The planning of a christening can be quite complicated. But it’s an important day for you and your child, so it’s important to get everything right.

The first things to organise are the service and the christening invitations. These two things go hand in hand because you need to organise the service so that you can let your guests know the details of it on the christening invitations.

It may be that the christening is held as part of a normal service. But if you do have a service just for you, then you should ask your guests to arrive at least ten minutes before it is due to start.

Normally, the service will last around 20 to 30 minutes and there should be an order of service so that guests, particularly the godparents, know what part they play in the service.

After the service you may wish to hold a reception and details of this should be on the christening invitations too so that guests can make suitable arrangements for getting there. You could choose to have a finger buffet with some sandwiches and cakes for the guests or you could even opt for a more substantial sit down meal. But remember to invite the vicar to join you too.

Your big day may have been and gone, but at least you have the memories. And that is all thanks to your wedding guest books and your wedding photo albums.

For months, or perhaps even years, you will have been planning your big day and then, when it comes around, the emotions and the excitement mean that is simply passes in a blur.

But with the help of guest books and wedding photo albums, you can relive those special memories and special times you shared with friends, family and of course, your new spouse.

Wedding guest books are designed to be passed around at the wedding reception. Each guest is asked to write a note in the book. This could be anything from wishing the married couple luck, to sharing a memory of the couple when they first got together. Wedding guest books are designed for couples to keep and look back on in years to come.

Wedding photo albums capture the events of the day. They can be filled with professional photos or photos taken by your guests, or a mixture of the two. These are great for really showing the events of the day and recording the fun that you had.

So to keep your wedding memories alive, invest in wedding photo albums and wedding guest books.

Organising a christening can sometimes be as complicated as organising a wedding. With the service, the catering and the christening invites to organise, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

But aside from the christening invitations, there are plenty of things to sort out before your child’s big day.

Firstly, there are the godparents to decide upon. The traditional purpose of godparents is for them to guide the child in his or her faith. But these days, godparents are often chosen if they are trusted close friends to the parents of the child.

It is important to choose your godparents carefully. Firstly, decide what purpose you would like them to play and how you want them to be involved in your child’s life. Secondly, you need to consider whether they are likely to be around while your child is growing up; will you still be friends in ten years time for example?

Traditionally, girls should have two godmothers and one godfather and boys should have two godfathers and one godmother. But this is completely your choice to make.

So as well as organising the actual day itself, you need to consider the long term implications of your child’s christening and make important decisions such as who will be your godparents.