What is a Baby Naming Ceremony?
The purpose of a naming ceremony is for you, as parents, to state your commitment and love to your child, as well as any hopes for the future.
Naming ceremonies are happy, personal and relaxed occasions and are a perfect way to honour not only different traditions and beliefs, but members of your family and close friends too.
What happens at a baby naming ceremony?
Baby naming ceremonies typically last around 20 to 30 minutes.
Your Celebrant will welcome your guests and invite you and your child (or children) to stand in front of your guests.
You may also include ‘supporting adults’ who act as your child’s mentor or ‘god parents’.
Depending on the structure you have already planned with the celebrant, the ceremony will include a reading and a formal commitment to your child which includes a promise to love, nurture and support them. After the promise has been made, you can choose to have another reading, perhaps from the supporting adults.
Symbolic gestures, favourite poems and music all add to making the ceremony meaningful and memorable. Some parents like to include a section which explains why name was chosen and what it means.
The naming ceremony then finishes with the celebrant asking everyone involved in the ceremony to add their signature to the Record of Naming Certificate which is then presented to the parents.
Baby naming ceremonies are usually followed by a family party and cake!
It’s also nice to talk about Mum and Dad, share a little of their story and their hopes and aspirations for their bundle of joy.
There are many choices for the content of the ceremony, which can include:
Symbolic Gestures (such as candle lighting, memory box, message book, hand and foot print casting).
Parent’s promise
Guide Parent’s promise
Poetry and Readings
Involving other siblings
Signing a certificate as a keepsake of the day.
The great things is that Naming Ceremonies can take place anywhere! You can hold the celebration in your own home or garden, local village hall, social club or in a hotel.
There are really no constraints as we are happy to travel anywhere.
Get in touch to find out more
