The birth of a child is a momentous occasion for all families, and a wonderful excuse to gather friends and family together for a Naming Day. If you’re not religious, this ceremony is a lovely way to celebrate the arrival of your newborn.
Our venue is a wonderful location for a special family celebration, so read on for top tips from Manor By The Lake and how to plan the perfect day for you and your little one.
Planning Your Guestlist
A naming day ceremony is a great opportunity to gather together your nearest and dearest to celebrate your newly extended family. Make sure you invite the people who are special to you and your partner, rather than the people you feel obliged to invite.
Naming ceremonies should bring together the people who will be actively involved in your child’s life. You may want to choose particular people to play a special role in your child’s upbringing, rather like a godparent.
If you’ve become close to other new mums and their children, this is also an opportunity to bring together other families who are important to you. Above all, surround yourself with people who are active in your life and joyful about your new arrival.
Ceremony
There are no set rules for naming ceremonies and they carry no legal status, which means you are free to structure the day to suit you and your personal preferences.
The ceremonies are normally conducted by a celebrant, but if you wish, a close friend or family member can do the honours. As a suggestion, the ceremony will begin with an introduction, then there will be a reading, the celebrant will then announce the baby’s name, after which the parents and godparents will make a promise to do their best for the child. The ceremony normally ends with another reading and maybe some music.
It’s a good choice to select poems or readings that hold personal significance to you and your family. Perhaps a reading from a favourite book, or a childhood poem or story that holds special meaning.
Memorable Gestures
Symbolic gestures can also be a lovely way to mark the moment – maybe with the lighting of a candle, or commitment to plant a tree in honour of the new arrival.
Some families use the opportunity to create a time capsule or box of treasures that can be given to the child when they reach adulthood. Ask guests to write a personal message, and add a gift into the box rather than bring a present. CDs, a newspaper of the day, commemorative coins or stamps are all great reminders of a moment in time.
For more symbolic gifts, consider a horseshoe for good luck, crystals for peace and harmony, or an empty notebook to be filled with personal hopes and dreams.
Family Fun
A naming day ceremony is all about celebrating family life so make sure you plan an event where guests of all ages can relax and enjoy themselves. Dispense with formality and encourage children to run around together. Older guests will appreciate somewhere quiet where they can sit for a moment and observe proceedings from the sidelines!
Choose food and drink that’s crowd-pleasing such as hot or cold grazing stations with plenty of child-friendly options, icecream carts and special treats, or take the food experience outdoors with live cooking or a hog roast. If you’re opting for a celebration cake, choose a filling that appeals to the majority. With traditional fruit cake unpopular with many younger guests, consider a flavoured sponge decorated in a creative style, or maybe opt for individual cupcakes in a wide range of flavours to please everyone. Instagram has many creative cake ideas or ask our team for details of our suppliers who could do something extra special for the day.
Whatever your plans for your naming day ceremony, our Manor By The Lake events planners can help you create the perfect event. We are full of wonderful ideas to make your day truly memorable for you and your guests, so give our talented team a call on 01242 245 071 to find out more about Manor By The Lake.
