A naming ceremony is a meaningful and non-religious way to welcome a child into the world, celebrate their arrival, and surround them with love and support from family and friends. Unlike a christening, a humanist naming ceremony is a non-religious, inclusive event that can be fully personalised to reflect your values. If you’re considering planning a naming day for your child, this step-by-step guide will help you create a truly meaningful and memorable celebration.
Organising a naming ceremony
Step 1: Choose a Date and Location
The first step in planning a naming ceremony is selecting a date and location that works for you and your loved ones. Humanist naming ceremonies can take place anywhere – you can hold the ceremony at home, in a garden, at a community hall, or in a park, anywhere that feels special and meaningful to your family.
Naming ceremonies can take place anytime of the year and families often combine the ceremony with the child’s first birthday.
Step 2: Find a Naming Celebrant Near You
A celebrant plays a key role in making your ceremony unique and meaningful. Humanist Ceremonies naming celebrants are highly trained and accredited by Humanists UK to create heartfelt naming ceremonies.
Your celebrant will work with you to craft a bespoke script, incorporating elements that reflect your family’s personality and wishes. Your celebrant can guide you through the process, ensuring the ceremony flows smoothly and includes all the meaningful aspects you would like. When selecting a celebrant, look for someone who understands your vision and can help bring it to life in a warm and engaging way. You can find naming celebrants local to you by using the find a celebrant map.
Step 3: Personalise Your Naming Ceremony
One of the key benefits of a humanist naming ceremony is the ability to personalise every aspect. Here are some personalised naming ideas to consider:
- Special readings or poems Choose meaningful words that reflect your hopes for your child.
- Symbolic gestures Light a candle, plant a tree, or create a memory book with messages from guests.
- Parental and guideparent promises Instead of godparents, humanist ceremonies often include ‘guideparents’ who make promises of love and support. Guideparents play a special role in a child’s life, offering guidance, encouragement, and care as they grow.
Find out more about the role of guideparents in our helpful guide
- Music and songs Pick a special song to play during or after the ceremony.
- Symbolic rituals Consider including symbolic elements such as a sand ceremony, a handfasting ritual, or a water blessing to mark the occasion in a unique and meaningful way.
Step 4: Write Your Child’s Story and Make Parental Promises
Take the opportunity to share a bit about your child, their personality and the things that you enjoy about them, share the story behind your child’s name — why you chose it and what it means to you. These personal touches make the ceremony even more special. As parents, you can also make your own promises, pledging to love, support, and nurture your child throughout their life. These commitments can be spoken aloud as part of the ceremony, making it a heartfelt and significant moment.
Step 5: Plan the Order of Events
A typical humanist naming ceremony includes:
- Welcome and introductions
- Why you chose this type of ceremony
- The story of your child’s name and parental promises
- Readings, poems, or music
- Guideparent promises
- Symbolic gestures or rituals
- Closing words and celebration
Your celebrant will be able to share lots of ideas about the order of the day and elements you can include to make the perfect ceremony but, off course, the final shape and content of the day is up to you,
Step 6: Invite Friends and Family
Create invitations that reflect the tone of your event. Whether you opt for digital invites, printed cards, or maybe some rustic hand-made invitations, be sure to include all the key details, not forgetting the date, time, and location!
Step 7: Celebrate with a Reception
After the naming ceremony, you can celebrate with food, drinks, and socialising with your friends and family. Whether it’s a relaxed garden gathering or a formal sit-down meal, this is a chance to enjoy the moment with your loved ones.
Why Choose a Humanist Naming Ceremony?
Humanist naming ceremonies are all about love and inclusion.
If you would like to plan a naming day that isn’t a religious ceremony, working with a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant ensures that your child’s welcome into the world is authentic and led by a celebrant that shares a non-religious approach. Working together you’ll be able to create a . a naming ceremony as unique as your little one is.
If you’re looking for a celebrant to guide you through the process and help craft the perfect naming ceremony, explore our map of humanist naming celebrants near you!
Planning a naming ceremony is a truly special experience. Working with a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant you can create a personalised, heartfelt event that is inclusive to all who attend. Start planning your personalised naming ceremony.
