Civil Naming Ceremonies

Your Unique Ceremony
Specially written ceremonies are available containing choices to make your naming ceremony unique with special meaning to your family.
You will be able to choose promises to the child, promises to your partner, supporting adult promises to the child, include grandparents in the ceremony and even refer to absent guests.
You may choose from a selection of poems and readings to enhance the ceremony and can present your child with a special gift to mark the occasion.
A souvenir record of the ceremony will be signed and presented during the event.

Venues
Venues that hold current fire and safety regulations and public liability insurance will be deemed suitable to hold a naming ceremony. Please note however, that private homes are not considered suitable. A list of Approved Premises which are licensed for civil marriages are excellent locations for naming ceremonies as these premises are experienced at holding such events. If you are unsure of the suitability of a particular location please contact one of the Register Offices.

Other ceremony choices
The naming ceremonies offered are secular and do not contain religious references.
Parents who wish to have a religious ceremony should contact their local church or religious community.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Neither the naming ceremony nor any other document issued following the ceremony has any legal status.

Please note
The birth must be registered and birth certificate must be produced when booking the ceremony.

When families are celebrating the birth of a new baby, they often feel the need for a special occasion to gather together their closest family and friends.

One way that this can be done is by holding a naming ceremony, designed to meet the individual needs of the family. This event provides a dignified and formal opportunity to:

• Welcome the child into the family and wider community.
• Announce the names that have been chosen, and maybe give the reasons behind the choice. 
• Make promises of commitment to nurture and support the child into adult life. 
• Choose other adults prepared to promise a special supportive relationship to the child.       

Reflect on the miracle of birth and recognise that children are society’s hope for the future.

Ceremonies can also be used to celebrate adoptive children and step-children into a new relationship and form part of the family bonding with an extended family unit.