Welcome them to the world — properly.
A naming ceremony is your chance to formally welcome a baby or child into your family and your community — no christening, no religion, just your people, your words, and a wean who has absolutely no idea they're the star of the show. I write every one from scratch, the same way I write a wedding: your story, your family, your daft nicknames, told properly.
No forms. No rules. All heart.
A naming ceremony has no legal status, which means — just like a vow renewal — it has no forms, no notice periods and no rules about what it has to look like. That's entirely the point. We can hold it wherever suits — your living room, a community hall, a favourite beer garden, a venue you already love — and shape it however your family does things: a big family lunch with fifty guests, or a quiet afternoon with the people who matter most.
What actually happens
Every ceremony I write is different, but the shape tends to hold: I welcome everyone and tell your child's story so far — how they came to be, the pregnancy, the arrival, and whatever wee personality has already shown up in the first months. Then it's Mum and Dad's turn (or however your family is made up) to make their own promises to their child, out loud, in front of everyone who came. Humanist ceremonies are non-religious, so there's no godparents — instead we have guide parents: the aunties, uncles, best pals and cousins your family has chosen to have a special, lifelong role in your child's life, and who make their own commitment to that during the ceremony. We finish by formally giving your child their name, signing a keepsake naming certificate while everyone has a drink and a blether, and raising a toast to their future.
Every story is different
Some of my favourite naming days come full circle. Not long after I wrote and conducted Scott and Rachael's wedding, I got the joy of coming back to welcome their son into the world too — same family, same daft sense of humour, a whole new chapter. Whether it's a first baby, a family adding a guide parent for an older child, or a ceremony postponed until grandparents could travel, I take the time to get your family's story right — including the bits only you would think to mention.
Where and when
Anywhere in Scotland, and far more flexible on timing than a wedding — there's no legal scheduling involved, so we can move quickly if you'd like the ceremony while your baby is still tiny, or wait until it suits everyone's diaries. My charges for a naming ceremony are agreed individually with each family, since every ceremony is a different size and shape — get in touch and I'll come back to you with a straightforward quote, no hard sell.