Planning your special day
A naming ceremony is a special family occasion. Grandparents, immediate family members and close friends normally love being invited to play part on this very special day. The ceremony can be as big as or as intimate as you want it to be.
Choose your venue
The next step of planning a naming ceremony is to decide whether you want your naming ceremony to be held at a venue or at a registration office. Make sure your chosen venue can accommodate the number of people you have invited.
Browse approved venuesCreate your guest list
Choose a date and book the ceremony
It's important to have a date in mind when booking your venue. We recommend that you have a few preferred dates which will make the booking of your ceremony with us and your chosen venue much easier.
If you want a personalised ceremony, you need to book your ceremony more than 8 weeks in advance.
Choose your venue
Send the invitations
Now that you know who who you want to invite, the date for your ceremony and the venue, you can send the invitations. Make sure you include a deadline for the RSVP on the invites.
Contact us to bookChoose a date and book the ceremony
Choose the supporting adults
The role of the supporting adults, also known as "guideparents", is to offer support for the child.
Supporting adults are typically close friends who share the same values as the parents, promising to provide support for the child in times of difficulty, as well as being a caring and loving influence to the family. Supporting adults for a naming ceremony are the equivalent of godparents for a religious christening ceremony.
Send the invitations
Consider personalising your naming ceremony
A bespoke ceremony gives you the freedom to personalise your naming ceremony and make it truly your own.
Here are a few suggestions on how you can personalise your naming ceremony:
Choose the supporting adults
A naming ceremony is a very special way of celebrating the birth of a child, or welcoming adopted or step-children into the family. The event can be shared with family and friends, or held privately without guests if preferred.
The ceremony is delivered by our registrars who work as local authority celebrants for the purpose of naming ceremonies.
A naming ceremony has no legal status. Naming ceremonies and any documents or certificates issued as part of the ceremony hold no legal status and cannot be used to establish any legal rights.
Naming ceremonies are a special way to celebrate the love you have for your children, especially if you are not religious and a Christening is not an option.
Let your children know how loved and special they are. Allow your closest friends and family to become a part of your children's life.
Adopted children feel special to have a day dedicated to them and their arrival in the newly formed family.
Some families choose a non-religious ceremony because they want the focus to be on the child, not on religious readings.
A ceremony can be arranged for a child or children of any age. The parent, a person with parental responsibility or the legal guardian of a child or children can organise a ceremony. The purpose of the ceremony is to encourage family well-being and provides parents with another choice from other traditional religious ceremonies.
There is no need for parents to be married.
You can choose what to include in your naming ceremony. The outline below allows you to see which parts are optional and can be personalised based on your personal choices.
We welcome you and your guests.
This is the perfect time to mention someone special who you wish was there for the occasion; usually someone who would have been a great role model for the child.
This is the first reading which may include a personalised message from a parent or a special guest. It is an optional part of the ceremony.
The celebrant or parents announces the name of the child.
The parents' promises to the child can include a poem of your choice and can be read by the parent or the celebrant.
Some parents choose to give promises to each other. Parents can choose to write their own promises or choose from two standard promises. This is an optional part of the naming ceremony.
Some parents and guests choose to give a gift to the child. This is optional.
We can offer a range of our most popular promises for you to choose from. We suggest that you choose at least two options.
Grandparents can decide to write their own or choose from a range of popular choices we can supply.
This is a wonderful opportunity to include more friends and family members. It is an optional part of the ceremony.
The parents, supporting adults and celebrant sign a commemorative certificate to act as a reminder of this special day.
This is the end of the ceremony. You can include any directions you wish the celebrant to give to your guests for after the ceremony.
You and your guests are allowed to take pictures.
The ceremony can be used for any number of children and for children of any age.
Yes, absolutely! The naming ceremony can be adjusted for single parents and for adopted children.
The number of supporting adults can be between three and six.
You can personalise your naming ceremony by personalising the parents' and supporters' promises. In addition, you can choose a poem or a song of your choice to be included during the ceremony.
Yes, you can organise a standard ceremony. To organise a bespoke ceremony, you need to contact us more than 8 weeks in advance.
It is always best to plan your ceremony as far in advance as possible and contact us as soon as you can.
Yes, a naming ceremony is not just for babies; children of any age can have a naming ceremony and you may wish to include your older children in the ceremony. There is no additional cost for adding children from the same immediate family.
Yes, in the same way that you can for all children within the immediate family, at no additional cost.
Yes this is possible, with a reduction fee available. There is a discount of up to 25% from each of the parties total cost.
Yes, but we can only deliver a naming ceremony in a location within East Riding of Yorkshire.
Personalising your naming ceremony means that you can choose what to be included, such as personalised promises, reading of any poems and integrating your favourite songs.
The celebrant will work closely with you to discuss the options that are available to you.
A naming ceremony lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the readings that have been chosen.
Yes, a commemorative certificate is signed during the ceremony. You may also purchase additional certificates, such as the supporting adults' promises and the grandparents' promises. These can be purchased from our main office in Beverley.
No. The ceremony includes the signing of a commemorative certificate by the parents and the chosen supporting adults. The certificate is then presented to the parents to commemorate this very special event. A simple personalised script of the ceremony is also presented.
Naming ceremonies are non-religious ceremonies. They are also not officiated by a priest or member of the clergy but by a celebrant. A Christening, on the other hand, is about the beginning of a journey of 'faith'. It is a religious ceremony and it's conducted in line with the Church of England practices.
A naming ceremony is a non-religious ceremony and any religious or spiritual references are not allowed.
The fee for a naming ceremony will depend on the venue chosen and the day of the week.
Naming ceremonies in a registration office
Approved venues in the East Riding of Yorkshire
You can pay by credit or debit card over the phone or by appointment at one of our registration offices using credit or debit card, or cheque. Unfortunately we cannot accept cash payments.
Yes, £50 deposit is paid at the time of booking the ceremony.
There is a £25 administration fee if the date or time of the ceremony has to be rearranged.
If you cancel more than a month in advance - the deposit you have paid is retained.
If you cancel within the month - 50% of the fee you have paid is retained.
If you cancel within 72 hours - the full fee you have paid is retained.
There is no additional cost for adding children from the same immediate family.
You can decide to have a joint naming ceremony with another family member, for example your sister and her child. There is a discount of up to 25% from each of the parties total cost.
You can buy extra certificates for £11 per certificate.
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