Ceremony and ritual is all about honouring and acknowledging relationships, especially at times of transition and transformation – not just beginnings and endings – but at moments of development and change.
A Namegiving Ceremony is a way to celebrate a child’s life in a meaningful and special way – it honours the journey the whole family undergoes and the range of emotions and the spiritual intensity that children bring into our lives.
With a Naming ceremony we create a personal and unique ceremony that celebrates your family, your community and your child. In the ceremony I acknowledge the journey and transformation that has taken place for you both as a couple and your family. I talk about what family and parenthood means for you. I also acknowledge the special people around you – godparents, grandparents etc- your community – and of course, celebrate your child, its personality and uniqueness, their name and then formally name your child with family and friends as witness.
In the ceremony you can create layers of richness and I can give you ideas and guidance about the various rituals/readings/music that you may like to include in the ceremony depending on what suits you and make sense and feel right for you. Some creative ways to celebrate your child can include using bubbles, creating an artwork, origami, planting a tree, and anointing with oil.
Like with the wedding ceremony, I do an introductory meeting with the family to get a bit of a brief from you about what you want for the ceremony. I also give you a questionnaire to complete too to get more detailed information about your thoughts, feelings, family history and child. Also included in the service is a nice bound copy of the ceremony, a naming certificate and your child’s details are also recorded in my naming Register.