You usually address a christening card either to the parents, to the baby, or to both together, depending on your relationship and the tone you want.

Who to address the card to

  • If you’re mainly close to the parents (friend, colleague, neighbour), it’s very common to address the card to them, e.g. “Dear Emma and James,” and then mention the baby in the message.
  • If you’re a godparent , close relative, or someone likely to be in the child’s life long‑term, you can address it to the baby , e.g. “To Olivia on your Christening Day”.
  • Many people happily do both : “To Emma, James and baby Olivia on your christening day”.

There’s no strict rule or etiquette “must”. It’s about who the message is really for right now (the parents will read it) and who it will mean something to later (the child, when they’re older).

Simple phrasing ideas

You can use any of these as a starting line:

  • “Dear [Mum’s name] and [Dad’s name],”
  • “To [Baby’s name] on your Christening Day,”
  • “To [Baby’s name] and family,”
  • “To [parents’ names] on [Baby’s name]’s christening,”

A nice middle‑ground example:

“To Sarah, Michael and baby Leo on your special christening day.”

Quick tip

If you’re unsure, address it to the parents and clearly name the baby in the message inside. That’s the safest, most common choice and still makes it a keepsake for the child later.