What is a Naming Ceremony?
The time around a new arrival is so incredibly special, and any ceremony held to honour that time should feel the same; warm, considered, and completely shaped by your family.
A Naming Ceremony doesn't need to follow any particular religious tradition, though we can discuss any spiritual aspects you might like to include. Instead, it needs to reflect your values, your hopes for the future, and the people you want to stand beside your child as they grow.
Amongst other things, a Naming Ceremony with me can include:
- Formally welcoming your child and sharing the story behind their name
- Appointing guide-parents, godparents, or "guardians" — in whatever role suits your family, not necessarily a religious one
- Symbolic elements — planting something to grow alongside your child, lighting a candle, filling a keepsake box for the future
- Promises spoken by parents, or by the wider family and friends gathered
- Involving siblings, grandparents, and close friends directly in the ceremony.
How it works
A moment, not a performance
Naming ceremonies are often more intimate than weddings — a garden, a living room, a favourite outdoor spot — and I shape the ceremony to fit that scale. Small doesn't mean simple; it just means everyone in the room gets to feel close to what's happening.
[Enquire about a naming ceremony →]
Considering a Naming Ceremony?
If you're considering a Naming Ceremony but not sure where to start, get in touch. Our journey together will comprise the following:
- A first conversation in which we will talk about what matters most to you as a family, and what you're imagining for the ceremony. From there, there's no pressure to work together, and the decision is over to you.
- Once we've confirmed our work, we will shape the ceremony together. I'll help you decide what to include, from guardianship promises to symbolic touches, and write something that reflects what matters to you.
- Naming Ceremonies often involve family members speaking or taking part, so we can hold a short rehearsal beforehand if that would help everyone to feel more comfortable.
- The ceremony itself, held wherever and however feels right for you, as part of a day that is all about your family.
Naming ceremonies are often smaller and more intimate than weddings, taking place in a garden, local room or favourite outdoor space; but that doesn't mean they're any less special.
I will work with you to shape the ceremony in order to help everyone in the room feel close to and part of what is happening.
- A first conversation in which we will talk about what matters most to you as a family, and what you're imagining for the ceremony. From there, there's no pressure to work together, and the decision is over to you.
