A christening is a special ceremony that welcomes your new baby into the heart of your family, community and faith. Traditionally, this is a formal ceremony that is common in the Catholic and Anglican Church. As not everyone holds religious beliefs, some people choose to honor their child with a more modern, and less formal, naming ceremony.
Instead of preserving the photos of this milestone event, in your child’s life, in the pages of a photo book that features an assortment of holiday snaps, and a variety of other memories, it’s a lovely idea to arrange them in beautiful bespoke christening photo albums.
A personalized christening photo album is the perfect gift to give to the parents of a newborn or an older child that is being christened. If you’ve been asked to be one of the little one’s godparents, it’s your job to bear witness to the christening, and also to take an interest in their upbringing. Set a standard by gifting your friends a luxury photo book that they will cherish and treasure for years to come.
If you are the recipient of beautiful christening photo albums, to mark the occasion of your child’s religious or civil naming ceremony, make the most of them, by following our 5 photo presentation tips…
1. Show Off Your Child Like A Proud Parent
There’s no disputing that the star of all christening photo albums is your child. While most parents choose to baptize and christen their offspring when he/she is a baby, some families prefer to leave the formal ceremony until their child is older. Regardless of the age, photo books that preserve this important milestone event should always feature a great array of photos that show off your adorable child.
Display a selection of your favorite photographs of your child on their christening day. If you’ve dressed them up in a family heirloom christening gown, include some arty close up photos of the treasured hand-me-down. Capture your baby/child in cute natural poses in a variety of settings – at home, at the chapel, and at the christening party.
Portrait shots of a cheeky grin, or baby in a sleepy pose, help to reflect their enchanting character. If baby has siblings, include some charming shots of your darling brood.
2. Feature The Godparents
It’s a fabulous idea to include some portrait photos of the godparents in your child’s christening and baby photo books. It’s traditional and customary to ask two, or three, close friends, or family members, to take on the special role of becoming a sponsor and mentor to your child.
Feature a selection of individual and group photos of your baby/child with each godparent. Encourage the godparents to add personalized captions and comments to the photos in your christening photo albums, so that your child has a loving reminder of the role that they played at their special ceremony.
3. Introduce The Extended Family
A christening is a family occasion that unites generations. If you have a large family, you may need multiple photo books to introduce them all to your child as he/she grows up. As an introduction, in the christening photo albums, it helps to display an organised arrangement of photos of your extended family.
Simplify the photo line-ups by asking relatives to pose in groups, for inclusion in your baby’s photo books. Take photos of grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from both sides of the family. Embellish with amusing anecdotes and comments that are personalized to bring each image to life.
4. Celebrate Your Beliefs
You don’t have to be religious to honor the birth of your little one. If you do have a strong faith, celebrate your beliefs by featuring symbolic representations in the christening photo albums. You can decorate the pages of the photo books with motifs that are traditionally associated with your religion or faith.
If you have alternative beliefs or views, you can opt to honor your child at a non-religious naming ceremony. Although this type of modern ceremony can be held just about anywhere, you will need the services of an official naming celebrant. Ask the priest or deacon, or the naming celebrant, to pose for a photo with baby, so that you can include it in your photo book that celebrates the momentous milestone.
5. Create A Unique Family Keepsake
Throughout your child’s life, you’ll undoubtedly take thousands of photos of them, and have dozens of photo books devoted to your offspring. The christening photo books mark a unique one-of-a-kind event in your child’s life, and will therefore become a precious family keepsake to pass down through generations.
To make this photo book even more special, choose the highest quality paper and embossing detail. Select a fabric or printed hardcover for a traditional and formal christening. A trendy soft cover photo book is perfect for a non- denominational naming ceremony. A format and design that is elegant and timeless will ensure that the christening photo books never look dated.
Collate the best moments of the day, and arrange the photographs of baby’s christening in chronological order to create a visual story. You’ll obviously want to save your favorite baby’s big day photo for the front cover of the christening photo book. Make the most of the space around the photos, and add inspiring personal comments that your child can read over and over again, later in their life.