The baby will usually have a pair of godparents. The true godparent of the child is the one in the same sex as the child being baptized. A couple will usually stand as godparents but if the baby is a girl, the lady witness is considered the genuine godparent. The godparent is supposed to take care of the child if something unfortunate happens to the parents of the child. There have been cases where the child grew up very much attached to the godparent in the true sense of the word.
During a baptismal ceremony, relatives and guests will be decked out in formal clothing. The focus of the ceremony will be the baby dressed in formal christening clothes. For a girl it will usually be a white lacy dress with intricate embroidery on the gown as well as in the matching bonnet. The baby will also be wearing a formal white baby shoes and socks. In some families, the christening outfit is kept carefully in storage to be used by the next baby to be baptized.