No one asked me if I wanted to be christened

Having or adopting a child is the most positive and life-affirming thing most of us ever do and joyous ceremonies to welcome children into the world and give them a name are a hallmark of human civilisation. The traditional way to do this in England over the last few centuries has been to have a “christening”. But what if you or your partner don’t believe in god or are unsure and want your child to have the freedom to make up their own minds when they’re older? One solution is to have a humanist naming ceremony.

Benvenuta (welcome) Ellis!

I conducted my first naming in a deconsecrated renaissance chapel in an old country mansion in the South of Italy. The parents were agnostic rather than humanist, but definitely wanted a ceremony that was free of the catholic ritual they had grown up with. It was a great day with lots of cake and prosecco in the most beautiful surroundings. But it had its serious side too as mum and dad recited a number of very personal commitments to their new child, witnessed by their family, friends and neighbours.

“A huge thank you to Doug for such a wonderful Naming ceremony for our daughter. It was funny, thoughtful, perfectly timed and most important thoroughly reflected who she is! Doug expertly guided us through the creation of the ceremony, letting us shape it how we wanted but with appropriate and thoughtful suggestions to make it a really special day. He was personable and professional and the perfect choice for our celebration.”

A beautiful venue can add to the sense of occasion

My role is to work with the parents or parent to help them shape the kind of ceremony they want in a venue of their choosing. I usually do this by having a face-to-face meeting lasting an hour or so, after which I write a service, which is then tailored to exactly meet the family’s needs by an exchange of emails. On the day it’s my job to lead the service, (which typically lasts fifteen minutes to half an hour) and make sure everything goes smoothly. After the service I provide a printed copy of the script and a naming certificate as mementoes of the day.

I charge a standard fee of £250, although if an exceptional amount of travelling is involved or the parents request a second meeting, I may charge additional time and travel expenses, but these will always be agreed in advance.

“We had a lovely naming ceremony for my daughter … it was as good as it was because of Doug. He was super professional, made the process simple, eased our nerves and delivered an amazing, heartwarming service. Everyone was commenting on how good he was. Thanks Doug!”