There is a lot that goes into planning a christening. There is making the arraignments for the actual christening, choosing Godparents, purchasing a christening gown or outfit, and planning the after-christening party. To make this special day go as smoothly as possible here is a check-list and some tips to help you.
A checklist of things to do for your baby's christening:
- Choose Godparents.
- Pick where your baby will be christened.
- Make arraignments with the clergy of that parish.
- Book the christening.
- Book a reception venue.
- Arrange for catering.
- Send invites.
- Hire a photographer.
- Pick a christening cake.
- Order a christening gown.
In addition to this here are some tips and tricks to make your baby's christening go smoothly with as little stress as possible.
Christening Gown Purchase and After-Party Outfit
An important element to having a smooth christening ceremony it to make sure to purchase a christening gown at least two weeks before the christening. If you're buying online you may want to make your purchase a month before so there will be time to have it shipped to you and time for you to return it or exchange it if need be.
Don't forget a christening bib. This may be the best purchase you make. It can protect your heirloom gown from spit up and all that stuff.
You may also want to consider buying an after-christening party outfit. You don't want your nice heirloom christening gown to get soiled at the after-party An outfit to change you baby into will keep your valuable gown from getting dirty and keep your baby happy and comfortable. Just like the christening gown/outfit, make sure to purchase the party outfit well in advance.
The Night Before the Christening
First and foremost, try and get a good nights rest. Feeling rested on your baby's christening day will help you to be fresh and ready to go.
Second to this, gather everything you need the night before. This includes: diaper bag stuff, paper work, the christening outfit, christening accessories, and your own clothes.
Once you have all this together; getting the diaper bag packed and ready.
Organize your paper work by putting it into a folder where it all can be in one place.
Then make sure to press or steam your baby's gown as well as your own outfit (tips for removing wrinkles from christening gowns).
Make sure to have everything set up for the after-christening party the night before. Depending on how you plan the day you may not have time to get everything set up right after the christening.
The Day of the Christening
So you don't feel rushed (feeling rushed equals stress) give yourself plenty of time to get to the church. On top of this make sure to arrive early so you can dress your baby. Dressing your baby may have to be done at the church if you plan on using a long heirloom christening gown. These types of gowns just don't fit well into car seats and besides, car seats and gowns equals wrinkles. Also arriving early will give you time to feed your baby a snack and change his diaper. A fresh clean diaper will lessen the chance of a blow-out that can soil your baby's gown.
In the end there still may be some hiccups and if that's the case just take a deep breath and go with whatever comes. The most important thing is that you've prepared a special day for your baby and your guests. Most likely your baby and guests won't even notice any hiccups anyways.