Naming day help/ ideas please!

[LilySays]

Hi everyone,

We have decided to do a naming day/ first birthday party combo for our daughter.

However, I have spoken to the council. It looks like the cost of a naming ceremony is £500. I can’t really justify spending that for what is more of a non- offical ceremony.

We have hired out a hall with a big garden so were thinking doing homemade pizza with a bouncy castle, cake etc.

But how can I make it more of a naming day? We have decided not to do a Christening as we do not attend church but I would still like to do something with family/ friends there.

Any ideas?

You could hire a humanist celebrant to give the occasion more of a formal feel. I imagine it would only take 10/15 minutes, so I imagine the cost wouldn't be so high.

And this website might give you some ideas humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/our-celebrants/

Thank you! I’ll have a look.

Do you know someone who is good at speaking in public - a friend or relative? I have taken naming ceremonies when working at a hotel that offered them. I used to meet with the parents, discuss what they wanted and offer them a service that we had put together or they could write out there own. Instead of Godparents, they had supporters who promised to be there for the children and guide them as they grew up.

The Humanist website refers to 'Godparents' as 'Guideparents'. I think that works well.