Christening Gowns, Outfits, Communion Dresses at One Small Child

Shopping for christening gowns and baptism outfits online has its advantages (convenience of 24/7 shopping, large selection of styles and and sizes) and disadvantages, one of the biggest being that you can’t actually *feel* your selections before ordering them. We get that!

To offset that challenge, we’ve provided detailed descriptions of the fabrics we use in each garment. To find this information, click on the ‘Details…’ link found on the order page for each specific style. The fabric will be listed in the bullet points in bold font. Click the fabric name to see a drop-down description of that fabric. You can also find a compiled list of the textiles we use here. 

In addition to the information found on each page, we proudly offer an unparalleled return policy with no re-stocking fees (in fact, we encourage you to order up to three outfits to make the style and size selection process easier!).

I spent an afternoon helping my mother and sisters clean out my parents’ basement last week, it’s always an adventure to sift through stacks of memorabilia…they bring so many reminders and smiles. When everyone was busy elsewhere,  I took a moment to crack open some of my mother’s old journals. (shhh, don’t tell anyone I was slacking!) It was fun to read some of her thoughts and daily activities as a new wife, and later, as a mother running her own business. She’s an amazing woman, I’m so glad she took a few moments out of her day to record what was happening in her life.

Anyway, back to the purpose of this post, in the process of cleaning out, Mom found this photo and brought it to me, saying, “I didn’t know I had this picture! This is Allie Wade!” (Allie is in the center, surrounded by her four daughters, one of whom was my grandmother.) It was a treat for me to see…I never knew her, but in this photo, Allie looks just like I remember my grandma. I wonder how much they were alike.

I may not have known her, but Allie Wade has had a significant impact on my life, through my grandmother and my mother. Though she never knew it, she has been a part of special occasions for thousands of children all over the world–every garment we make leaves our facility bearing her name, and along with that name, a hope that her legacy of love will extend to all.  

Choosing an outfit for baby’s christening or blessing is different for everyone. Sometimes, you know the perfect gown or outfit when you see it and there are no questions. Then again, there are times you have so many options you just don’t know which way to turn!

We understand that it can be difficult to make such a big decision based on two-dimensional pictures…it’s important to be able to see and touch and compare in person. With that in mind, we gladly offer the option to purchase up to three styles (or sizes…if that baby is in-between) to review at your convenience.

Here’s how it works:

• If you are unsure which christening gown/baptism outfit style or size you need, order up to 3 of your favorites. (You will pay for all items shipped at the time of your order, but no worries–our return process is easy!)
• After you receive your order, make your choice in the comfort of your home.
• When you’ve made your decision, simply return the unwanted items within 15 days of their arrival in your home. No need to expedite return shipping, just have them in the shipper’s hands within the 15 days. We recommend you use a trackable shipping service, so delivery can be verified.
• Your card will be refunded when we recieve your return (please note: return transactions can take 7-10 days to appear on your bankcard statement).

Any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us!

My mother started this company on a shoestring twenty five years ago. I was a child then, but I can clearly remember her excitement over each new style, the love she put into her designs, how pleased she was to see children in her creations. I also remember her saying often that she wanted each dress to go out into the world with a blessing of peace and happiness for the child who wore it. 

Several years later, she and I collaberated on the poem printed on the back of the hangtag attached to each dress or romper that leaves our facility. It is an expression of our sincere wish for every child to enjoy peace, joy, love, guidance and freedom in life.

When I was a little girl, I distinctly remember my mother saying something along these lines in an overheard conversation: “If I dress my girls modestly when they’re young, perhaps they’ll feel uncomfortable in revealing clothing when they’re older.” By and large, she was right!

I don’t intend to argue about the issue of modesty (or lack thereof) in our society, but I’d like to think some of you would agree with me when I say that many clothing styles for young ladies today are certainly pushing them to dress much older than they are, and to bare a lot more than is necessary.

To me, special occasion dressing is just as important as (if not more important than) daily dressing…especially in a religious (First Communion, LDS Baptism) context: Do you really want your daughter to make deeply meaningful covenants with Deity in spaghetti straps? It’s true that what is in her heart is more important than what she wears, but it makes sense to me that what she wears is an outward sign of respect and devotion.

To that end, most of the First Communion dress styles you’ll find at One Small Child are all-over modest. You may see a bare arm here or there to accomodate customers looking for sleeveless styles, but you’ll never see a spaghetti strap or fully strapless gown in our boutique. It’s something we believe in.

 May your life be blessed
with joy and love,
May angels guide you
from above.
May your heart be kind,
your spirit strong,
To see the good
and right some wrong.
May the world be
a better place
Because you came
and shared some space.

We’ve been selling dresses for a long time…twenty five years, in fact! Over the years, we’ve interacted with literally thousands of people. I’ve said it before, we love feedback, and it’s true. We have the best customers.

Of course we like the positive comments…you should see the bulletin board on the wall in our customer service department. It’s covered with photos and christening invitations and kind notes from thoughtful customers. In addition, we’ve devoted an entire page on OneSmallChild.com to customer comments. Ooooh. I love our customers.

Lest you think we only like the nice things people say, we actually really appreciate not-so-positive feedback as well. As hard as we work to get everything right, we’re human, Murphy’s Law kicks in every once in awhile, and we have a hiccup. Our philosophy is that the best way to get rid of our hiccups, is to respond to each issue as it arises, do our best to make it right and then implement strategies to eliminate future occurrences. So thank you for bringing areas in need of improvement to our attention!

Anyhoo…the point of this post is to let you know how much we appreciate comments…if you’d like to know how people feel about our company, you can view the results of our BizRate post-sale surveys here.

Okay, we’re really starting to get things rolling here on the One Small Child blog, so I thought I’d share some background information about me, your friendly behind-the-scenes writer. Here goes:

Christening gowns have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can clearly recall all the details of the first blessing dress my mother created when I was ten years old. It was sheer and lacy and ruffly with big dips on each side of the over-skirt, trimmed with satin ribbon bows. In fact, it was very similar to our current Lucy style…funny that after all this time we’re coming full-circle, back to where we began!

I helped out in our little factory on and off through my teenage years and came to work with the company full time in my college years. I have logged thousands of hours cutting, sewing, trimming, inspecting, tagging, bagging, shipping, planning, scheduling, trouble-shooting, answering phones, dreaming, designing, costing, sourcing, writing, editing, sweating, crying, laughing, and loving every minute. I have enjoyed close working relationships with family members, our talented staff, vendors, sales representatives, store buyers and many of our valued customers. I think I can safely say this business is in my blood! (Thanks Mom!)

Six years ago, I became a mother, and I can truthfully say that this experience is the only thing more all-consuming and rewarding for me than One Small Child. I am truly living my dream: being a mom with a fun job on the side! Don’t get me wrong, I love what I’m doing, but we keep it real. We’re not always perfectly put together or clutter-free or calm, cool and collected…but there’s always tomorrow!

Thanks for visiting–I’m interested in you and what you’re interested in, so let me know all about you! And stay tuned for more information on everything going on at One Small Child.

Here at One Small Child, it is our desire to provide you with exquisite products and exceptional service. In order to assist you in making the all-important decision of what to have your child wear on his or her unforgettable day, we allow you to order up to three different styles/sizes of christening gowns or christening outfits, keep the pieces that best fit and return the unused garments. Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions regarding this policy:

Are there any re-stocking fees on returned items? No. Never. Please be aware, however, that if you selected our free shipping offer and your return causes the original order total to fall below $50, we do deduct $7.75 from your refund to cover the original shipping costs.
Do I pay for the items up front, or do you charge me after I return the unused items? At checkout, you pay for all items before they are shipped, and we cheerfully refund your card within one week upon receipt of your return.
Your return policy states that items must be returned within 15 days–is that from the date I order? No. the 15 day return period begins when you receive your order.
Does my return have to be in your facility within the 15 days? No. It just needs to be in the shipping system (postmarked). We do not expect you to spend exorbitant amounts on express shipping! Just be sure to select a shipping method that offers delivery confirmation.
Are non-stock items returnable? Yes. Non-stock items are constructed for you when we receive your order, but we do accept returns on them–someone else will surely need them.

It’s not just a job. Really. Here at One Small Child, we’ve been designing and producing christening gowns for more than two decades. It’s in our blood! As a family owned and operated company, several members of our family are intimately involved in the day-to-day processes, and it’s common for impromptu executive meetings to bust out at family gatherings. (Apologies to those siblings & spouses employed elsewhere!)

We enjoy working together to develop new products, and we are excited to share the journey, the relationships, and the bits of information we gather along the way with you. We are committed to providing heirloom quality christening gowns and baptismal outfits as well as an unparalleled selection of christening accessories. And we’re getting pretty good at it…after all, we’ve been at it for a long time!