What is a Baptism / Christening Ceremony?

The actual proceedings of the baptism can vary from faith to faith, but the idea is generally the same. The parents present the infant to the minister, who either pours or sprinkles water on the child’s head as he recites the phrase, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

To some, the baptism ceremony is one deeply steeped in religious values and beliefs, while to others it is a rite of passage. Many parents dress the infant in a special Christening gown; a white or ivory gown with delicate lace embellishments. While boys traditionally wore the gown as well, lately it has become more acceptable for them to wear white suits or vests.


AGENDA

- Go to church for the Christening / Baptism Ceremony

- After the baptism, a certificate will be rewarded from the church

- Food! After the ceemony, it should be good to invite your guest for a luncheon or a tea break depending on th time.

- You might want to have a few activities

- Cutting of cake

- Photographjy session

- END

Baptism Invitations

To ensure that no one misses this celebrated event, send invitations to everyone you would like to see in attendance. The invitation should include the date, time and location of the ceremony as well as the names of both parents and the child.

Baptism invitations are usually white, ivory or cream to reflect the overall theme of the day. A wide variety of styles and designs are available, from the very simple to the extremely ornate. Be sure to order an invitation package with matching envelopes and thank you cards for well-wishers who bring gifts to the event.

Each attendee of the ceremony will receive a program or order of service as the ceremony begins; order these to match your invitations for a clean, polished overall look.

Selecting Godparents

Parents choose godparents for their new baby according to a number of different criteria. Some would like to honor a special friend or family member by naming them Godparents. Others are looking for someone to designate as their child’s caretaker, “just in case”.

Whatever your reason for choosing whomever you do, make sure you give the decision a lot of thought. It might help to understand the role of a Godparent according to Christian tradition. Godparents historically had three important duties:
They were the guarantors of education, responsible for the majority of the child’s education in Christianity.
They represented the Church of Jesus Christ during the baptism and presented the infant to the minister for consideration as a new member of the church (the parents do this now).
They made a lifelong commitment to the child as a mentor and friend.

As you can see, in days gone by, the role of the Godparent was a very important one. Choose a couple you can see yourself being friends with 10 or 20 years down the road and decide what role you would like them to play in your child’s life.

The Ceremony

While a few baptisms are private affairs, most are held during a church service, where several children may be baptized at once. It is not necessary to decorate the church, beyond the regular alter arrangements present in most churches.

If your are holding a ceremony outside of a regular church service, ask all attendants to arrive at least 10 minutes early so everyone can be seated when the minister is ready to begin.If you have a lot of guests with small children, assign one adult beforehand to care for them in the Sunday school room or front hall of the church to keep them from interrupting the ceremony.

Have the baby fed and changed before entering the church and a friend standing by with a camera to capture the ceremony on film. The minister will ask the attendees to gather at the front of the church, at which time the ceremony begins. The entire proceeding should take about 20 to 30 minutes.

Decorating for the Baptism Party

This is the opportunity for the parents to be more creative. While the ceremony itself is very traditional, the meal afterwards need not be.

It is considered good manners to offer a meal after the baptism, especially if attendants have traveled a distance to be there. Some parents choose to hold this event in their home, while others might take advantage of the church and dining facilities in the church (the best choice if your home is more than a few minutes drive from the church).

Have your home decorated before leaving for the church. Although you can choose a color scheme of your choice, traditional white and gold is quite suitable for the occasion. Simple decorations would include balloons and confetti with paper plates and matching napkins for dining. A more extravagant decorating scheme might see the room decorated with floral arrangements, linens, chair bows and candles.

Dining

The time of day will largely dictate the type of food that is offered. A morning christening is perfect for a brunch-style meal afterwards, while a late afternoon affair calls for a more substantial dinner. The most popular after-baptismal meal is simply tea and finger sandwiches.

Choose fare that will work well with the overall tone of the event. A casual, standing room only party calls for finger foods and hors d’oeuvres. If you are accommodating several out of town guests, you might choose to book a dinner in a fine restaurant to eliminate the need for cooking and cleanup.

Cherish the Memories

Your baby’s baptism or christening ceremony is truly a once in a lifetime event. Preserving the memories f this day should be your number one consideration!

Save two or three copies of the invitation, order of service program, thank you card and envelopes for your photo album or scrapbook. You might even have them arranged and mounted together in a decorative frame.

Have your child’s christening gown or outfit professionally dry-cleaned and sealed in a garment box or container to preserve it for years to come.

My Expression Article, 2009

Just incase if you need a Christening Ceremony checklist, kindly click on the Mcrosoft Word Attachment for the checklist.

our baby's baptism is a special and spirtual event meant to be shared with family and friends. Whether you're planning a small get together at your home after the church service or an elaborate reception to celebrate, you'll want to commemorate this important day. Here are some easy ideas you can use to personalize your baby's christening with photos.

1. Photo baptism invitations are a wonderful way to set the stage for your baby's special day. You can include one or more photos of your precious little angel, plus information on the church service and a request to share the celebration after the ceremony. It's a great way to introduce your little one to those who may never have met him in person. These photo christening invitations will stand out and get your invitation noticed.

2. Photo baptism bookmarks can be given either to each person who attends your baby's christening service at the church, or just to family and friends who celebrate with you later. But either way, they're unique keepsakes. There's room for your baby's photo and a personalized message. You can even add a favorite Bible verse. They're especially appropriate for the occasion, because they can hold a place in the Bibles of your guests as a constant reminder of your baby's christening.

3. Photo baptism favors are available in a variety of products. Photo magnets are a popular choice, because it is inevitable that they will end up prominently displayed on your guest's refrigerators. There are photo candles, coasters, keyrings and mirrors, just to name a few.

Sweet treats are another good choice for photo christening favors. You can make your own photo candy bar wrappers, download free templates from the internet or have them made for you. These wrappers replace the brand name ones on standard chocolate bars. Or for something even more unusual, you can order photo chocolate lollipop favors, which contain your baby's photo and personalization. The photo is actually printed right onto the chocolate itself using safe, tasteless food dyes.

4. Photo baptism centerpieces are easy to make. Place teddy bears on your table and have each of them hold a small framed photo of your baby. To take it a step further, you can find angel bears on the internet or pick up a pair of teddy bear wings and accessories at your local Build-A-Bear.

Another idea is to use flower pots spray painted a pastel color. Fill with styrofoam. Take heavy gauge craft wire, cut to different lengths, coil, and then flatten the coil. Stick the uncoiled ends into the styrofoam, and slip photos of your baby into the the flattened coils.

5. A photo baptism memory book is one of the nicest gifts you can give to your baby as a tribute to the occasion. Because he is too young to remember this day, you can document it for him. Take lots of photos of your baby and your guests. Don't forget to take snapshots of the outside of the church, as well as the party decorations at the reception. Include the photo invitations and a photo favor. Have each of the guests write a comment on a page that you slip into the memory book.

As you can see, it doesn't take much effort to personalize your baby's baptism with photos. You can be sure your guests will appreciate and admire the pictures of your baby as they join in this joyful celebration. After all, it's all about your little one and his christening day.


Articlesbase, 2009

Baby's solemn ceremony is finished, so is most of the photo-taking. Everyone mills about. Time to relax and celebrate! Thank everyone for attending this most important day with a thoughtful party.

Your best china is in place, of course. After all, the party is directed toward your guests who will appreciate it more than the (hopefully sleeping) little prince or princess. But the decor should say "Baby". Small touches add up to lovely memories and they don't have to be expensive.

Choose a theme, a favorite child's character (Winnie? Mickey? Elmo?) or movie (101 Dalmatians? Monsters, Inc.?), teddy bears, bunnies, gingerbread men, Asian themes, Celtic, toy cars (that turn into robots and back again), Legos or famous-unbelievably skinny- dolls. Little bits of this theme here and there will pull it all together for you and you can focus on food, whether a fancy sit-down meal or buffet/tea.

OR, set up a major display in an unused corner of the house, or the front porch, using your old dolls and their furniture, shown celebrating, too! Cover the mantle over the fireplace with bean bag baby toys, over-sized suckers and gingerbread figures, or whatever says Baby Party to you.

Pick a scent! It will be remembered long after Baby is in school. Mulberry, vanilla, sage, Or pick a favorite flower, a short centerpiece is a lovely focal point. Or maybe a color theme. Include small tea lights in decorative holders, away from smaller rambunctious guests!

How about a new white tablecloth and give everyone encouragement to SIGN it with indelible fabric markers with any message for your wee one they'd care to share. A loving memento for her/him to treasure for generations. (Any and all stains become part of it's history, not to worry.)

Small decorations, like alphabet blocks spelling out "CAKE" or "YUM" by the dessert table. Tiny empty boxes wrapped in baby paper and pastel ribbons, just because it looks festive. Cover the table with a receiving blanket in tune with your party's theme.

Very small plastic baby bottles can be purchased as party favors, filled with candy and given away or just placed as decor. (This and other things can be found in the wedding party section of department stores.) A big old cake with a baby buggy or something on the top!

Or take this party outside into the rose garden!

Cookies cut with inexpensive cookie cutters in "baby" shapes are too adorable. Almost everyone loves frosted sugar cookies, and brownies. Mmm, chocolate, Oh! Where was I?

Yes! Anything you like, it doesn't have to be expensive or have taken a lot of time. Having friends and family there with you to welcome your Wee One is all that is necessary. Everything else is just frosting!

If you'd care to share a photo or two of your party I'd love to include it here!!

WHiteworks, 2009

Musical Baby Christening Party

Venues
Since the Christening or Baptism party usually comes immediately after the church service, you want to select a venue for the party that is relatively close to the church. Depending on the guest list, it may make sense to have a party at your house or at a neighborhood park. Keep in mind that if other children are coming, you want to make sure they are entertained.

Foods
A morning christening can be followed by a buffet lunch, or an early afternoon christening can be followed by afternoon tea. You should have drinks available to toast the baby's health. (The Godfather gets the first toast!) If you are hosting the party at your house, a simple buffet spread or low maintenance food should suffice. If the event is held in warm weather, a backyard barbecue can be a great alternative. Cake at a baptism and christening should be ideally a white cake, with white frosting, bearing the baby's initials, name and christening date.

Activities
More than likely, there will be other kids at your child's Baptism or Christening party. The easy way out is to set up a TV and play a children's video in another room. A better idea is to plan some games to occupy them.

Musical
Regardless of the size of your christening or naming-ceremony, musical accompaniment will both enhance the atmosphere and entertain your guests throughout the day. Classical music such as string quartets, harpists or a singers are popular choices for the ceremony, with jazz bands, swing bands, traditional musicians or even a rock and pop band proving good choices for the reception later. With our huge selection of bands, ensembles and groups you can’t go wrong when you use Alive Network to choose the band or DJ for your christening. Agents will advise as to the perfect choice for your event and ensure hassle-free service from the booking stage right up to the performance and afterwards.


AllPartyIdeas, 2009

What particular ceremony are you preparing for?

Christening!