Additional Elements for both Naming and Renaming Ceremonies
Naming Ribbon - from £45
This is a Celtic tradition where the hands are tied with ribbons to symbolise the bringing together of family to in a show of strength and unity forever.
Wishing tree/jar – from £60
Guests are invited to write promises, words of advice, or good wishes on individual tags and then hang on a tree (real if outside or artificial if indoors) or place them in a jar as a special collective moment during the ceremony.
Unity Candle - from £45
Symbolises the joining of the family. It involves three candles; one held by each parent and then one which will stand alone – often on a candle stand or table – to symbolise the union of you as family.
Alternatively with older children the parents can hold one candle and the children the other and then they light main candle together.
Unity Sand Ceremony - from £60
A sand ceremony can be used to symbolise the input, commitment, and contribution that people are prepared to make to the child, whose naming day ceremony it is.
This symbolic ritual involves filling a large empty glass jar with layers of differently coloured sands. Godparents – or parents, family, and friends – take coloured sand and slowly pour it into the larger central vase, one colour at a time.
Each person involved in the sand-blending, pours an individual layer of sand, resulting in layers of coloured sands in the vessel – each layer representing the individual commitment to the child.
Parchment Signing - from £35
Signing a naming parchment provides a short pause in the ceremony and a lovely photo opportunity during which the parents and supporting adults sign a parchment witnessed by all in attendance, marking the occasion and the adults’ commitments to the child. The parchment can be kept by you as a memento of the event.
Time Capsule or Memory Box - from £50
Some families include the creation of a ‘time capsule’ or ‘memory box’. You can ask your guests to bring something to add to it such as a newspaper article from the day your child was born, family photos, recorded messages, gifts to be opened when they reach a significant date in the future.
The container can be sealed during the ceremony with a view to being opened again on a significant birthday such as their 18th birthday.
Tree Planting - from £75
Depending upon the time of year, planting a tree in commemoration of this special occasion is a lovely idea and a great way to involve other children, close friends, or family members in the ceremony.
Tree-planting also provides the opportunity to include words about the importance of nurturing and caring for the growth of the child.