Naming Ceremonies
 Naming ceremonies
Your ceremony guide
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Naming Ceremonies
A Naming Ceremony is a very special way to enhance your celebrations to welcome a new arrival to your family. Your own personally designed ceremony presented by our experienced celebrants will make the occasion really a day to remember.
A Naming Ceremony is:
- A way of welcoming a child into the family
- An opportunity to announce the names chosen for the child
- An occasion for parents to make promises of commitment to their child
- Friends and relatives can pledge a special relationship with the child
- An opportunity for grand parents to play their part in the ceremony.
All our children are special and each has their own individual identity. Each also has a need to be part of a group of loving and supportive people to nurture their growth and development. Our ceremony is the opportunity for this to take place as the child is introduced and welcomed into your group.
Our celebrants will provide, with your help, a ceremony of both welcome and support for your child. The ceremony is the opportunity for adults, led by parents, to pledge their support in being part of the 'growing up' and the intention of making a significant contribution to the child's life - to help them to fulfil their dreams, hopes and aspirations.
Things you should know about our Naming Ceremonies:
- A ceremony can be held at any time after the child's birth registration - though ceremonies are not just for babies but for children of any age.
- The ceremony will last about 20 minutes - a little longer or a little less depending on your choices.
- To design your unique and personal occasion we will arrange an appointment for you to meet a celebrant. We will then build around the particular choices you select to make a special ceremony for your special child.
- We offer ceremonies on most days at most times, though in our experience lunchtime or early afternoon are favourites as we generally have lots of little people in attendance!
 You will receive a special certificate commemorating the ceremony. There is a choice of certificate styles and you may purchase extra certificates for a small fee - they make a lovely momento of the day.
- The ceremony has no legal status, the commemorative certificate cannot be used for identity purposes and the names used for the child must be those shown on the birth certificate.
- A parent of the child, or anyone with parental responsibility or legal guardianship of the child can make the arrangements to hold a welcome ceremony
- Fees range from £75 to £150 depending on date and place.
- For those who wish to include religious content in a welcome ceremony should contact their religious community. Our celebrants present ceremonies that are totally secular.
Your ceremony guide
Led by one of our experienced celebrants and built around the choices you make we hope we will be part of a memorable day welcoming your child into your family.
At the heart of the ceremony will be your commitment to the child. You will have chosen others to be responsible for establishing a special relationship to encourage growth into adulthood in a supportive, stable and loving environment. They too will be central to the ceremony as they pledge their support. You can choose who- ever you wish - siblings, grandparents, friends as well as parents. We have a selection of pledges - or write your own for the occasion.
As an introduction to the family we ask you to give a name to the child in the section of the ceremony dealing with names and individuality. You have opportunity for us to explain, if you wish, both the reasons for your choice (if any) and the meaning of the names.
We will always encourage you to make some choices and get others (or yourselves) involved in part of the ceremony. We have a collection of readings as well as pledges and you can have music and take photographs and video. Some choose to give gifts as part of the welcome celebration and of course there is the special certificate signing.
Venues
Details of venues available for hire
Contact us
Contact us now to make arrangements for this unique and special additional opportunity for your celebrations.
Email: registeroffice@wandsworth.gov.uk
Phone: 020 8871 6121
Fax: 020 8871 8100 |
