A warm welcome into the world

A Naming Ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate a new life or a new chapter. This could be for a baby or adopted child, formally welcoming them into the family and community. It could be for a blended family coming together or for someone changing their name and celebrating their identity.

In a Naming Ceremony, we honour the chosen name and acknowledge the love and support of family and friends. Unlike a religious christening or baptism, a Naming Ceremony is completely personalised and can involve whatever is important to you, ‘traditions, rituals, stories, songs, and readings. We will build the ceremony from scratch so that it reflects the individual and family.

A christening or baptism is a faith-led ceremony, typically involving religious rites and taking place in a place of worship. A Naming Ceremony can be completely non-religious or can include elements of faith, the content is completely personalised by you.

A Naming Ceremony can be held anywhere you like - at home, in a garden, or in a special venue. There’s no requirement to follow specific traditions or religious practices, and this makes it a very personalised and inclusive celebration.

Absolutely. Celebrants have no restrictions on the content they can include within a ceremony. This means if you have a faith and would like any religious, spiritual or cultural content included in your ceremony then we absolutely can. If this is you, let’s chat about this more to include the bits that are important to you in your day.

No, a Naming Ceremony does not have legal significance nor is it legally binding. The ceremony is a symbolic and celebratory event and does not replace the need to officially register a child’s birth or their name with the appropriate legal authorities.

Yes, you absolutely can – and it’s often one of my favourite parts of the ceremonies I deliver. Seeing the support network of family and friends get involved and share their love is very special.

For non-religious Naming Ceremonies, people often choose to refer to the role of a ‘Godparent’ instead as ‘Guide Parent’, ‘Mentor’ or ‘Special Guardian’.

Their role is similar in spirit to that of godparents but without religious connotations. These roles are chosen by the parents to play a special part in the child's life, providing guidance, support, and a positive influence as the child grows.

During the ceremony, Guide Parents often make promises or commitments, vowing to be there for the child, offering advice, giving friendship and being someone they can rely on.

The content and structure of the ceremony is personalised to you, but typically the following can be included in a Naming Ceremony:

• Welcome and Introduction
• Story of the individual, family and name
• Parent Promises
• Guide Parent Promises
• Moment of Naming
• Readings / Music
• Symbolic Rituals eg. Tree planting, candle lighting, handfasting, blessings or wishes
• Conclusion

I am based in Yorkshire and cover the North of England and beyond. I am happy to travel, so please do get in touch if you’re the ‘beyond’.

If you know you want to book me but are trying to work out how to make everything work within your budget, please don’t hesitate to reach out. There may be options for pricing plans or finding a way to make it work so please ask.

Absolutely, all of these elements are a lovely way to personalise the ceremony. We will build your ceremony from scratch so that it is completely yours and can include whatever is important to you. If you know you’d like these elements but would need inspiration or suggestions, I have plenty and we can find something that fits.

One of the biggest advantages of a celebrant led Naming Ceremony is the flexibility to hold your ceremony at any location meaningful to you. From outdoor locations to private homes.

Yes, this is a lovely way to personalise the ceremony. If you know you’d like these elements but would like inspiration or suggestions, I have plenty and we can find something that fits.

Each ceremony is completely personalised so it differs. Typically, a ceremony lasts somewhere between 20 and 45 minutes. If you have a specific length in mind, we can absolutely work to this when crafting the ceremony.

Absolutely! Symbolic rituals are a lovely way to personalise the ceremony and make it memorable. Naming ceremonies can often involve candle lighting, tree planting, sand ceremonies, and memory boxes - to name just a few options.

After the ceremony, I’ll give you a copy of the ceremony script as a keepsake. If you’d like certificates for parents and guide parents to sign during the ceremony this can absolutely be arranged and be a lovely element of the ceremony.

Yes, absolutely. We can create a joint ceremony for siblings and cousins, or even include children from different families. I will design a ceremony which creates unique moments for each child, whilst also including shared elements that bring everyone together.

Hidden costs are never fun and I aim to be very transparent about my pricing. If you have any questions, please don’t shy away from asking. Travel is included within a 40-mile radius of LS29 postcode and additional mileage is charged at 45 pence per mile. This is applied to any meetings, rehearsals and the ceremony itself though there is no obligation for face-to-face meetings and always the option for us to meet in the middle if this suits you best.

Any additional costs will be discussed before you commit to booking so there are no nasty surprises.