What I Do
copyright T Williams 2015
As a parent, step-parent, godparent and grandparent I know each child is unique. The ceremony you use to name a child and to present them to friends and family should be equally unique.
Humanism is non-religious (not anti-religious) and has no fixed rules or dogma – beyond the desire that each of us should try to make the most of life and try to benefit other people and the world while we’re at it.
This means that there is no set format for a naming ceremony. Each has to be constructed from scratch to reflect the child, their family and their circumstance. And, as in anything involving children, the ceremony needs to be flexible, responsive to last minute changes (including nappy changes), and not too long.
I’m more than happy to discuss your thoughts by email or phone before you decide if you want to proceed.
The process starts with a family visit to discuss the key elements of the ceremony – and terminology (“supporting adult”, “oddparent” or “spareparent” for example). You may want particular family or friends to be part of the ceremony. You may want to mark the event in a special way (which can range from lighting a candle to planting a tree).
Based on this meeting I will draft a ceremony for you. This draft will probably go backwards and forwards between us a few times until we have created the ideal celebration for you.
On the day of the ceremony I will arrive in plenty of time, with scripts for each participant printed on card in a large, friendly font. We’ll check that everything is ready and everyone knows what they are doing.
I will host the ceremony and ensure all goes to plan, children and other events permitting.
Afterwards you will get a presentation copy of the ceremony to mark the event. Some people also like certificates for supporting adults/oddparents/spareparents which I am happy to provide.
For this service I charge £280.
