Baby Naming Ceremony 

Baby Naming Ceremony, unlike a wedding, is a social ceremony and not a legal one. You don't have to be a legally appointed Civil Marriage Celebrant to perform Naming Ceremonies. But it is a skill, and you can acquire it by undertaking a Naming Course. You will learn about rituals generally, and be provided with sample ceremonies to help you create and develop your own unique ceremonies. 

Cost varies from trainer to trainer but is usually less than $200 for a three hour course taken either face to face or as a distance education course.

Naming Ceremonies

Although the Naming Ceremony is based on the Christian ritual or baptism, the ritual is as old as human existence. Every community has a ceremony to welcome a new child into the world, to give that child recognition, and to celebrate the birth of new life.

It also reminds us that a child is not only the concern of the parents who brought him/her into the world, but that to bring out the best in a child, it becomes the responsibility of all those interested in the child's welfare. Children learn by watching and imitating those around them. By appointing special people to be the child's mentors, they become the child's specific role model.

The ceremony can include music and song, personal family histories, poetry, prose, symbolism, wishes and “blessings”, and all sorts of rituals meaningful to the background of the child. Involved in the ceremony are not only parents and Godparents, but grandparents, siblings, uncles and aunts, as well as cousins of the child. And incidentally, while we speak of Naming ceremonies for babies, they are also suitable for the older child or even adult.

To commemorate the event, and after the ceremony is completed, the celebrant issues certificates to the parents, the godparents and the grandparents as a record.

Naming ceremonies are not just for non-churchgoers. Many people from various cultures, and especially mixed religions, believe a child should choose their value system only when they are of an age and maturity capable of doing so.

The best celebrants personally prepare each service, writing a special introduction, giving information about the child’s name, incorporating customs from the the family’s cultural background, providing resources and advice, and carefully consulting parents in the creation of a memorable and meaningful ceremony. 

Fees varies from Celebrant to Celebrant - some as high as $600 within a reasonable distance, and extra for longer distances time/travel.