Naming & Welcoming Ceremonies

A Humanist Naming and Welcoming ceremony is a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of a baby and welcome them into their extended family.  It’s also a fantastic way to officially welcome an older child, or an adopted child, into your family too.

The ceremony can be held in any location, from the comfort of your own home, to a hotel or an outdoor location!

It’s a lovely chance to bring all friend and family together, and for Parents and Guide Parents (non-religious godparents) to make their formal commitments, and, of course, to have a formal naming for the child too.

My approach to Naming & Welcoming ceremonies:

I love to meet up with parents in advance (and any big brothers or sisters), and we’ll have a chat about loads of things – the pregnancy, how the wee one has settled into your family and any characteristics they have already developed.  It’s always nice to know why/how you chose their name, and also who you have chosen to be Guide Parents and why they were chosen.

We can go through symbolic gestures which can be incorporated into the ceremony such as candle-lighting, a sand ceremony, a balloon release, etc along with music and poetry or readings for the day, with the option of family members and/or friends being involved in these.  We’ll also discuss the wording of the pledges/promises that will be made.

Once I have the information, I will then draft a script and send it to you for approval, and we can then incorporate any changes or additions you would like to make.

What I love most about conducting Naming & Welcoming Ceremonies:

Above all, they’re fun!  You also learn to expect the unexpected, and we have to just go with the flow, as the actual timetable on the day will undoubtedly be set by your own little star of the show!

My advice to you:

Have a think about how formal or informal you’d like the ceremony to be, and who you want to be involved in your wee one’s special day.

Each ceremony is unique.  Imagine this day is a destination on a map – each family reaches this day travelling along a different route, with lots of different experiences along the way, making each ceremony individual with its own special stories and adventures.

If you have any questions, please just get in touch!

Check out some of the lovely cakes below for ideas for your wee one’s special day – some of the cakes are absolutely fab!