Why do it?

This ceremony is a fulfilling and meaningful experience for all concerned. It is an occasion where a new birth is celebrated and a child is welcomed into the world. Family relationships are deepened and parents become more fully aware of their responsibilities. So, too, do the grandparents and godparents/guardians/mentors.

The naming ceremony is an excellent occasion for the cultural expression of joy, hope and acceptance. Many Christians do not believe in infant baptism, so choose this cultural celebration and leave the child free to choose or not to choose baptism later in their lives. In fact all naming ceremonies are done or performed on this principle.

The ceremony can have a legal significance

The ceremony does have some legal significance: a naming certificate signed by five witnesses ( i.e. celebrant, parents and mentors) would be accepted by the courts as sufficient evidence to rectify a ‘non-record of birth’ situation or to rectify a wrongful entry in the records. No birth certificate is required to be produced to have a naming ceremony.

Personalisation of the ceremony

Every aspect of the naming ceremony can be personalized to suit your personal situation. The ceremony must reflect you as a parent (one or two), your style, your feelings, aims, dreams and wishes for your child. The introduction, the prose, poetry, verse, music, lyrics and/or choreography reflects your wishes for your child as well as who you are and those who will impact the life of your child. To achieve this, we spend time together to ensure all aspects of the ceremony are covered.  It is a fun process and can incorporate many different rituals.

Naming ceremonies cost $350, and are tailored to suit your wishes, there is no age limit and they can even be included as part of the wedding ceremony if you wish. I encourage you to include your family and friends, which helps to make the ceremony more intimate and beautiful.  Anything goes - and I have a fantastic naming manual that you can use as a guide.

Choice of ceremonial venue

Most often naming ceremonies are held in or around the home, a meaningful expression of nurturing, love and togetherness. As small children are often present in the form of siblings, cousins or friends of the family, the family home is often the safest, most practical and convenient place to have a ceremony, although local child-friendly parks and gardens are also suitable.  Check your local council website for more information on parks and gardens.

Ceremonial style / choice

Informality is usually the order of the day. Saturday or Sunday morning or early afternoon ceremony followed by lunch or refreshments is very often the choice.

What next?

So you have decided to have a name giving ceremony for your child. What’s the next step? Make contact with me and lock your intended time into my diary. Don’t forget Saturdays are prime time!

We will need to meet to discuss the type and format of the ceremony of your choice. I have a booklet of inclusions for ceremonies for you to read to give you a starting point. It includes readings, poems, prayers, standard paragraphs etc. that you can mix and match to create your own unique ceremony. Remember to take into account participants and delegate readings to mentors or grandparents. You may also wish to incorporate a candle-lighting ceremony, or crystal ceremony, have a bubble machine going in the background. I will ask you to think of appropriate music to include or any cultural aspects to consider because every aspect is important if it is meaningful to you - my job is simply to facilitate your requirements.

For couples enquiring from overseas and mainland Australia

The procedure prior to the ceremony will probably need to be modified slightly.

• Initial enquiry is usually by email or phone.
• Payment of non-refundable deposit is essential so I can secure your date and time.
• On receipt of your deposit, I will email a package of information to you in Microsoft Word format OR post it to you via express post.
• We can then email or mail ceremony drafts until you are happy.
• We’ll need to meet a day or two prior to your ceremony for any last minute discussion that may be required.
• Payment of the remainder of my fee will need to be paid prior to your ceremony.

Your payment includes:

• Complete choice of ceremony.
• Loan of the publication “Master Naming Ceremony Planner”.
• Godparent / Guardian / Mentor participatory choices.
• Grandparent / Great Grandparent participatory choices.
• Unlimited access to me regarding ceremonial matters.
• A presentation / commemorative copy of the ceremony.
• Namegiving certificate presented.
• Appreciation certificates for ceremonial participants.
• Arrival at ceremony 30 minutes before scheduled starting time.
• A guarantee that I will not rush away immediately the ceremony concludes.
• A guarantee of my total familiarity with your ceremony and also that my part will be read with total interest and sincerity.
• I will dress to suit the occasion (I will dress thematically if desired.)

Payment is calculated as follows:

• A non-refundable booking fee of $100 on booking, or at our first meeting.
• A balance of $250 payable on or before the day.