11 Christening Day Tips for a Memorial Event

First, a child is the most precious of all earthly gifts from God. In acceptance of our gift, we promise our Lord and Savior that we will raise our child in the Christian faith. Depending on your denomination, your may have a Christening, Dedication or Baptize an older child. No matter which, the ceremony day is a day of celebration. As with any celebration, moms want to do it right. You want to make the day special and the celebration memorable. Planning in advance is crucial. There are so many things to do and so many people to honor in our celebration.  Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on Christening Day Tips.


christening day tips

So, where do we start?  Here are a few Christening Day Tips to make Christening Day go smoothly:

  • Guest List – I always start with a list of guests.  Everything you purchase for your celebration depends on guest list. Furthermore, when putting together your guest list, remember the place of honor each guest has. For example, grandparents, Godparents and relatives.
  • Invitations and Thank You Cards  – The invitations should include what the celebration is, who the celebration is for, the time and Church location for the ceremony. The time and location of the celebration and the RSVP information.   It’s important to remember to leave at least an hour between the church ceremony and the start of the celebration.  This will give you a little preparation time to prepare.  You will also want to change clothes and freshen up.
  • Food Preparation – You will need to know approximately how many guests you will be feeding, so you ca ensure that you have enough food.  Just as important, you don’t want to over spend and waste food.  However, after a long week-end, left overs will be welcome.
  • Keepsake Gifts – The place of  honor the guests hold will determine the type of keepsake gifts to purchase.  When you plan a child’s birthday party, all the children receive the same goody bags.  But when you plan a Christening celebration this is not necessarily true. You will want to purchase different keepsake gifts for the people of honor in the ceremony.
  • Godparents –  A Godparent loves your child and promises to assist you in the rearing of your child in Christian faith. Furthermore, they usually are selected to rear your child in your absence. This is a great gift to you and your child and a respectable undertaking. Honor them with a special gift.
  • Grandparents – Keepsakes for grandparents are optional in my opinion.  However, grandparents are the driving force behind your Christian rearing and your child’s. They love you and your child and provide a lifetime of experience.  Their wisdom will be of great assistance to both you and your child throughout the years to come.
  • Decorations  – For decorations, a simple white and silver or  white and gold color theme is usually selected. White symbolizes your child’s purity. Silver symbolizes the connection between man and God. Gold symbolizes rejoicing in our blessings. A Christian symbol should be  selected as well. A cross is the most common, but a dove of peace or angel theme  is perfectly acceptable. Paper goods, room decorations and your keepsake gifts  should be unified in color and Christian symbol.
  • Ceremonial gown or suit – Whatever you select, it will become a keepsake. For the ceremony, depending on the child’s age, a gown and booties or shoes are a must. Also, don‘t forget a change of clothes for your child in case of a mishap.
  • Entertainment  – Some people wonder if entertainment is appropriate. I say yes.  Christian music or easy listening would be good. Bible story coloring books, games and puzzles will keep small children entertained.
  • Photographs –  Your going to be busy! You have guest to talk to  and a child to care for. Ask a family member or friend who is good to take  pictures and video if possible. If you like candid photos, supply some disposable cameras your guests can use.
  • Accommodations for your out of  town guests –  You may be able to house close family member or friends. If you can’t or there are just too many guests, supply a list of local hotels in your  invitation. If the out of town guest is a Godparent, you should offer to pay for their accommodations.  After all, they are an honored part of your ceremony and celebration.

Finally, I hope our Christening Day Tips were beneficial.  Start planning early, and you will have a beautiful as well as memorial day.  You may also like:  Selecting a Christening Day Cake.

Christening Day – Selecting A Cake

First, I remembered the night my daughter called to tell me she would be dedicating my grandson to the Lord. Oh what a blessing.  Although I hadn’t said anything to her, I had wondered when the day would come.  We had to make the day special.  Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on selecting a Christening Day Cake.  

 

Christening Day Tips

 

 

We planned everything from his Christening suit to the meal after the service.  I chose his Christening suit and hosted the meal after the service. My daughter and her husband attended the required classes at church and contacted those who had been selected as the Godparents.  A role that is not taken lightly in our family. After all, the Godparents are involved in his upbringing and could possibly raise him if the parents are unable to.

 

 

Besides baby and the dedication, the cake will be the center of attention. We wanted to carry a religious theme into the meal.  As a result, we decided to incorporate the cross on his cake. It turned out beautifully. We selected yellow cake with a butter cream icing rather than fondant.  I have found that fondant icing can be pretty to look at, but removing the fondant and getting to the icing is difficult.  As a result, it makes it hard to really enjoy the cake. I wanted everyone to enjoy desert.

So, not only was the cake beautiful it was delicious. To stay within our budget, we had the bakery at one of our local grocery stores create the cake rather than a private bakery. Their cakes are just as delicious, and we saved enough to purchase these adorable Tiny Blessing Blue 10″ Octagonal Dinner Plates (8 count) and the accessories.  They are available in pink and blue.

 

We purchased the dinner and cake plates as well as the cups, napkins, and a matching table cloth for the food table. We purchased light blue table clothes and utensils at the Party Store. The tables turned out just as special as the day. I ordered the plates and cups on-line, however, Target now carries the set in pink and blue. 


Image-Christening-Cake


Xavier dropped his pacifier for a taste of the creamy goodness on the cake. He loved his pacifier, so we knew that we were in for a special treat with the desert. We served potato salad, pasta salad, meatballs, green beans and corn and fresh fruit followed by ice cream and cake under white tents. There was a wonderful breeze, so the setting was perfect.

If you’re having a ceremony, other ideas for a cake are:

  • Angels
  • Christening Shoes
  • The Bible
  • Baby Jesus
  • A Lamb
  • Christening Gown

Finally, I feel at peace as a mother and grandmother. Knowing that my daughter’s faith is strong enough to dedicate her son to the Lord is a mother’s dream. I hope this post gives you a few ideas to make Christening Day special for you and yours. May you each be as blessed as we are.  You may also like 11 Christening Day Tips.