A gift for a godparent: the photo of them with the child

Q: What should I write on it?

The two first names and the year. It ages well and needs no explanation. A sentence ages badly, and a title like godmother or godfather can date if the family's vocabulary changes. Check the spelling of both names before ordering.

Q: Is this only for a religious christening?

No. Civil naming ceremonies and informal godparent arrangements are just as common, and the gift is the same: the photo of the two people it concerns. Nothing about the object is religious.

Q: When should I order for a christening?

Two weeks before. Printing to order takes 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US and up to 15 elsewhere, and a ceremony is a fixed date. If the good photo does not exist yet, take it at the ceremony and give the gift a month later — that version is often better received.

Q: Can I use a photo taken by the ceremony photographer?

Only with their permission. A professional photograph belongs to the photographer; buying prints does not include the right to reprint it. A photo taken by a family member on the day is fine.

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Published 20 September 2026 · about 5 min read

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The short answerGive the photo of them with the child: it is the relationship being marked, and the one photo nobody else would think to print. It does not need to be a posed portrait — the moment they are holding the baby, or the two of them a few years later, beats a studio shot. Write the two first names and the year, not a sentence, and check both spellings. A framed print for someone who will display it, a mug for someone who will use it every morning, ten postcards when the godparents and the grandparents all want one. Order two weeks before a christening or naming ceremony.

Godparent gifts are unusually hard, because the relationship is real but the occasion is formal. Most of what gets bought is either a keepsake nobody knows where to put, or something generic with the word "godmother" printed on it in a script font.

The photo solves it, because it says the same thing without saying it.

1. Which photo

The best one is almost never the tidiest one.

The moment of holding. The godparent with the baby in their arms, at the ceremony or at home. It is the image of the relationship itself.
The two of them, later. If the child is older, a photo of them together — on a beach, on a sofa, mid-laugh — is stronger than any picture from the christening.
Not a posed group. A twelve-person family photo reduces both of them to small faces. This gift is about two people.

Technically: use the original file from the camera roll, look for light coming from a window rather than from a ceiling, and check that the eyes are sharp before anything else. If the only good photo was taken by the ceremony photographer, ask before printing it — a professional photograph belongs to the photographer.

2. A gift for the godfather, a gift for the godmother: what works

A personalised godparent gift does not need to be complicated. Three objects do most of the work, all from the same photo:

A godparent photo frame with the christening photo, or the birth photo where they hold the baby for the first time — 21 × 29.7 cm (8.3 × 11.7 in) from $55.00, with 30 × 40 cm and 50 × 70 cm also available.
A mug — $23.00, the simplest personalised gift for a godfather who uses things rather than displays them.
A tote bag — $35.00, the godmother gift that leaves the house, and the least formal version.

What to write: the two first names and the date — "Lea & Tom, 14 June 2026". The ready-made themes in the editor place the text on the photo without any layout work, and the preview shows the result immediately.

Giving both at once: upload the photo once and you see it on the whole range. Two identical frames usually beat one shared object, because each godparent keeps their own photo with the child. And to ask someone to be a godparent before the christening, a postcard with the baby's photo and "Will you be my godmother?" on the front makes a request people keep — a pack of ten is $26.00. If the ceremony photo was taken on a phone and is a little soft, "Make the photo sharper (AI)" can often rescue it before printing.

3. What to write on it

Two first names and a year. That is genuinely the whole answer.

It ages well, it needs no explanation to a visitor, and it works whether the arrangement is a religious christening, a civil naming ceremony or an informal promise between friends. A full sentence ages badly. A title — godmother, godfather, marraine, padrino — can date if the family's vocabulary shifts, or read oddly in a household that does not use it.

Check both spellings with someone before ordering. Names are heard far more often than they are written, and a misspelt name on a gift like this is the one mistake that cannot be laughed off.

4. Which object

The godparent is…	What works	From
Someone who will put it on a wall or a shelf	A framed print, 21 × 29.7 cm (8.3 × 11.7 in) — delivered assembled and ready to hang	$55.00
Someone who lives with objects rather than displays them	A mug. Used every morning, which is more contact than a frame gets	$23.00
Both godparents, plus grandparents, plus an aunt	A pack of 10 postcards — everyone gets one, and it costs less than two frames	$26.00
Someone who carries things everywhere	A tote bag — the least formal version, and the one a younger godparent actually uses	$35.00

If you are buying for two godparents, two identical framed prints work better than one shared object: each of them has their own photo with the child.

5. When to order

Two weeks before a ceremony. Printing to order takes 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US and up to 15 elsewhere, and a christening is a fixed date.

But there is a better option worth considering: if the photo you want does not exist yet — because the good photo is the one from the ceremony — then take it on the day and give the gift a month later. It arrives when the cards have stopped coming, it uses the right photo, and it is remembered more than anything handed over in a queue of presents.

6. For a milestone later on

The same idea works for the anniversaries that follow: a first birthday, a first day at school, ten years on. A photo of the godparent with the child, taken each year, printed each year, is a small tradition that costs very little and is genuinely unusual.

A calendar built from photos across a year is the version of this for a godparent who sees the child often.

In short

The photo of the two of them, not a posed group.
Two first names and a year. Check the spellings.
Frame for display, mug for daily use, postcards when several people want one.
Two weeks before the ceremony — or a month after it, with the better photo.
A professional photograph needs the photographer's permission.

Before you order, the preview is computed in your own browser and nothing is transmitted; the print file goes to the printer at payment and is deleted after dispatch. Personalised items are exempt from the standard European right of withdrawal (Directive 2011/83/EU, article 16(c)), and anything that arrives damaged is reprinted at no charge.

Frequently asked questions

What should I give a godmother or a godfather?

A photo of them with the child, printed. It is the relationship being marked, and the one photo nobody else would think to print. A framed print to display, a mug to use.

Which photo works best?

Not a posed portrait. The moment the godparent is holding the baby, or the two of them a few years later — the photo that shows the relationship rather than the outfits.

What should I write on it?

The two first names and the year. A sentence ages badly, and a title can date. Check both spellings before ordering.

Is this only for a religious christening?

No. Civil naming ceremonies and informal arrangements are just as common, and the gift is the same. Nothing about the object is religious.

When should I order for a christening?

Two weeks before. Or, if the good photo is the one from the day itself, take it at the ceremony and give the gift a month later — that version is often better received.

Can I use a photo taken by the ceremony photographer?

Only with their permission: a professional photograph belongs to the photographer, and buying prints does not include the right to reprint. A family member's photo is fine.

How do I ask someone to be a godparent with a photo?

With a postcard: the baby's photo on the front, “Will you be my godfather?” or “my godmother?” written on it, and a handwritten note on the back. A pack of ten A6 postcards on 300 gsm uncoated card leaves enough to ask both godparents and keep some for the grandparents.

Can I order gifts for both godparents at once?

Yes. Upload the photo once and see it on every object, then add a frame, a mug or a tote for each of them to the same order. Shipping is included in the price shown. From 10 items 10% comes off and 15% from 25; frames do not count towards the discount.

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