A humanist naming ceremony is a special occasion! It’s a non-religious celebration to welcome a new child into the family and community. To help you organise the perfect day, here’s a handy checklist:
1. Decide on the Basics
- Choose a date and time: Choose a date that works for your family and close friends, it could be a summers day when you know lots of your family will be available or you could choose to have the ceremony on your child’s first birthday. When selecting your date and time, consider:
- Weather: If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, think about the time of year and potential weather conditions, you can never be certain about the weather but if you’re going for an autumnal naming ceremony it’s a good idea to have a warm indoor space available.
- Food: Will the time of day affect catering needs e.g., a lunchtime ceremony might require snacks but an evening ceremony may lead into a dinner.
- Children: If very young children will be attending, consider nap times and the need to keep the ceremony relatively short and not too late.
- Where will the venue be?: Select a location for the ceremony. This could be your home, a garden, a community hall, or any other welcoming space. Humanist naming ceremonies can happen anywhere that suits you and your family! When choosing your venue, consider:
- Accessibility: Is the venue easily accessible for all your guests? Are there stairs or narrow doors which might be difficult for someone with limited mobility?
- Indoor/Outdoor Options: If weather is a concern, does the venue offer both indoor and outdoor spaces?
- Capacity: Is the venue large enough to comfortably accommodate your guest list? Or, if you are having a small gathering, does it feel intimate enough?
Facilities: Does the venue have adequate facilities, such as seating, bathrooms, and catering areas?
2. Choose your naming celebrant
- Find a Celebrant: Humanist Ceremonies celebrants are trained to a high standard by Humanists UK, these celebrants specialise in creating personal and meaningful naming ceremonies. You can find a celebrant near you on the Humanist Ceremonies map.
Chat with Your Celebrant: Humanist Ceremonies celebrants are professionals who work closely with families, learning their stories and finding out what their values are . Your celebrant will help you plan the structure and content of the ceremony, working with you, offering guidance and support to create a heartfelt and unique event. Learn more about what a humanist celebrant does.
3. Plan the ceremony content
- Readings: You can include reading at your child’s naming ceremony, maybe a meaningful quote or a part of a children’s book that holds meaning to you and your family. If you are lost for ideas your celebrant will have suggestions for poems, quotes, or readings that might resonate with your family.
- Promises: During the ceremony, parents often share promises to their child and wishes for their future, and so too can the guideparents, and other family members. Your celebrant can share ideas about how this can work.
- Symbolic Gestures: Consider including a symbolic act, such as:
- Tree planting
- Candle lighting
- Sand blending
- Music: Choose music that you’d like played during the ceremony.
Click here for poems for a humanist naming
4. Appoint guideparents
- You can, if you choose, select guideparents (or supporting adults) who will play a special role in your child’s life. Ask them if they would like this responsibility.
- These individuals make a commitment to be a meaningful part of the child’s upbringing, offering love, guidance, and support.
- During the ceremony, guideparents may make promises or share readings, adding a personal touch to the celebration.
Find out what a guide parent is.
5. Prepare the details
- Invitations: Design and send out invitations to your guests, make sure it includes the date and time.
- Order of Service: You could create an order of service to help guide your guests through the ceremony.
- Decorations: Arrange any decorations for your venue, bunting and having the name of the child on show can be good choices for a naming ceremony but it’s up to you to design the space in a way that suits your family.
- Photography: Especially if lots of family and friends are coming together is can be a good idea to arrange for someone to take photos of the ceremony. Remember, photos should capture the warmth and joy of the occasion.
- Refreshments: Plan any refreshments for during the naming or plan celebrations for after the ceremony.
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Final checks
- Finalise the Script: Your celebrant will share a draft script with you, for your comments and amends making sure it’s exactly as you would like.
- Confirm Details with Venue: Double-check all the arrangements with your venue.
- Delegate Tasks: Ask family or friends to help with specific tasks on the day.
Remember, your humanist naming ceremony is a unique celebration to celebrate your child joining the family. Personalise it to reflect your family’s values and create a memorable and special occasion!
Read more about humanist naming ceremonies
What is a humanist naming ceremony?
What happens at a humanist naming ceremony?
If you’re thinking about having a naming ceremony to welcome a child or young person to your family, find a celebrant here.
