My Christening Day

It tells the story of the ceremony — it doesn't explain it. You'll find the real sequence of a Christian christening: the church, the vicar, the font, the water poured over the forehead, the candle being lit, the godfather and godmother — because that's the day your child will live through. But there's no catechism, no doctrine, no theological vocabulary: meaning comes through gesture, never through a lesson. This is a keepsake and a preparation book, not a book of religious instruction.

Yes — and they're there by default, because a christening doesn't exist without them. They're pre-filled when you create the book, with their names and their photos: they're the ones who lean in, who hold, who promise. That's what makes this a gift the godmother or godfather can give while appearing in it themselves. If your situation is different (one godparent, two godmothers), you can freely adjust or remove them, and add a parent or older sibling in their place.

Yes — just not quite in the way you might imagine. For a baby, this is a keepsake book: the 0–2 year version is written to be read aloud by you, and it's you it will touch first. It preserves the memory of a day your child will have no recollection of — one they'll return to later with their name and their face on every page. For a later christening (3–5 or 6–8 years), the book becomes a preparation tool: the child sees each step in advance and arrives on the big day feeling calm and ready.

Both work, depending on the age. For a child of 3 and over, give it beforehand: reading it in the weeks leading up helps them picture each step and approach the day with confidence. For a baby, it's a keepsake — something to return to long after. On timing: the PDF version is ready within 24 hours of your order being approved, and the printed copy is delivered via express in 7 days (UK), or 10–15 working days on standard delivery.

Our express delivery takes 7 days within mainland UK — the safe option if you need the book by a specific date. Standard delivery takes 10 to 15 working days when there's no rush. In a real hurry? The digital version (PDF) is ready within 24 hours of your order being confirmed. For international deliveries, allow extra time depending on the destination. You'll receive a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships. Any questions? Drop us a line at hello@realbigstories.com.

The book is A4 landscape format (29.7 × 21 cm when closed) — perfect for reading together side by side or laying flat on a table. The standard version has 10 illustrated chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, coming to around 28 pages in total. The long version is nearly twice that, with 20 chapters and roughly 48 pages. Each chapter features a full-page illustration paired with text tailored to your child's age.

Printed on thick, premium matte paper. The hardcover is sturdy and the same high quality across all age ranges. The binding is sewn and glued to last — this is a book built to be read a hundred times, not to gather dust at the back of a drawer.

Yes — as long as your book hasn't gone to print yet, which is usually within the first few hours after ordering. Get in touch as quickly as possible at hello@realbigstories.com with your order number and the change you need (a misspelled name, a photo to swap, a character to adjust). Once printing has started, we're unable to make any further changes.

If something isn't right — a printing defect, a quality issue, or an illustration that doesn't look like your child — contact us as soon as possible after receiving your order at hello@realbigstories.com. We'll either reprint or give you a full refund, no questions asked. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we make it right.

Absolutely. Your photos are used solely to create your book. They are never shared, never used for anything else, and we'll delete them from our servers upon request. All our partners — payment, hosting, and printing — are fully GDPR compliant.