A humanist naming ceremony gives you the chance to welcome a new member of your family exactly the way you want to. Be it to celebrate the arrival of a new baby, the culmination of a successful adoption, the blending of two families or the recognition of a new identity post-transition, a humanist ceremony allows you to choose how, when and where you want to mark your special occasion. You might decide to celebrate at home, in your garden, at a hotel or party venue; my most unusual setting so far is an independent cinema!

I work closely with families to develop a unique ceremony that suits your needs, offering a no-obligation first visit for you to make sure I’m the right person for the job. A second visit gives us the chance to talk more about what the ceremony means to you and what you want it to say, as well as finding out more about the child/individual at the heart of the event. I build a script around everything you have told me, which you can then change as needed to make sure it is exactly how you want it, and I will provide a presentation copy of that script on the day, as a keepsake. You can choose any or all elements of the ceremony yourself, from writing your own promises to a child, to incorporating a symbolic gesture such as a petal shower, but I am happy to advise on all these aspects and can give suggestions of promises, readings and gestures as required.

Parents often want to acknowledge the other people who will give love and support to a child/individual through their lives; grandparents may play a part in the ceremony, and often other people will be appointed specifically. The nice thing about a humanist naming is that you get to choose what their role will be called: it could be ‘guideparents’, ‘odd parents’, even ‘fairy godparents’! Whatever you call them, this can be a lovely way to include the people you want to be closely involved.

I will be at your venue well before the start of the ceremony, to help deal with any last minute arrangements, and can provide a naming certificate as a memento of the day, as well as keepsake certificates for the guideparents.

My fee for a ceremony is £275, with travel expenses at 45p/mile if I am travelling over 30 miles from my home in Skelmanthorpe. I ask for a £100 deposit to secure a date, with the balance due the week of the ceremony.

If you would like to find out more, please get in touch.