Giving a gift within a Naming ceremony can hold a lot of meaning. It may be something that can be kept as a memento of the day or it may be something which has been passed down the family and represent the connections a child has to family and heritage. A gift may also hold a deeper meaning. This is an extract from a naming ceremony I conducted in which the gift was a special feather. A gift of a feather was given to the child by her older sibling. "It is said that there are two things that we can give our children, roots and wings and this feather is a symbol of these things. Roots - not to tie you to the ground but to guide you to where fulfilment can be found, a nourishing start and a firm foundation. Wings - to soar over obstacles, to fly free and glide the heights of the best you can be and to return you home." Surely the wish we would like for every child.
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Bringing family and friends together is a wonderful way to introduce your new child to the wider community in which they will grow and thrive. The ideal way to do this, if you do not wish to have a religious ceremony, is to have a naming ceremony. There are a number of reasons why you might choose a Celebrant led ceremony. The naming of a child establishes their individuality. Within a Naming ceremony parents dedicate themselves to the upbringing of their child and make promises regarding their future hopes. There is also an opportunity for other adults to make promises of special concern for the welfare of the child as they mature into adulthood. For family and friends who witness the ceremony it is a time to reflect on the part they may play in the child's life in the future. If you would like more information about naming ceremonies please get in touch. A couple’s ceremony is the general term which includes Weddings, Renewal of Vows and Commitment ceremonies. Creating a romantic atmosphere will enhance your ceremony but how can this be achieved ? If you are outdoors try to define the space, you can do this in a number of ways including creating a walkway marked with flags, lanterns, or flowers to lead your guests to the ceremony area. Ensure that the space your ceremony will take place in is clearly visible to everyone and that seating is available. Ribbons which flutter in the wind, tea lights in jars hanging from branches or a flower arch are fairly simple to construct and can look stunning. A couple’s ceremony is the general term which includes Weddings, Renewal of Vows and Commitment ceremonies. Creating a romantic atmosphere will enhance your ceremony but how can this be achieved? Set the mood As guests enter the space your will be using for your ceremony think about what they will see, hear and smell. Flowers and balloons can add to the visual impact, whilst a carefully chosen sound track can add to the mood. If you are going to use the same room all day then consider how you can change the mood as the day progresses by changing the level of lighting. Writing a letter can be a little daunting. We are all so used to firing off a text or email that when faced with a blank sheet of paper on which to express our love we freeze. Exchanging love letters during a couple’s ceremony can enhance your ceremony. They can be read together at a point in the future and each time you read them they will remind you of your special day. Here are my top five tips on how to write a love letter.
Here are my top tips for writing the vows for your ceremony
Within a ceremony you can make promises and vows or just a promise or just a vow. There is often a little confusion about what is a vow/promise because people talk of vows and promises as the same thing, indeed vows often start with the phrase “I promise”. Personally, I always think that the wording of vows reflect the more formal declarations being made and are usually made when giving or receiving rings. Promises on the other hand are much more personal and are more reflective of you as a couple and your hopes and dreams for the future. Promises can often be written in the form of a letter. Here are a few ideas you might like to think about when you start to write your promises Don’t forget to say “I love you” Talk about the fact you plan to always be there for your partner Add some personal promises which are unique to you such as promising to
When writing your promises avoid using words like “always” and “never” as no one is perfect so it is hard to promise perfection – what you are promising is to be the very best you can be. Don’t worry about being too cheesy. If what you say is heartfelt then nothing is too cheesy. It is okay to say something to make your partner laugh. It is always hard to start with a blank piece of paper so here are a couple of questions to ask yourself before you begin How long should the promises be? Discuss this with your partner and agree on a word count. I would suggest no more than 200 words. Will you share inside jokes or would you rather keep things more generic? Again best to discuss this before you start writing Will your promises lean more to the humorous side or sentimental? Or be a mixture of both? From personal experience I think a mixture of both works well, that way you can achieve a good balance and avoid being too “mushy” or too “jokey” . Will we keep our promises secret and only share them on the day with our partner ? Lots of couples like to do this but remember to send a copy of your promise to your Celebrant. This means that on the day they will have a copy of your words should you forget them. It also means that your Celebrant can ensure that the promises are of a similar length and tone. Please feel free to contact me if you need any further advice. You can hold a Naming ceremony anywhere, your home, a local hall, outside or anywhere that can accommodate the number of your friends and family you wish to invite. The difference between a Naming ceremony and a Christening is how the child is welcomed. In a Naming ceremony a child is welcomed into their circle of family and friends and their wider community. In a Baptism the child is welcomed into a faith. These two things are not mutually exclusive and you may wish to hold both for your child. I am often asked what is the purpose of a Naming ceremony - especially since everyone already knows the name that has been given to a child. To answer this question we need to look at the purpose of a Naming ceremony. The purpose of a Naming ceremony is for friends and family to witness the promises which are being made to the child for their future health and well being. These promises are made by the parent or parents and other people may also make promises to the child to be there to support them in the future. |
AuthorChoosing a Celebrant to help you create that special ceremony is an important step towards making your occasion a really memorable one. Why not take advantage of the free initial meeting I offer ? I believe it is important to meet informally to discuss your ideas and what I can offer. Meeting also gives us an opportunity to explore the type of ceremony that would best suit your needs. Archives
October 2023
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