Baptism gifts can serve as wonderful reminders of this spiritual occasion.  One of the most notable religious symbols is the cross.  So what better way to symbolize a baptism than by giving a gift that displays the holy cross.  

Here are some cross themed baptism gift ideas that will create the perfect remembrance.

• Cross Wall Plaque – A day-to-day reminder as they grow of their being a member of God’s family.  You may even choose a design that has a special children’s prayer engraved on it.  
• Embroidered Afghan or Blanket – A lasting memento that can be stitched with a cross along with the baby’s name and their baptismal date. 
• Child Bible – This baptism gift is the perfect way to introduce Bible stories to a child with special illustrations that appeal uniquely to children.  Some designs may allow for personalizing.
• Engraved Photo Album – A wonderful keepsake with an engravable front cover to hold all the cherished photos of their special day for years to come.
• Customized Picture Frame – A custom-made way to display a cherished photo from their baptism.
• Cross Necklace or Bracelet – Infant-sized baptism jewelry will complement any baptismal outfit and will also be a great heirloom piece to pass down to future generations.
• First Rosary and Keepsake Case – Given together as baptism gifts, they will be inspiring souvenirs of the child’s baptism day. 
• Plush Bear or Lamb – Can commemorate this special occasion for years to come by having special words or a cross embroidered on it.  If it happens to be musical it may play a favorite children’s tune for the child to sing along with, such as ‘Jesus Loves Me’.

As you can see, there are many baptism gifts that not only symbolize but also create lasting memories of this once-in-a-lifetime Christian celebration.  Since they are only a baby, they will appreciate the keepsake gifts as they grow both physically and spiritually.

Baptism invitations are one of the main items when planning this special occasion for your baby but there are actually many pieces that can be a part of your invitation ensemble.  Here is a list of extra items for your consideration to assist you in your invitation planning.   

Photo Baptism Invitations:  To uniquely personalize your invitations, have a photo of your baby printed on them.  This makes the invitation a special keepsake for your guest to save beyond the celebration.

Reception Card:  If you are planning a brunch or any type of celebration following the baptism ceremony and there is not enough room for the information on your invitation, you could include a reception card for listing all the details.  Most invitation styles offer these cards with a matching design.  Since postage is based on weight, the inclusion of this card may add to your invitation mailing cost.

Respond Card:  To properly plan for your celebration as far as food preparations and seating arrangements, this card is essential so you have an accurate guest count.  A specific reply date chosen by you will be printed on the card so guests will promptly respond.  The respond card along with its mailing envelope will be inserted with your baptism invitations.  Its return mailing envelope will have your address pre-printed on it and be sure to remember to include a postage stamp for easy returning by your guests.    

Printed Return Address:  This option of having your return address printed on the back flap of the invitation mailing envelope can save you valuable time and ensure that undeliverable ones are returned to you.  There is an extra cost involved so it is optional.   

Lined Outer Envelope:  As an added touch to your baptism invitations, you can add a colored lining to your mailing envelopes.  There is an extra charge for this lining and color choices will vary depending on the invitation style you choose.

Envelope Seal:  These self-adhesive decorative stickers add a nice finishing touch to your mailing envelope.  Available in many styles and colors, a seal is used to make it look like it is holding the flap down even though it has already been sealed.

Informal Note:  Also used as thank you cards, they are pre-printed with the baby’s name on the front and the inside being left blank for handwriting your own personal thank you note to guests.  Since informal notes are usually available to match your baptism invitations, it is recommended to order them at the same time to save time and extra shipping costs later.  Blank mailing envelopes are included in the price or you can have a return address printed on them for an extra charge.

As you can see, there are many items that can be part of your baptism invitation ensemble.  It is a personal choice as to which of the above items you choose to include.  Your budget may also dictate which items you purchase as well. 

Will you be mailing out christening or baptism invitations?  This is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration and deserves to be announced in formal style to family and friends. 

Christening or baptism invitations play an intregral part in your planning since they provide guests with all the details.  Shopping online and having them professionally printed will certainly save you time since you will only have to address them for mailing.  Invitation websites usually have a nice selection of christening and baptism invitation designs available.

TIP – It’s usually more cost effective to initially order a few more invitations than to have to order more later.  Additional baptism invitations can be used for extra guests not originally included in your count.  Also, be sure to save at least one as a souvenir so it can be framed, placed in a memory album or added to your baby’s scrapbook.

Here are the details to include on your christening or baptism invitations.

·         Baby’s Name

·         Parents’ Names

·         Date and Time of Baptism or Christening Ceremony

·         Name and Address of Ceremony Location

·         Time and Location of Reception (if separate from ceremony)

If you are planning a formal celebration and inviting quite a few guests, you might want to include some type of RSVP on the invitation to help in your seating and food planning. This can range from placing your phone number at the bottom of the invitation to actually including a separate response card for your guests to return to you. When ordering baptism invitations, some of the formal styles will have a matching response card available.  If you include a response card, be sure to place a postage stamp on its accompanying envelope as a convenience to your guests since your mailing address will be printed on the return envelope.

Thank you cards or informal note cards are sometimes also available to match your invitations.  Informal notes are personalized with your baby’s name on the front and the inside is left blank for your personal handwritten thank you note.

This is the first step of your baby’s spiritual life that deserves to be celebrated with family and friends so you’ll want to formally announce all the details with special baptism or christening invitations.  Remember to save one to cherish as a lasting keepsake for you and your baby.

So, you’ve been invited to celebrate the first spiritual occasion in a child’s life and are now looking for the perfect christening or baptism gift. 

You are no doubt looking for the ideal baptism or christening gift that will put a smile on the faces of the parents as they open it.  It’s always so rewarding when you see how genuinely delighted they are with your gift.  It makes you feel good that you chose something they really appreciate. 

Since a baby’s christening or baptism is such a special event, you might want to consider giving a gift that will become a treasured memory for years to come.  A personalized gift is a great choice since it will be engraved with the baby’s name and the date. This is a terrific way for the baby to always remember when they became a member of God’s family on their baptismal day.

Here is a list of just some of the wonderful baptism and christening gift ideas available that will create a lifetime keepsake for the baby.

·         Engraved Picture Frame – A great way to display a favorite photo of the baby all dressed up in their baptism or christening gown. 

·         Cross Necklace – A baby’s first cross necklace will complement any outfit on their baptism or christening day and will become a treasured family heirloom.  Presented in a personalized keepsake box will make it even more of a memento.

·         Children’s Bible – A child will love learning Bible stories when the illustrations are meant to appeal to children.  Some versions can even be personalized on the front cover and are packaged as a keepsake.

·         Cross Plaque – Hanging on the child’s bedroom wall, it’s the perfect reminder that they are a member of God’s family.  There are many styles to choose from.  A cross might picture a boy or girl praying or it might display a special prayer along with the child’s name.

·         Personalized Photo Album – Provides a terrific way to display all the cherished photos from this special occasion.   

·         Embroidered Blanket – Throws are quite popular these days so why not give one that is personalized and commemorates the baby’s baptism day. 

·         Plush Lamb – A truly unique gift that the child can cuddle with and learn the prayer or song it plays.        

Giving a keepsake baptism or christening gift is a wonderful way to honor the memory of this special Christian celebration as the child grows, both physically and spiritually.

A baby’s baptism or christening is a once-in-a-lifetime event.  It is the very first step in their spiritual life.  Since the baby won’t have any first-hand memories of this special day, it’s up to the parents, godparents and family members to create lasting memories for them. 

There are always the popular items that are known to make treasured keepsakes, but there are many other ideas that might get overlooked.  For example, saving one of the invitations that were mailed to guests will make a wonderful momento to be placed in a special scrapbook.

Here is a list of some other baptism and christening items that can be used as keepsakes creating treasured memories for years to come.

• Gown or Outfit – Choosing heirloom quality fabric and taking the proper storage measures will help preserve the gown or outfit for future generations or just as a lasting remembrance.
• Accessories (socks, shoes, bib, blanket, bonnet, towel) - They all add an extra special touch to the gown or outfit and make great mementos.
• Jewelry – A delicate baby bracelet or petite cross necklace will add to the beauty of the baby’s outfit and can be kept as a precious token of this special day.
• Favors – These are perfect for showing appreciation to guests and providing them with a take-home gift.  Many types of favors can be personalized .
• Certificate – This is a great way to create a written record of the baptism or christening that can be framed and displayed.
• Personalized Baptism Gifts – These are normally items designed specifically for the occasion such as a photo album, photo frame, Bible, cross plaque, or commemorative candle.  They are extra special because they usually display the baby’s name and date of ceremony.

Godparents, in particular, should especially consider giving their godchild a keepsake gift since part of their responsibility is to help the child grow in their spirituality .  The beginning of a baby’s spiritual life is their christening or baptism so there should always be memories of this momentous occasion.  There are also special godchild, goddaughter, and godson gifts available for personalization.   

Personalized keepsakes are a wonderful way to honor the memory of  the baby’s christening or baptism through the years as they grow  in their spirituality.  Remember to also have plenty of pictures taken the day of the event to add to a photo album or scrapbook as a souvenir of the occasion.