Kaushik BathiaPhotography

Christening and Naming Ceremony Photographer in Bedfordshire

Christenings, baptisms and naming ceremonies in Bedfordshire churches, homes and halls, checked date by date because the county sits at the edge of the usual christening range.

★★★★★ Rated 4.8 from 580+ reviews

Call 07956 505383 WhatsApp us Enquire

The short answer

Do you photograph christenings in Bedfordshire?

Bedfordshire sits beyond the usual 20-mile christening range, from about 20 miles at Luton and Dunstable to about 37 at Bedford, so each date is checked first by phone or WhatsApp on 07956 505383. Where a date can be covered, the ceremony is photographed quietly within your vicar or priest's guidance, followed by the family groups and the gathering. The price comes on request, with travel from Northwood set out in your written quote.

Our usual session area is within about 20 miles of the studio. Further out in Bedfordshire, sessions are by arrangement, with travel quoted in writing before you book.

Google reviews

What clients say

4.8 from 580+ Google reviews

…On the day, he was there on time and took lots of photographs of all close families and friends, as and when requested and also walking around the venue at different times. The photo taken were ready within the week. The quality in terms of focus, brightness and clarity was amazing. Kaushik knew how to get all party guests to smile in group photos and also capture those natural moments. Great job!

Nimesh S., Google review, 2018

Kaushikbhai is an incredible photographer, fantastic 'after event' care and top bloke. I've only known Kaushik for 5 years - and in that short space of time, I can't even begin to count the number of events of ours that he's photographed.

Vim C., Google review, 2017

Highly professional and took very nice pictures of our family, most impressed. Will surely be coming back in the future. Thank you

Hitesh P., Google review, 2022

Read all the reviews on Google

Parish churches

Fonts, naves and spires: christenings in Bedfordshire's old churches

Several of the county's parish churches are centuries old, and their architecture shapes how a christening is photographed. In Dunstable, the Priory Church of St Peter was founded in about 1132 by Henry I for Augustinian canons, and the church used today is only the nave of the much larger priory church. A long nave means the family can be seated some way from the door, so the arrival and the walk to the font are worth planning.

All Saints in Houghton Regis is a Grade I listed 14th-century church built on the site of an earlier Saxon church mentioned in the Domesday Book. All Saints in Leighton Buzzard dates from the late 13th century, with a west tower and broach spire built around 1290, and was restored after a major fire in 1985. In Flitwick, the church of St Peter and St Paul on Church Road has late 12th-century origins and walls of coursed ironstone and cobblestones, which make a warm, textured background for groups outside.

Whatever the church, the plan is the same: arrive early, look at where the font sits and where the light falls, and agree with you where the godparents will stand before the service begins.

Parents lying on the studio floor with their baby between them

Before the day

Ask the vicar or priest about photography first

Every church sets its own guidance on photography during a service. Some are happy for the whole baptism to be photographed from a respectful distance, some ask that no pictures are taken during certain prayers, and some prefer the key moments to be recreated at the font once the service is over. Ask your vicar or priest when you book the christening, and pass on what they say.

Kaushik works within whatever the church allows. During the ceremony he stays close enough to follow it without getting in anyone's way, watching for the looks between parents, godparents and the baby rather than staging every frame.

If the christening is part of a regular Sunday service, the church may also have other families present. It helps to know that in advance, so the group photographs afterwards can be arranged without holding anyone up.

Every tradition

Baptisms, naming ceremonies, a namkaran or an aqiqah

A Bedfordshire baby can just as well be welcomed somewhere other than a font. Non-religious naming days take place at home, in a hired hall or a restaurant, and are photographed in the same quiet way, with the readings, the promises from the chosen adults and the family groups afterwards.

A Hindu naming ceremony, the namkaran, can be held at home or at a mandir, with a priest leading the rituals and close family gathered round. An aqiqah, the Islamic celebration of a new baby, is commonly marked with a shared meal for family and friends. In Luton, the 2021 census counted 41,143 residents of Pakistani heritage and 20,630 of Bangladeshi heritage, so a family gathering for an aqiqah can be a large one. For either, tell us the order of the day and any guidance from your priest, imam or elders, and we plan around it.

First communions are covered too, with portraits of the child in their outfit before or after the service. See christening photography for how each of these is approached.

Parents lying on the studio floor with their toddler between them

After the service

Group photographs outside and the family meal afterwards

Once the ceremony ends, the group photographs follow: parents, godparents, grandparents and the wider family. We agree the list with you in advance and organise the groups quickly, so nobody stands in the cold for long. In Dunstable, Priory Gardens surround the Priory Church and Priory House and include a medieval physic garden, which gives a green setting for groups close to the church door. In Houghton Regis, the 42-acre Houghton Hall Park is in the town centre if you would like a short walk for portraits of the baby with parents.

Then comes the meal, whether that is lunch at home, a table at a local restaurant or a hall hired for the afternoon. This is where the relaxed pictures come from: the baby passed between relatives, the cake being cut, the oldest and youngest generations side by side.

Let us know if anyone travelling from further away will be there only briefly, so their picture with the baby is taken while they are present.

Distance and alternatives

From Northwood to your church, or a studio portrait instead

Dunstable and Luton are about 20 miles from the Northwood studio, Houghton Regis about 21, Leighton Buzzard about 24, Flitwick about 28 and Bedford about 37. That puts the county beyond the usual 20-mile christening range, so each date is checked first by phone or WhatsApp before anything is planned. Where a date can be covered, the travel from Northwood to the church and on to the meal is quoted in writing before you book.

If you would rather not have a photographer at the service, a studio portrait in the christening outfit is a calm alternative. The studio is warm, the session moves at the baby's pace with time for feeds and cuddles, and grandparents can join. For a celebration that is more party than ceremony, our Bedfordshire event photography page covers birthdays and family gatherings, and the Bedfordshire photographer page lists every service in the county.

Newborn baby asleep along a parent's forearm

Planning

Planning around Bedfordshire

01

Church guidance first

Ask the vicar or priest what is allowed during the service. Coverage follows their guidance exactly, whichever Bedfordshire church you use.

02

Group list agreed early

Send the family groups you want, including godparents and grandparents, so they are photographed quickly after the service.

03

Gardens near the church

In Dunstable, Priory Gardens around the Priory Church give a green backdrop for groups a few steps from the door.

04

Naming days at home

Non-religious naming days, a namkaran or an aqiqah meal can be photographed at home or in a hired hall, once the date is checked.

05

Travel in writing

Travel from Northwood to your church and the meal afterwards is set out in the written quote you receive before booking.

Churches, landmarks and gathering places in Bedfordshire

Churches, gardens and landmarks around Bedfordshire that can frame the family groups on the day, with a source for each.

  • Wardown House, Museum & Gallery: Wardown House, Museum & Gallery is a Grade II listed building in Wardown Park that presents the rooms of an affluent Victorian household. 1
  • Priory Church of St Peter: The Priory Church of St Peter was founded in about 1132 by Henry I for Augustinian canons, and today's church is only the nave of the much larger priory church. 2
  • Priory House: Priory House is a Grade II* listed building in Priory Gardens with views of the Priory Church, described by the town council as one of Dunstable's oldest buildings. 3

Sources, facts checked October 2026

  1. Wardown House, Museum & Gallery - The Culture Trust Luton
  2. Dunstable Priory - Wikipedia
  3. Priory House - Dunstable Town Council

Town by town

Christenings across Bedfordshire, town by town

Bedfordshire towns and their distance from the Northwood studio, useful when you are planning a church service in one place and a meal in another.

Good to know

Christening photography in Bedfordshire: questions answered

Ask about the date first: Dunstable is about 20 miles from Northwood, beyond the usual christening range, so it is checked by phone or WhatsApp. If it can be covered, ask the vicar what is permitted during the service. The Priory Church of St Peter is today the nave of a much larger 12th-century priory church, and Priory Gardens around it suit the family groups.

Leighton Buzzard is about 24 miles from Northwood, beyond the usual 20-mile christening range, so check your date by phone or WhatsApp first. If it can be covered, the service at All Saints, the Grade I listed church with its 13th-century broach spire, is photographed within the church's own guidance, and travel is set out in your written quote.

Luton is about 20 miles from Northwood, beyond the usual christening range, so check your date by phone or WhatsApp first. If it can be covered, an aqiqah meal, a Hindu namkaran or a non-religious naming day can be photographed at home, at a hall or at a restaurant. Tell us the order of events and any guidance from your imam or priest, and we plan around it.

Yes, if you would like the gathering covered. The relaxed pictures can come from the meal: relatives holding the baby, the cake and the groups that were missed at church. Tell us the address and timings when you book.

Prices are given on request by phone or WhatsApp, depending on how long you would like covered and what you want to take home. Travel from Northwood to your church in Bedfordshire is added to your written quote.

Yes. A family portrait at the Northwood studio, with the baby in the christening outfit, is a calm alternative. It is about 20 miles from Luton and Dunstable and 37 from Bedford, and the session moves at the baby's pace.

Yes. First communions are photographed in the same quiet way as christenings, with portraits of the child before or after the service and the family groups outside the church.

Kaushik Bathia, FBIPP and FMPA, photographs every session personally and has done so from the Northwood studio since 2001, with five European Kodak Gold Awards along the way.

Christenings and naming days

Planning a christening in Bedfordshire?

Tell us the date, the church, home or hall, and roughly how many guests are coming. We will reply with what coverage would look like and a written quote that includes travel from Northwood.

No obligation. How we use your details

More in Bedfordshire

Other counties