Hi, I'm Helen

Image of Helen Phillips

I’m a Humanist Celebrant, also known as Your Best Life Celebrant based in beautiful Yorkshire.

A Naming ceremony is a non-religious alternative to a traditional Christening which allows the celebration of new life in a special and significant way. Whilst this is often for babies or toddlers, a Naming celebration is also a way to celebrate any new beginning such as adoption, blending families or gender affirmation. They can also add as an alternative to 'coming of age' celebrations rooted in different cultures or faiths.

As a parent myself, I bring a lot of experience of children as well as a warm and relaxed approach so that everyone feels comfortable and at ease throughout the ceremony.

I am Your Best Life Celebrant as, as a Humanist, I believe this is our one and only life and we should therefore live it to the fullest. Life is really too short to let key moments and reasons to celebrate pass us by or to mark them inauthentically or half-heartedly. Celebrating new life or birth is a major life event and whether you want to choose to hire a venue or celebrate at home, I am here to bring a meaningful and heartfelt ceremony that creates beautiful memories for you and your family.

You may wish to appoint chosen people as Guideparents or Guardians in the ceremony (akin to Godparents) and this is one of my favourite parts of the ceremony as you are able to let these special people know why you love and value them so much, which is, in my opinion, not something we do often enough with our loved ones.

What you want to include in a Naming, as with all Humanist ceremonies, is really up to you and I will bring a host of ideas and suggestions to help you. You may wish to create a time capsule keepsake box with letters to open again in the future or create a memento by blending coloured sand or with fingerprint art. You may choose to have a communal singsong or a cake smash! Whatever it is that you want to do, I will be there as your Celebrant, supporting you and helping you create the best celebration for you and your family.

But don't just take my word for it! You can read a couple of testimonials at the bottom of this page but you can find loads more on my Google business page.

You can also find me on social media as Your Best Life Celebrant (Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok)

If you think I sound like I might be the best Celebrant for you then please get in touch via phone, email or DM to arrange a no-obligation Connection Call via Zoom.

"Helen made the whole service so personal without it being too much effort from us - which meant we could concentrate on other things for the day.

She even involved our eldest son too which he loved. The ceremony was perfect for everyone, the adults and the kids. I just love how relaxed Helen’s vibe is, and how little pressure there is to do “traditions” that may not work for you as a family. Genuinely would recommend Helen to anyone as a Humanist Naming Celebrant."

— Katie

After an initial meeting on a video call, Helen then came over to our house and spent time getting to know us and chatting through ideas for our baby's Naming Celebration over a cuppa. She is a very warm and open person, and we were thrilled with how the ceremony turned out. On the day she was fabulous, chatted with our guests and became part of the gang. Many of our guests commented, not only on how wonderful the ceremony was, but also on how lovely Helen is and that they felt like they already knew her! Thank you so much Helen, we hope to see you again in the future!

— Emma

I just wanted to say thank you again. We all had such a lovely time on Sunday and so many people commented on what a lovely little service it was for Bella and what a brilliant job you did. Thank you for helping me pull it all together and playing such a big part in Bella’s special day.

— Sophie

Image of Helen Phillips

Helen Phillips

Where I work

Yorkshire & the North of England

Fees from...

£275

Fluent in

French, Spanish

How to contact me
Email

helen.phillips@humanistceremonies.org.uk

Phone

07904 521466

Website

yourbestlifecelebrant.com/naming-ceremony

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.