Naming ceremony
Celebrate the arrival of your baby
Naming ceremonies are a unique and personal way of welcoming a child into the family and wider community for those who prefer a secular (non-religious) ceremony.
The Ceremony is designed to meet your individual needs and provide a formal opportunity to:
- Celebrate the arrival of a baby
- Welcome your child (children) into the family
- Announce the name(s) you have chosen and if appropriate explain the reasons behind the choice
- Make promises of commitment and support to your child
- Choose other adults to pledge their commitment to support your child
For more information please refer to our naming ceremony leaflet.
The venue
Your Naming Ceremony can take place at one of ‘Our Venues’ or at any Approved Marriage and Civil Partnership venue.
Book your ceremony or reschedule
Once you have chosen your venue you need to book a ceremony date and time. The online booking form is not linked to a diary system, therefore we will need to check the date and time you have requested is available before confirming your ceremony.
If you choose to make a booking for a ceremony you will need to book online. Bookings are not taken by telephone. Your booking will be confirmed in 5 days.
Ceremonies cannot be arranged in less than 12 weeks
The ceremony
When you have booked a celebrant we will provide you with our Naming Ceremony Guide which outlines the choices you need to make in advance of the ceremony.
If you wish to change the date, time or location of your ceremony you must request this in writing and pay a ceremony amendment fee.
If at this point you would like to meet a dedicated member of our ceremonies team to discuss all aspects of your marriage ceremony, you can learn more about our bespoke ceremony meetings here.
Your booking is confirmed when you have made final payment and returned your ceremony arrangement form 8 weeks prior to the ceremony.