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If you’re organising a christening, we’ve put together some helpful information about how christenings work. As there’s lot to arrange, we’ve also put together a handy checklist to help you get started.
It’s likely you’re aware of christenings, baptisms and naming ceremonies, but you might not be aware of what the differences are between them. Quite simply, christenings and baptisms have religious connotations whereas naming ceremonies don’t.
Most people would consider a baptism and a christening to be the same thing, but there are key differences. Both are performed in churches or religious buildings but a baptism is considered a sacrament, whereas a christening is considered a ceremony. Usually, a baptism would involve being fully immersed in holy water and is seen as an initiation into the faith. It is also performed as part of a ceremony. A christening is where a child is officially given a name under god. Baptisms can be performed on adults and older children whereas christenings are usually reserved for infants and younger children.
Naming ceremonies follow the same principle as a christening but they aren’t based around religion. They aren’t performed in a church and the service can be highly personalised, whereas a christening tends to follow a certain format. Naming ceremonies can also be performed on any day of the week whereas baptisms and christenings are usually performed on a Sunday as part of the church service.
Christening gowns are an important part of the event. The gown is a traditional garment that’s designed exclusively for a christening or baptism. They’re usually delicately made and highly decorative. Often they are family heirlooms that are passed down through the generations. The gown is a symbol of purity and innocence.
Before christening gowns were a thing, babies were swaddled in large pieces of linen or silk. By medieval times, this cloth was decorated with lace and beaded trim and called a “bearing cloth”.
By the 17th century, many Christian traditions that we still follow today had been established and the introduction of a decorative christening gown as an alternative to a bearing cloth had become apparent, especially for the wealthy.
Christening gowns tend to be longer than the infant’s toes if they cannot walk. If the person can walk, for convenience purposes, christening dresses or day dresses are a better option. Their length stops at the toes or calves of the person so they can still be mobile.
Traditionally, a christening gown would be suitable for both sexes, however as times have changed, so has design. Now there are many different options out there that are both gender specific and gender neutral. If you’re buying a new gown, it really does come down to personal taste.
As they’re said to represent purity and innocence, white or a shade of white is usually the traditional choice. The off white shade is said to represent Christ’s sacrifice and along with the holy water, how he washed away sin when he died. Some will also opt for an ivory christening gown as an alternative, though to deviate from white and shades thereof would essentially be going against the reason for the tradition. This is not to say that having a white gown is a hard and fast rule these days. There are many alternative options available and the choice is ultimately yours.
A christening is usually held on a Sunday so that it’s a part of the Sunday service. This is so the whole congregation can welcome the new member of the church. However, private christenings can be arranged on other days of the week at the priest’s discretion. If you’d prefer to have a private ceremony, the best thing to do would be to speak to the vicar of your chosen church as they may or may not be open to this.
If it’s your first time organising a christening, there are a few things you’ll need to do to make sure everything runs smoothly. Here’s our checklist of things to consider when organising a christening:
Choose your child's godparents
Traditionally, godparents were chosen because of their strong Christian beliefs and they’d play a key role in raising your child in the Christian faith. This isn’t quite as important today. Often friends or family members that are considered a good role model are usually chosen.
Knowing how many godparents to have can be a tricky one, but in a Church of England service, at least 3 godparents are required. This will usually be 2 godmothers and one godfather for a girl, and 2 godfathers and one godmother for a boy.
Decide Where The Christening Will Be Held
If you are part of a church it’s likely you’ll choose hold the Christening there. If not then many will opt for the church where they themselves were christened or married.
Speak to the Vicar
Christenings are at the discretion of the vicar of your chosen church. Once you’ve decided where you’d like your baby to be christened, you’ll need to ask the vicar if they’d be happy to have your baby christened there. They’re likely to ask you a number of questions regarding your own faith and that of your chosen godparents.
Book the Christening
Once everything has been agreed with the vicar, you can book in the service. This will likely be on a Sunday as part of the congregation’s usual service and may be one of many being performed that day. If you’d prefer to have a private ceremony, you’ll need to negotiate this with the vicar when trying to book.
Choose Your Reception Venue
Many people will follow the service with a small reception. This allows your guests to wind down and spend some quality time with your newly christened baby. Usually you’d opt for a venue that’s close by to make transportation easier for all of those involved.
Sort out catering
As most christenings tend to be a part of the morning service, it’s customary for the reception to provide a light lunch for your guests. Generally finger food is the go-to choice.
Send out invites
Once everything is in place, it’s time to send out the invites to your guests. If you’re holding a private service, it’s important to remind guests that’ll they’ll need to arrive at least 10 minutes before. In addition, if you plan to hold a reception with catering, you may wish to ask guests to RSVP to ensure you order the right amount of food. We would recommend sending out the invites no less than 3 months prior to give people time to respond.
Order the gown
Many christening gowns are passed down through generations but if you don’t have one already, you will need to get one.
If you’re part of the Christian faith, then introducing your new addition to the church will likely be one of your proudest moments. With so much to organise however, making the arrangements for a christening can leave you a little perplexed. If you’ve chosen your child’s godparents and you know which church you’d like the ceremony to be in, you’re already halfway there. Our guide will help you with the rest.
