Rev. Jan Yeo - Naming Ceremonies

Blessing and Naming Ceremonies

A naming ceremony is a beautiful way to welcome your child into the world whilst having him/her named and blessed.

Perhaps you and your partner are of different faiths and want to incorporate elements of both into the ceremony; perhaps you don’t go to church and so feel uncomfortable having your child christened; or maybe you’d rather have a spiritual than a religious emphasis. Each of these will result in a very different but equally beautiful ceremony.

As a celebrant for naming ceremonies and baby blessings I’ll work with you to create a service that not only reflects your beliefs but also your life style and vision of family life.

This means that your ceremony will be unique.

If you have an older child who hasn’t been christened it’s not too late to have a naming ceremony. Or you may want to have a ceremony that blesses and names a sibling at the same time as the new baby. Some people prefer the term naming ceremony; others like baby blessing. The ceremonies are the same.

The Content of the Ceremony

When we have a child we don’t usually stop to think about kind of parent we want to be, the support we’d like to receive or the values we’d like to instil in our child. Creating a naming ceremony/baby blessing gives you the opportunity to reflect on these in a calm, supportive environment so that you are able to parent in a more conscious way.

You can then include these in the content of your ceremony. This is the structure that many people use but it’s only a guide:

The naming and blessing of the child
The honouring of the Godparents/spiritual guardians if you have them
The parents’ commitment to the child
Prayers for the parents and child
Blessing of the family

You can have traditional or contemporary wording; it can be overtly spiritual or very discreet. I can show you a selection of poetry, prayers and music to help you decide on a style you feel comfortable with. Guests don’t have to sit in neat rows or in chairs. They can be sitting or standing, it can be formal or informal.

There are many lovely ideas that can be incorporated into the ceremony such as planting a tree, lighting candles and releasing balloons – all of them symbolic. One blessing, which is a traditional African one, uses lemon and honey to symbolise life’s experiences and wine to symbolise the joy that is wished for the child.

Creating the Ceremony

The creation of the ceremony is a combination of your ideas and my expertise.

First of all I’ll meet you as a family so that I can get to know you and your child and you can decide if I’m the right minister for you.
We’ll then get together to talk about your vision of family life and the type of ceremony you’d like to have.
When I’ve gathered all the information I need I’ll go away and write the first draft of the ceremony which I’ll amend until you feel entirely happy.

Where to hold your Naming Ceremony/Baby Blessing

You can have the ceremony anywhere you choose.

Unlike a wedding, a naming ceremony/baby blessing is not legally binding and so you don’t have to use a registered venue. You can have the ceremony in your home, a garden or a hotel.

Listen to me Speaking

Excerpt from The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran (Click here to listen)

Receive a Sample Ceremony