Baptism Checklist 2026: 50+ Tasks to Plan Every Step
1. 6 months before: foundational decisions
- Confirm the baptism date with both parents’ families
- Book the church / venue / city hall
- Schedule the first meeting with the priest or officiant
- Identify and ask the godparents in person
- Set a high-level budget
- Decide on guest list size (gives a basis for venue and caterer)
- Reserve the reception venue or restaurant
2. 3 months before: invitations and vendors
- Order or design the invitations
- Book the caterer and confirm the menu
- Hire the photographer / videographer
- Buy or commission the baby’s baptism outfit
- Confirm godparents’ availability for preparation meetings
- Choose the baptism theme and color palette
- Order decorations and centerpieces
3. 1 month before: details and confirmations
- Send invitations (or confirm digital ones have been delivered)
- Order baptism favors / dragées
- Confirm transportation if a venue is far
- Finalize the seating plan
- Buy the godparents’ gifts
- Pick up baby’s outfit and try it on
- Decide on baby’s candle, ribbon and any religious accessories
4. 1 week before: final preparations
- Confirm the priest or officiant (in writing or by phone)
- Final headcount to caterer and venue
- Pick up the cake or order delivery
- Prepare the day-of timeline and share it with godparents
- Prepare any speeches or readings
- Pack the baptism bag: candle, towel, change of clothes, diapers, pacifier, snacks
- Charge cameras and confirm photo locations
5. The day of the baptism: hour-by-hour timeline
- 3h before: bath, breakfast, feed the baby
- 2h before: dress the baby (carry the outfit, dress on-site if travel is long)
- 1h before: arrive at venue, brief godparents
- Ceremony: hand camera to a friend (parents enjoy the moment)
- Photo session immediately after ceremony, before reception
- Reception: announce parents and godparents, share cake, allow speeches
- Final 30 min: thank guests individually, distribute favors
6. After the baptism: thank-you notes and follow-up
- Within 2 weeks: send thank-you notes to each guest who attended or sent a gift
- Order final photo album from the photographer
- Update the parish register if not done day-of
- Save a copy of the baptism certificate (and store a digital scan)
- Set a baptism anniversary reminder for next year
Frequently asked questions
Start 6 months before for a religious baptism (parish booking, godparents, save-the-date). 3 to 4 months is sufficient for a simple civil baptism. Last-minute baptisms (under 2 months) are possible but stressful.
Yes. Our free printable PDF includes 50+ tasks across 6 phases (6 months, 3 months, 1 month, 1 week, day-of, after). Download link is at the bottom of this guide.
In our user data from 5,000+ families, the three most forgotten items are: confirming the priest or officiant 7 days before (some parishes assume confirmation), preparing a baptism candle (some churches do not provide one), and ordering thank-you cards in advance (many parents do this last and end up sending them late).
Plan for a 4 to 5 hour day: 30 minutes pre-ceremony prep, 30 to 45 minutes ceremony, 30 minutes photos and transition, 2 to 3 hours reception. Add travel time between venues.
For most families, no — a baptism is smaller than a wedding and a solid checklist plus the BaptiDay app are enough. Consider a planner only if your guest list exceeds 80 people or you are planning a destination baptism.