Christine Haddrick

 

 

 

   A Baby Naming Ceremony ...is an individual and intimate ceremony to acknowledge your child with gratitude.

The ceremony is usually held in the home among family and friends and takes about 20-30 minutes.

The formal part of the celebration is an opportunity to express sentiments felt by parents which are woven into a simple ritual.

I am able to assist in designing and facilitating this ritual incorporating parent's values and interests.

When is a good time?
Whenever you would like to express love, gratitude and encouragement in a more formal setting.

A Naming Ceremony can be designed for any age..
in baby's first year, at the first birthday,

at the beginning of formal education, or,

as a "Recognition Ceremony" it could acknowledge achievements or a different ceremony could be designed to start secondary school.
 

But why a Celebrant? Most people feel that a Celebrant gives structure and creates a more important focus to a ceremony that parents would rather enjoy in the parent role rather than an organizing role. Celebrants are experienced in making a ceremony run smoothly and maintain interest through timing and variety within the ritual.

As a Celebrant I love facilitating Baby Naming Ceremonies.

Being a Maternal & Child Health Nurse as well  I suppose I have a fair understanding of this stage of life and feel very comfortable with young parents. Planning & designing a ceremony is very rewarding. Each family unit is unique so I have an initial interview to get a feel for  what is important for that family  and their values and, to my continued amazement, the ceremonies so far, while being completely different from each other, have suited each family perfectly.

  Sometimes I feel the sharing, listening & understanding that takes place between a Celebrant & the client triggers a spiritual connection which effects the design and successful outcome of any ceremony.

I spend hours working on the wording to accurately record the family’s wishes.

When I am writing a ceremony I am constantly thinking of it, planning it in my mind – when driving, at lectures, especially at church (probably because this is my personal time where nothing is demanded of me, I can move to wherever I wish to go in my head)

I find that once we have the skeleton of a ceremony families are stimulated to include, alter and adapt  it to suit them. Experience tells me that ceremonies with a theme are appreciated more by audiences as well as those where there is ‘movement’  &  involvement of others.  

But what exactly is a Baby Naming ceremony? Why is it done and who chooses to do it?

Often, the families are not really sure themselves. Many want something like a Christening, some families have never  thought of having a ritual to celebrate their child, but just “want something”. And why not?

Naming Ceremonies are a social response to a need that has developed within our culture to recognize the wonder of a child Most established cultures have something similar.

And this is what it is.

A Baby Naming Ceremony, or “Recognition Ceremony” or “Welcome Ceremony” or “Acceptance Ceremony” is an intimate, individual ceremony, at any venue, to acknowledge with gratitude the birth or existence of a child. The ceremony is an opportunity for the formal expression of sentiments felt by parents which are woven into a simple ritual. 
The child is important and welcomed into the family by name.  

It can be done at any stage of a child’s development – at birth, the first birthday, the end of primary school, beginning of adolescence (maybe we had better not call these “ Baby Naming’s”)  

A Ceremony can be designed to celebrate all sorts of achievements, acknowledge success & help build self esteem.

I love the idea that we take the opportunity to express love, gratitude & encouragement to children in a formal setting, and offer support to parents in their role of modern day parenting.

The Churches would say that: “Naming’s” are not Christenings, they do not replace Christenings.” I agreed with this when I first put pen to paper, or should I say, fingers to keyboard, but now I am not so sure.

If indeed a Christening is an acceptance into the church community, and of God in your life, and that God is love, the reality is that in a Naming ceremony the child is accepted into the family and community of friendship in which his parents move and socialize, they give their support, express their love and care and offer appropriate sentiments that the child will grow up with loving and enduring values.  

This is what we all aim for, church & state. Naming’s may not be Christenings , but gosh, they are awfully like them !   

Any Naming Ceremony
Reasonable charges
Personalized Planning

Phone

    (03) 98731821

Mobile

    0419 150 573  

Emails:

    1 christine@melbourne-celebrant.com
     2.chaddcmc@iprimus.com.au

2010
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