This ceremony gives parents and the wider family the opportunity to celebrate the birth of a child and welcome the new arrival into the family. It is an alternative to a baptism or other religious ceremony. The ceremonies do not contain any religious references.
It is also an ideal way of uniting all your family members, for instance adoptive or step-children, by welcoming them into their new extended family. This ceremony can also be for older children or for all the children in that family. Any parent can arrange a ceremony, whether married or not.
Register office staff will help to arrange the ceremony.
The ceremony includes:
- a welcoming of the child into the family
- an announcement of the chosen names
- promises of commitment and support for the child into adult life
- the choice of other adults and/or grandparents, prepared to offer a supporting role to the parents
A selection of poems or readings may also be included in the ceremony. A souvenir record of the ceremony will be signed and presented during the event.
Arranging a ceremony
Please contact the register office to buy a ceremony pack for £70. Please fill in the details and return to us. Naming ceremonies are available at the register office and any other approved venue (word).
Deposit and cancellations
A deposit is payable at the time of booking for a baby naming ceremony. If you attend the appointment, the deposit will be used towards payment for the service. The full fee for the ceremony must be paid six weeks before the date of the ceremony. If you need to cancel or make changes to your ceremony, your fee may be retained and an additional fee may be applied. For more details please see our ceremony cancellation and amendments policy.