You may get a baptism invite as a family member or close friend to a child. Now that the parents have finished preparing for a new baby, they are now holding a baptism ceremony that is sacred and has significant meaning. It is courteous and appropriate to bring along a special gift for the child.
However, the rule is not cast in stone, and your presence means a lot to the family that invited you. Cash or a gift is a good idea to celebrate this special occasion.
Here are tips to observe baptism cash and baptism gift etiquette that will come in handy once you get the invitation.
1. Special Gifts
You may not always be in a position to give a substantial amount of cash as a gift. However, you should not feel restricted because you do not have a fortune to spend. The best idea to go with is to get a baptism gift that will last for a long time until the child is of age to appreciate it.
The best baptism gifts can be stuffed animals, personalized books, jewelry, or a piggy bank. Your present should be unique, thoughtful, and useful to make it worthwhile. You can get an inexpensive present, or if you are particularly strapped for cash, you can come up with a DIY gift and customize it to suit the event.
Get creative and try to think of unique gift ideas. For example, Buy a Star for the new baby! You can shop for a star on the world star register for stars that you can see from your location in the world. Once you choose and Name a Star, your gift arrives packaged in a lovely presentation box.
Custom baby’s clothing custom patch also makes a thoughtful and unique gift. Patches are easy to iron on, sew, or stick to any DIY material, and are safe for kids. You can customize the baby’s name or good wishes on it, put on a T-shirt, skirt, and custom embroidery for the little one, and can add interest to ordinary clothing. In addition to clothing, it is also very suitable for decorating tote bags and placemats, bed sheets, baby blankets and bibs, plush toys, etc.
2. Closeness To The Family
How close you are to the family of the soon to be christened baby may play a role in determining the kind of gift you give. As a godparent, you can give from $100 or above depending on your financial ability. If you are a close family member, you can offer $50 or more. Read here about the importance of family bonds and having a support network especially for growing families.
As a friend, you can give $50 more or less than what the family members provide. However, the bottom line is always to give what you can afford. In as much as you want to follow etiquette rules, you should remember that your comfort also counts since you cannot forgo having your basic needs in the name of giving a present.
3. Cash Or Savings
When it comes to gifts, money goes a long way to pass as a perfect gift. During the christening, the baby is obviously too young to understand the value of money. The parents can decide to use the money to buy a gift they find appropriate for their child or save it for something like college.
Another great gift that you can present to the child is a savings bond. You can get the bond from any bank and pay the initial amount. Over the years, as the child grows, the bond will mature in value. It is a perfect gift that will not cost you much but will translate into a valuable amount when the baby is of age, and they will thank you for it.
4. Financial Status
Getting an invitation to a christening ceremony means that you are fondly viewed by the family. If you do not have the financial capacity to offer cash or an expensive gift for their baby, they certainly understand that. What you have to do is consider your budget at the time of the invitation, and thoughtful baptism gifts do not always have to be expensive.
You can give as low as $10 if your situation does not allow you to offer more. In the extreme case, when you are tight on a budget, your presence is all that matters.
I will keep this in mind if I’m ever invited to one. I doubt it as I am not religious, but you never know!
We normally give money as a gift. Personally I prefer it as the parents can save in the child’s bank account or buy something they need for the child.
I have never been to a baptism for a baby. So this is good info to know.
This is such a special moment in a babies life, even though the baby is to small to remember this will be a memory the parents and family will have the rest of their lives. Thank you for the tips!
This is great information to know, in the event, I am invited to a Baptism.
This is so helpful. Baptisms are one of those occasions I find difficult to shop for. I just never really know what to bring.
This is perfect info that I need cause I’ve been invited for a Baptism next week! I’m gonna keep this in mind specially it’s my first time attending a Baptism.
Interesting, I had always only been to or held small, intimate baptisms!
This is very helpful! Thank you for sharing these ideas!
These are great gift ideas; I will keep this in mind. thanks for sharing
Here I found a lot of answers to my questions. You never know which is the right thing to do in this cases.
Great topic. I’ve attended countless baptisms and it’s always a challenge to me when it comes to thinking about how much to give to the child as a gift.
Would prefer to give cash so that parents can buy for the child, parents know better. Yeah, you are not obligated to give gifts when you are part of a child’s baptism.