As a celebrant, naming ceremonies are just the best!
Lots of celebrants won’t conduct them. Yes, nerves of steel and oodles of patience are definitely an advantage but Naming ceremonies are immense fun.
Most families who approach me aren’t religious in the traditional sense, so they want an informal yet meaningful alternative to a church christening so a Naming Ceremony is the perfect choice.
I was delighted to be asked to write and conduct the Baby Naming & Blessing Ceremony for beautiful Enna. Enna is a bubbly, curious, and thoroughly delightful toddler, who loves making animal noises, books and her big sisters Barbie dolls (even though she knows she isn’t allowed to touch them!). Her mummy and daddy wanted the atmosphere to be relaxed yet fun. Whilst the ceremony was formally bestowing and blessing Enna with her name: Enna, Mary, Jones, the ceremony itself was definitely not formal! You can see from the pictures that there was a lot of laughter and smiles.
Enna and her family entered to the “Queen” classic “Don’t Stop Me Now”, very appropriate for our little live-wire as once she gets going there is definitely no stopping her! We started the service with mummy and daddy lighting Enna’s Naming Day candle. After the service, once it had cooled it was placed in Enna’s “Memory Box”. The Memory Box is an important part of the ceremony for in it we placed a copy of the ceremony script, daddy’s and mummy’s promises, the Guideparents promises, gifts from her big sister Eva as well as a poem she had written especially for her little sister.
Eva was my beautiful assistant for the ceremony and she played her part fabulously! We finished the ceremony with a “bubble ritual”. It was such a fun part of the ceremony, and everyone, young and old was given a bottle of bubbles. Once open they made a wish and then blew the wishes into the bubbles as they filled the air around little Enna. She loved it! As did we all.
Adrienne x
Waiting for our little VIP and guest of honour to arrive
Enna excitedly chasing her bubble wishes
Enna’s Guideparent showing her a “bubble wish”
Everyone having “bubble-fun” and making wishes for Enna