So, you’ve filled a Pinterest pin board with Christening ideas, sent invitations, booked the venue, planned the after-party and packed for the Christening. The big day finally arrives, and you’re preparing to head out to the church. You’re ready, the diaper bag is stocked and you just got baby all dressed up in her gorgeous Christening outfit. Then you realize something. You have no idea how you’re going to fit that big, beautiful gown (with her in it) into the car-seat. And how are you going to keep his freshly-pressed romper from wrinkling where the seatbelt is? … Now what?

We’ve been there. We’ve found that the best solution is to dress Baby after you arrive at the Church if at all possible. Put him in a comfy onesie or one-piece pajamas for the drive-especially if it’s a lengthy one. Leave the socks, and headbands off too! (You won’t want to be missing a sock and retrace your steps to find it laying in a dirty gutter!) Since you’ll most likely have to arrive early anyway, it makes sense to dress baby there. Baby will be in their gorgeous outfit for less time before the ceremony, which means blow-outs or spit-ups are less likely to soil it before its big debut. Give yourself plenty of time for a fresh diaper change before dressing. The more you can take your time, the more you’ll be able to talk and play with baby-so he’s sure to show his best smile for all your guests.

If there’s no way you can dress the baby at the site, purchase an outfit that will fit in the car seat and allow baby to be fastened in. Choose booties that can be laced on baby’s tiny feet instead of just socks that are likely to slip off in transit. Splurge on a matching bib that you can remove just before the ceremony so baby’s drool and spit-up won’t soak the outfit before it even begins.

After we arrived at the church on my daughter’s big day, we realized her headband was nowhere to be found. I was so glad my sister-in-law had a spare white one in her diaper bag for me to borrow. Lesson learned: pack an extra headband and socks! You never know when those things will slip off and be lost forever!