Hi, I'm Melissa

Image of Melissa Cotter

I really enjoy being a Humanist Naming Celebrant in the North East, covering all of Teesside, County Durhaam and North Yorkshire. It is a real privilege to be able to support families in creating a unique ceremony to welcome their child to the world. Naming ceremonies are a celebration of the child who is at the heart of the day. All of the friends and family are welcomed and valued for the support they will provide to the child and the important roles that they will play in their life. Guide parents, carefully chosen by the parents, are asked to make promises to the child. Naming ceremonies are personal, recognising the child's interests and quirks as well as those of the parents sometimes. Favourite poems or readings can be included in the day. There are also a variety of rituals that can be included such as a jar of wishes, candle lighting, sand blending and more.

I particularly enjoy the creative aspect of naming ceremonies. There was even a time when children have accompanied me on Tom Tom's to celebrate the number of people called Tom in their family. I have held a naming ceremony in a park on a lovely day, in people's gardens, in clubs, in hotels. I have done double naming ceremonies for twins or for brothers or cousins. The amount of Guide parents can be large on these occasions. I've done a naming ceremony to welcome an adopted child to a family which was amazing, all the emotions! When people have experienced a naming ceremony, they usually say that they didn't know they could be like this and they would want one for their children. I believe that there is scope for the growth of naming ceremonies. Adults change their names for a variety of reasons and maybe they would like to celebrate that too.

If you're wanting a meaningful, engaging and upbeat naming ceremony, please give me a call. You are in safe hands with aa fully accredited humanist celebrant. We are authentic, regulated and fully insured.

Melissa was our celebrant for my child's naming ceremony. From the moment we first made contact she was friendly and showed genuine interest in my little girl and our lives. Over the next few months we had multiple calls and messages until Melissa had what she needed to put together a truly beautiful ceremony. Melissa put together the most lovely, thoughtful ceremony that was absolutely focussed on the true nature of my little one and celebrated our family exactly as I wanted. I truly couldn't have asked for anything better. A once in a lifetime experience that I will look back on with such fond, beautiful memory.

— Rachael Russell

Melissa was absolutely brilliant from start to finish. The script she wrote was lovely, emotional and funny (exactly what we wanted) and the communication from her was great.

— Chris and Claudia Norton

Image of Melissa Cotter

Melissa Cotter

Where I work

I work in the North East, covering Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire. I am willing to travel further afield and would consider most Northern locations. I would charge 45p per mile after the first 20 miles from my base in Yarm.

Fees from...

£250 for everything; including meetings, writing the script, ceremony on the day and beautiful presentation script

How to contact me
Email

mcotter45@gmail.com

Phone

07711 212174

Website

humanist.org.uk/melissacotter

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.