This is a sponsored guest post.
Whether you are a person of faith or just a family that likes to stick with tradition the baby’s Christening is one of the main events in the family’s life for a young member. It will be the first time many of the extended family might be meeting your little bundle of joy so it’s important to get it right and our handy guide here shows you how to best prepare.
Have The Gown Picked Out Early
The christening gown is one of the main things that we have to decide upon and it’s the key purchase as there’s not much else that’s essential in terms of physical things. You may have the luxury of having this decision made for you, as many families have a traditional gown that is handed down through the generations and this can make the decision for you or could cause a headache as you may want a more modern gown. At the end of the day, it’s your child and your family and up to you to choose what you want.
Be Sensitive To Other Faiths In The Family
It’s more and more common for families to be comprised of different faiths and for the most part, an interfaith couple is a good and positive thing. However, when it comes to things like religious ceremonies it’s important to remember that some of your extended family could be from different religions so be sensitive to that and if you could reach out and discuss the Christening with them and even explain the ceremony and include all the family. There are even certain interfaith celebrations of baby as well these days such as a naming ceremony
Be Sure Your Own Outfits Are Picked Out & Ready
With all the stress of making arrangements and getting baby ready for the big day, worrying about friends and relatives it’s easy to forget getting yourself ready for the day. If you don’t always dress in a formal manner ensure you have all the components of your outfit bought and ready before the day, for example, it’s easy to forget to get a good shirt that matches your outfit.
Ensure All Extended Family Members Know Their Roles
There are various roles involved in a christening and godparents etc. may not have performed the role in the past and are unsure of what is involved. They must understand that the role is more than just ceremonial, it’s a godparent’s role to ensure that the child is brought up in the faith in the event that something happens to the parent, it’s essentially spiritual life insurance. Many people feel this is not important these days and that anyone can be nominated a god-parent but even if you feel this way it’s good to ensure the prospective god-parent knows this is the purpose of the role as they have to pledge to accept this commitment in the ceremony and if they are not expecting it can be quite the surprise.
Have A Thank-You For The Priest/Minister
It’s important to remember to have a thank-you for the priest or minister as although it’s their job and are happy to perform the ceremony for free, especially for those from financially limited backgrounds, but if you can even a thank you card at least is customary.
