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. I guess I've always been a humanist, but only really recently 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 summer afternoon definitely planted the idea in my subconscious... fast forward (ahem) 20 years, and I just knew I'd found my new path... and, since then, I've never looked back! I only wish that I'd known about humanist naming ceremonies when my son was a baby - but I did get to do the naming ceremony for my granddaughter!

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 a family and hear about their hopes for the future – it is such a joy. 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.

""Alex made us feel so welcomed and really listened to our ideas on our little boys naming ceremony. The ceremony she performed was beautiful and moved everyone, a true welcome to the world for our little boy into our family. We will definitely ask her to do more ceremonies in the future!"

— Lauren, Rob and Mackenzie

“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

"Alex conducted the Welcoming Ceremony for our little boy. She was absolutely amazing, working closely with us to write a very personal ceremony that reflected our little boy and our family perfectly. She conducted the ceremony with flair and humour, and all of our guests commented how moving and special the ceremony was. She made our contribution easy and communicated with us throughout thoughtfully and made sure we always knew what she was doing and why. We wouldn't hesitate to use her again for future life events."

— Simon and Ben

“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...

£275

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.