A baptism video in Corfu keeps the hour your child receives a name, a godparent and a place in the family's faith. The service is short and most of its moments happen only once, so it helps to know them before the day, and to have someone filming who knows where to stand.

This guide is written for families coming from abroad: Greek families of the diaspora bringing a child home to be baptised in the village church, and international families where half the guests have never seen an Orthodox service. I film christenings with the same calm, story-first approach I bring to my wedding films in Corfu.

The moments of a Greek Orthodox baptism worth filming

Before the service

The film starts before anyone reaches the church: the baby being dressed, grandparents fussing, the godparent arriving with the baptism set of white clothes, towels, soap and olive oil. At the church the font is decorated and filled with warm water, and the tall candle, the lambada, is tied with ribbons. These quiet details give the film its opening.

At the church door

The service begins near the entrance. The priest reads prayers over the child, and the godparent (nonós for a godfather, noná for a godmother) speaks on the child's behalf: turning to the west to renounce evil, then to the east, and reciting the Creed. It is the godparent's moment as much as the child's, and it often happens while guests are still finding their places.

The font and the oil

The priest blesses the water and then the oil. He anoints the child, and then the godparent covers the baby's whole body in olive oil with their hands. It is slippery, tender and usually a little funny. Then come the three immersions in the font and the moment the name is said aloud, often for the first time in public. In many families the children run to tell the parents the name, so be ready for some crying, and not only from the baby.

The godparent and the white clothes

After the font, the godparent receives the baby in a white sheet, one of the ladopana, the cloths that soak up the oil. Then comes the anointing with holy myrrh and the dressing in new white clothes, usually with a small cross on a chain. The godparent carries the child around the font three times with the lit candles while the hymn is sung. A small cutting of hair follows, and often the child's first communion.

The end of the service

At the end the godparent hands the child back to the parents, and in many families the parents kiss the godparent's hand. Then the guests come forward with wishes, and na sas zisei ("may they live long for you") is the phrase you will hear over and over. As people leave they receive their martyrika: small favours pinned to their clothes that mark everyone present as a witness.

Customs change from family to family and village to village, so I always ask what yours are before the day.

The font, before anyone arrives.

Filming respectfully in church

A christening is a sacrament first and a shoot second. What I hold to:

I speak to the priest before the service and ask where I may stand. I never stand in front of the central doors of the icon screen or step into the sanctuary.
No lights and no flash. I work with what the church gives me: window light and candles.
I move during hymns, not during prayers, and my camera makes no sound.
Nobody repeats a moment for the camera. If I miss an angle, I miss it.
The baby comes first. If the baby needs a feed or a pause, the film waits.
With the priest's approval, I place a small audio recorder near the font, because the chanting and the godparent's voice are half of the memory.

Guests who would rather not be filmed only need to tell me.

Planning a christening in Corfu from abroad

The church and the priest. Book the church first, then ask the parish which documents they need and what they ask of the godparent, especially if the godparent lives abroad. Requirements differ, so confirm them with the parish priest.
Registration. Whether the baptism or the name also needs to be registered in Greece or in your home country is a question for the parish and your consulate.
The hour. In summer, a late-afternoon service is cooler for the baby, and the light through the church windows is softer. Spring and autumn mornings work beautifully too.
Mixed guests. A short note with the invitation explaining the service helps guests who have never attended one.
The videographer. In summer, christening dates compete with weddings, so book early. My guide on how to choose a wedding videographer in Corfu applies to baptisms too, and if a wedding is also on your horizon, read about the Greek Orthodox wedding in Corfu.

Martyrika, ready for the guests.

How your baptism video in Corfu is delivered

Your film is delivered digitally, in HD or 4K, at the latest within 6 months. Every project is backed up twice, on a 100 TB NAS and in the cloud. We agree on the length and style before the day, so the film works for relatives who could not travel and for the child, years from now.

Baptism footage is never shown publicly without the parents' written approval. That is in my booking terms. It is also why you won't find a christening film embedded on this page, and why the photos here show details rather than faces.

When your child is older, this is the film they will ask to see. It should show them who held them, who sang and who cried.

Updated: 8 November 2026

Your child's baptism video in Corfu, moment by moment