Hi, I'm Alex

Image of Alex Collis

Welcome to my Humanists UK profile. My name is Alex and I trained as a funeral celebrant in 2019, as a wedding celebrant in 2020, and in 2022 as a naming celebrant. Previously, my background was in community work, especially the area of food poverty and food justice.

I guess I've always been a humanist, but only really started to put a name to what I believe after attending my sister's wedding. It was just so them, and the loveliest, most relaxed wedding I'd ever been to! It was several years before I took the plunge and trained as a celebrant, but that day definitely planted the idea in my subconscious... fast forward ten years, and I just knew I'd found my new path... and, since then, I've never looked back!

A friend asked me recently what made me want to become a celebrant. It’s very simple really – I love to tell stories. Being able to sit with parents and hear about how their hopes for the future of their family – it is such a huge privilege. I learn something from every story I tell, and each ceremony is different.

Welcoming a child into the world, and into your family, is a special occasion - and and a milestone that deserves to be celebrated! Families come in all shapes and sizes, and that is one of the best things about being a naming celebrant. I've also helped plan adoption ceremonies, ceremonies to mark the blending of two families, and ceremonies to celebrate name changes or gender transition.

Humanist naming ceremonies show who you are as a family. They tell your story, and you can personalise them to your heart's content. You can hold them wherever you want - from your back garden to the local village hall, and from a fancy hotel to the local park. You can also include readings, music, stories, and any symbolic gestures that are important to you. You might want to include guide-parents or guardians, and have them speak promises to your child. You may also want to make your own promises as the parent or parents. Whatever you want your naming day to be, I am here to support you in putting together the perfect ceremony for you and your family. Humanist naming ceremonies are so inclusive and creative - both things that I love!

Five Star Reviews

“If you don’t want a religious ceremony to celebrate your baby then I would 100% recommend a naming ceremony – and definitely Alex to conduct this! She was amazing!! She got to know us as a family, which made the ceremony so personal.” ~ Jess and Lewis, Athena’s naming ceremony, July 2023

"We would highly recommend Alex for a naming day/ celebration. Alex listened to what we wanted to achieve and how we wanted the day to feel, she done an excellent job and it was exactly how we imagined. She was able to organise a very special but laid back day which is what we were hoping for. All our guests commented on how nice the ceremony was and how it reflected us as a family. Alex was very helpful throughout the organising process and gave us lots of ideas, she answered any questions we had quickly. Alex is an amazing celebrant and we would not hesitate to use her service again."

— Nikki, Mike and Phoebe

“If you don’t want a religious ceremony to celebrate your baby then I would 100% recommend a naming ceremony – and definitely Alex to conduct this! She was amazing!! She got to know us as a family, which made the ceremony so personal.”

— Jess, Lewis and Athena

"We had Alex for our sons Naming Ceremony in March. We had the most fantastic day, Alex was able to capture Vinnie and our family so well in her reading. She really brought our ‘family life’ to light for all our friends and family. We had people continuously saying how wonderful and different the day was. We wouldn’t change it for the world. Alex made sure everyone was included and captured the day in our own words. It was a day to remember."

— Katie, Mark and Vinnie

“Alex was the celebrant for our daughter’s naming day. From the first contact by email we felt that Alex was the right fit for us and this was confirmed when we met in person. Alex is personable as well as professional. She talked us through the all options and helped us create a very personal, and special day for our family. We are so happy we chose to have a Humanist ceremony to welcome our daughter into the family.”

— Paula, Adam and Hazel

Image of Alex Collis

Alex Collis

Where I work

I am Cambridge based but have conducted namings all across East Anglia and beyond. I'm always happy to travel for ceremonies

Fees from...

£250

How to contact me
Email

alex@alexcolliscelebrant.co.uk

Phone

07587 297657

Website

www.alexcolliscelebrant.co.uk

HUMANIST CEREMONIES™ is the network of more than 550 celebrants, trained by national charity Humanists UK to a gold standard to provide memorable and meaningful humanist ceremonies to non-religious people. Operating throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, we deliver authentic, tailor-made and heartfelt ceremonies for life’s key moments. They are always inclusive and welcoming, regardless of the beliefs of those attending.

You can trust Humanist Ceremonies celebrants: We are DBS-checked, fully insured, and regularly peer reviewed for quality assurance. We are committed to a code of conduct, and have a transparent and robust complaints process in the rare case of a problem. We all pay a monthly fee to Humanists UK to further support the work of the charity, and are part of a regional network for like-minded celebrants for support and learning.

Humanist naming ceremonies

A humanist naming ceremony is a joyous event, and the perfect opportunity to gather friends and family to welcome your child into the world, with no reference to religion. It focuses on the child, their future and the circle of love and support around them, offering a sincere and personal alternative to a christening or other religious ceremony.