How to Plan an Outdoor Naming Ceremony

I’ve been a celebrant for about three years now and specialise in naming ceremonies.

At the heart of every naming ceremony are the commitments that parents make to their children, but beyond these promises, families can choose to incorporate whatever elements feel right for them. Most families include readings, promises from guide parents (the equivalent of godparents) and often some kind of symbolic act, which creates a lovely moment of reflection or fun. Inspiration can be taken from all sorts of cultures and traditions – this summer I’ll be incorporating a Zhuazhou into a ceremony for the first time, which is a Chinese tradition where a baby chooses an object to show what their future career might be!

What I love most about my job is helping families and friends express their love for each other. I feel incredibly privileged to share in their personal stories and take great care with the way that this is conveyed, in every single script I write. This is especially true when the pathway to parenthood hasn’t been easy. This month I’ll be conducting a ceremony for a little girl that was born unexpectedly and struggled to survive. It will be a unique and memorable day for all of us.

Naming ceremonies strengthen the ties between family and friends, creating a sense of unity and security. But let’s be honest, they’re also a chance for a big old party! As restrictions are starting to lift, families are seeing them as an important way to reconnect, after the isolation of the last 18 months and celebrate the freedom that we’re lucky enough now to be able to enjoy. Some new babies haven’t had the chance to meet their wider circle of friends and family, so what better way to introduce your new family member than a naming ceremony.

If your children are older, don’t worry – you haven’t missed out. Naming ceremonies for siblings are wonderful and unity ceremonies work really well for blended families and older children. It doesn’t matter how your family is formed, whether it’s through birth, blending, adoption, surrogacy or donor conception; whether you’re gay, straight or somewhere in between, your story is wonderful and unique and deserves telling.

GREEN THEME
Keep your energy impact down by hosting your event outdoors. Under the shade of an apple tree, at the top of a hill with views all around – naming ceremonies can be held wherever your imagination takes you (even your own back garden!). This event (pictured) was held at Evenley Wood Garden – the most beautiful woodland setting, tucked away in rural Northamptonshire. Tipis are the perfect way to create a relaxed ceremony and reception space – decorate with trestle tables, benches and some local blooms and you’re sorted.

SUSTAINABLE CATERING
Keep it local and minimise your food miles by choosing seasonal, locally sourced food wherever you can. Lots of people are reducing the amount of meat they eat, so veggie and vegan options will be much appreciated. Think about buffet or grazing style catering to minimise food preparation and waste. Also ask your venue what options there are for donating any leftover food (even if it’s as simple as providing some take-home boxes for guests at the end of the day).

EMBRACING NATURE
The joy of a celebrant led ceremony is that your celebration truly reflects your family’s unique story. There are no rules, so surrounded as we were by beech trees and bluebells, we incorporated a flower ceremony into Jen and Ed’s celebration. Each member of the family added a flower to the vase, to symbolise togetherness and support.

LOCAL BLOOMS
As ever, opt for local and seasonal. There are lots of small, independent cut flower growers springing up around the UK, so check out national listings like Flowers from the Farm for your nearest supplier. The quality and freshness will blow you away.

UPCYCLED BABY CLOTHES
Special clothes don’t have to be new, just made with love and care. Clothes for our littlies came from Buttons for Beans. Cat makes all her kidswear from pre-loved fabrics – the romper is made from some leftover corduroy and the little blue dress is made from an old duvet – genius!.

DIY STYLING AND DECOR
Keep styling simple with greenery from the garden and locally grown cut flowers (see local blooms). Hire in tableware and decorations where you can, rather than buying and recycling. Paper lanterns and solar fairy lights look beautiful hung amongst the trees for an outdoor ceremony.

SUSTAINABLE STATIONERY
There are some brilliant digital and eco conscious options for invitations and on-the-day stationery (orders of service, place cards and so on). Look out for recycled paper and board products, natural inks and plastic free packaging. Our woodland inspired stationery was from Laura Likes. It’s made from seeded paper which can be planted after the event – poppies from paper – who knew.

NATURAL KEEPSAKES
There are lots of options for sustainable baby gifts. The most obvious choice is a carbon-combatting sapling to plant in the garden at home. I also love the concept behind From Babies with Love, which uses its profits to help orphaned and abandoned children around the world. For our Enchanted Wood ceremony, we chose pressed flower keepsakes from Pressed Meadow .

CAPTURING THE MOMENT
Our beautiful photos and video were taken by Mark Lord Photography and Oojamaflick. To find a local photographer/videographer that’s right for your special day, look out for folks with experience of family shoots (AKA working with children and animals!).

What happens at a naming ceremony? A humanist naming ceremony is totally unique to the child. As well as welcoming and naming your child, the ceremony can include readings, promises, the appointment of guideparents, the signing of a certificate, and symbolic gestures such as a sand-blending ceremony to symbolise the involvement of each guest in the child’s life.

I’d love a naming ceremony for my child but hate public speaking. Do I have to say anything? While most naming ceremonies involve parents making some kind of commitment or promise to their child, it’s not essential. It’s important for you to relax and enjoy the day. If you don’t like speaking in public, your celebrant can read promises and invite you to say, ‘I promise’.

We’d like to say why we chose our child’s name. Can we do this? Yes, and in fact that’s often a highlight of the occasion. There’s nearly always an interesting story about how the child’s name came to be chosen, and it can be lovely to recount this.

How can we involve guests in the ceremony? Your celebrant can suggest many ways of involving guests in activities as part of the celebration. Everything from tree-planting to wishing trees and time capsules. There are endless creative, engaging, inclusive activities.

Is there a non-religious version of the word ‘godparent’?

Yes, there are lots to choose from. The most popular alternative to ‘godparent’ is ‘guideparent’, but some families say ‘mentor’ or ‘guardian’. Other families go for a more light-hearted term like ‘sparent’ or ‘oddparent’! And, since it’s a term we all know and understand, others prefer to stick with the word ‘godparent’ whilst acknowledging that the religious aspect of the role isn’t relevant in these circumstances.

Find more info and your nearest celebrant at humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/find-a-celebrant

With thanks to Humanist Ceremonies

• Venue @evenleywoodgarden
  
• Event planner @fusioneventsweddings
  
• Celebrant @bluebellnamingceremonies
  
• Photographer @marklordphoto
  
• Videographer @oojamaflick
  
• Tipis @forestedgetipis
  
• Flower farm/florist @willowgreenflowerfarm
  
• Sustainable stationery @laura.likes
  
• Vegan cake @fannieannes
  
• Upcycled baby clothes @buttons_for_beans
  
• Pressed flower keepsakes @pressedmeadow
  
• Catering @spr.ead
  
• Styling @theluxedesigncompany
  

Anne is married with two children. She lives in North Oxfordshire. “I love bonfires in the back garden and windy, sunny days, especially on the beach at Southbourne with my family. I’m a late starter veggie and recently cooked my first aubergine. (Verdict: not bad!)”