be ordered online. Many of the retailers for these bracelets will include your child’s name up to nine letters, and accent them with faux or fresh water pearls as well as Swarovski crystals and sterline silver.

Christening Pin: A christening pin is the male equivalent of the bracelet. These pin’s come with your son’s name across the top with a dangling emblem such as a simple cross, St. Christopher cross, or a four way medal.

Christening board book – Kits to make a board books are available online. Buy two of these kits, one for a keepsake and one for your child to look at enjoy. Take the pictures from birth up to the christening and create a story featuring your baby. He or she will delight in reading a personalized story featuring him or her as the main character! You can also laminate these books and make them less destructable.

Bible: The main focus of a christening is the devotion to raising your child in a Godly home. You can find child-size new testament Bibles in a variety of colors at your local Christian book store and also have your child’s name imprinted on the front cover. On the dedication, be sure to notate that the Bible was a gift on the day of the christening.

Blanket: A universal gift for a boy or girl’s christening would be a blanket. The blanket can be used during the ceremony and put away in a keepsake box as something to hand down as an heirloom to the next generation. For a personal touch, you could have your child’s name embroidered along with the date of the christening.

Baby Boy Receiving Blanket

Gown: The christening gown is as special as the ceremony itself. If you have an heirloom from you or your spouses family, it makes an excellent gift to your baby. Even if you don’t, the gown you purchase can be saved, just as the blanket can be, to hand down. Just be sure to have the gown professionally dry cleaned and stored so that it doesn’t yellow over time.

Do you know any other unusual gifts for a Christening?

The baby has arrived, the godparents are chosen, the christening invitations have been mailed and now you’re ready to plan a special christening reception. This is your baby’s special moment created just for him or her and you want it to be a perfect beginning for his life for the future.

Location: Depending on the size of your guest list, you might want to consider places in your town that often host wedding receptions. Typically, these places will have the space and the equipment you need such as table and chairs, table cloths, a kitchen for a caterer and might even set everything up for you. Research the places you think would be the most appropriate venue for your christening reception.

If you’d rather go with a more informal setting, a local park with a children’s play area would be ideal and you could host a picnic or BBQ. Just check with the local council/ranger to make sure there are no fees or reservations needed.

Caterer: Should you choose to have a caterer, find someone who has experience in christening receptions. You’ll also want to make sure you’re on the same page for what to serve. Tell them if you want something as simple as cake and punch, or something as extravagant as a four course meal. Typically the menu will be based on the time of day the reception will be held. During peak lunch or dinner time hours, a full meal should be served. If it’s between those peak times, serve refreshments.

Favors: You’ll want to thank all the people who came to your baby’s christening and reception by having favors available as they leave. There could be something as simple as candy wrapped in tulle and tied with a ribbon or as fancy as a glass cross ornament or bookmark in a ribboned bag. Think about something that’s special to you and your baby’s birth and go for a christening favor that your guests can look at and remember where it came from.

Show Off Your Baby: What else is a christening reception for other than showing off your newborn and celebrating their birth? It’s also a time to enjoy family members that you haven’t seen in awhile or haven’t been able to visit with since the birth of your baby. With ample cause to celebrate, sit back and enjoy the gifts you’ve been given from God!

As you prepare for your child’s birth, something that many fail to think about is finding the perfect godparent or guardian for your child should something happen to you and your spouse. Whether Catholic or not, it’s important to think about who you would want to raise your child and help bring them up in the church.

How to Choose the Perfect Godparent or Guardian:

1. Look to your family members and friends. Contrary to popular belief, this does not have to be the next of kin. The person you choose should ultimately have a similar parenting style, the same spiritual beliefs and the same family values.

If your strict or believe that children should be given free reign; believe in God or don’t, watch the people you’re closest to and see whose parenting is similar to yours. Make a list of the people that would be an appropriate fit. Of course, you and your partner should sit down and discuss each of the people on your list. Once you both agree on someone, invite them over to dinner or somewhere private where you can approach them about the role you’d like them to play in your child’s life. Keep in mind, these people must be willing to perform the duties you ask of them. If they’re not, consider someone else.

2. Do your families get along? Some do and some don’t. If they do, choose someone from each side of the family to be a godparent. If they don’t, don’t discriminate and simply choose someone outside the realm of your family. The last thing you want is for everyone to fight over your child or feel left out because someone else was chosen over them. Consider the personalities when choosing, not only if they get along, but if they could work well together.

3. Begin planning your child’s Christening. You may not have even given birth yet, but you’ll need to plan ahead with your church to see if there are any required prerequisites for you and your child’s godparents. You’ll also need to coordinate a date with your church, find the perfect Christening gown, order Christening invitations and buy Christening favors. Some compare a christening to a wedding with all of the preparations. You’ll not only need to get together a mailing list of your guests that you plan to invite, but also take the time to figure out your christening invitation wording, handwrite your invitations if you choose and mail them out. Doing this prior to your newborns arrival is ideal.