H&H Baby Namings - Real Ceremonies

H&H Baby Namings - Naming and Welcoming Ceremonies in Gloucestershire & Bristol

Examples of Real Ceremonies

There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ naming ceremony; every family’s situation and desires are so different. To give you a flavour of our work, here are a few details of ceremonies we’ve taken recently.

Saul’s naming was held on his first birthday in the dramatic setting of Clevedon Pier with about 30 members of close family and friends packing into the pagoda. Saul’s youngest cousin, a 4-year-old, presented him with a specially drawn picture. Four of Saul’s other cousins, aged from five and twelve, each read a short poem or letter they had written for him.

Sebastian’s naming was a great family occasion with about twenty guests joining his parents at the celebration of his arrival at Bristol Zoo. We gathered under a gazebo near the prairie dog enclosure and the formal ceremony was followed by a picnic and a trip round the animals. Two guideparents were appointed, one of whom had come up from Glastonbury for the event!

Sisters Iris and Hetty shared a beautiful naming ceremony in a marquee at their grandparents’ house. Two close friends and an uncle were appointed as guideparents and presented with certificates to mark their commitment. Their dad then gave a short speech about his his hopes for the girls. After the ceremony there was a barbecue and drinks and a bouncy castle for the little ones!

Freya’s ceremony was held in the garden of her grandparents’ house and was timed to be a joint celebration along with her first birthday. Three guideparents were appointed – each of them for particular personal qualities Freya’s parents feel she will benefit from. The ceremony ended with Euna’s brother playing some music on his guitar.

Bertie’s parents have different faith perspectives and decided to welcome him in a way that was consistent with their individual belief systems. His naming ceremony took place the same weekend as his Baptism with the vicar was among the guests. Bertie’s parents wrote their own affirmations for him but his big brother Thomas was the real star of the show: he ‘read’ two lines from a favourite book of his – “There’s a House Inside My Mummy” - that had been shared with him many times during his mum’s pregnancy.

Ava and Ines’s naming was extra-special as it was not just to welcome the girls to the world, but also to celebrate their formal adoption which was approved just days beforehand. Their parents also used the occasion to thank the many people who had supported them through the long and arduous process of adopting. Both grandmothers gave readings; one a poem specifically about parents’ love of their adopted child, and one in acknowledgment of the girls’ Russian origins.

Euna’s naming was held when she was just 11 weeks old. The weather was beautiful and so the ceremony was held in the gardens of the hotel her parents had booked for the event. At the end of the ceremony some of the youngest guests helped to hand round bottles of bubbles which were then enthusiastically blown to mark Euna’s entrance to the world!