View our beautiful range of cards in our Christening Invitations Gallery. Creating your own personalised invites only takes a few minutes. Try as many designs as you wish and view a proof online. Once you have placed your order your printable invitation will be emailed to you, ready for you to print!
Types of Christening Ceremonies
Since there are many different religions, there are many different types of christening celebrations, two types of christening ceremonies have been briefly outlined. With all Christening ceremonies the common theme is to introduce the child into their chosen religious faith.
Catholic Christenings
Catholic Christenings involve the parents to make their declarations to Christ and to fully understand the significance of the baptism the priest may request parents attend church regularly before the christening and also attend special preparation classes. During the service the baby is baptised with holy water and a candle is lit to represent Jesus as the light of the world. After the ceremony the candle is then presented to the parents and godparents. Catholic Christenings are often held separately to normal church services and usually involve the baptism of several children at the same time. An arrangement with the priest therefore has to be made beforehand regarding the date and time of the Christening. In order to have a Catholic Christening it is expected at least one of the parents is a Catholic to ensure the child will be brought up in the Catholic Faith.
Church of England Christenings
A christening for a baby who is being brought up according to the Church of England philosophy usually takes place during the main Sunday church service and often along with other babies. Like the Catholic Christening, the baby is sprinked with holy water and the parents and Godparents are required to make promises to bring the child up in accordance with the Christian faith. Once again, an arrangement for the date and time of the Christening will need to be made with the vicar beforehand and the vicar may also wish to have a talk with the parents to gain an understanding of their faith and religious views.
Baby Christenings
Baby Christenings are generally held within the first year of life and involve the baby wearing a traditional christening gown, usually white or cream in colour to symbolise the newness of life which may be made or part made from the mother's wedding dress. Sometimes a christening gown may be have been passed down through the generations which always adds an extra special touch. It is also customary for the parents to choose Godparents for the child. Parents often choose friends and family who share the same faith as themselves and who know will take an active role to support their child throughout their life. Traditionally there are three godparents, two for the same sex of the child so a baby girl would have two godmothers and one godfather and a baby boy would have two godfathers and one godmother. In the Catholic faith however, only two godparents are permitted, one of each gender. Christening Gifts are often brought for the child and usually comprise of a silver cross or chain, Holy Bible and personalised gifts such as an engraved christening spoon, photo album or framed print.
