A naming ceremony is a very special way of celebrating the birth of your child and welcoming the new arrival into the family and the wider community. It is also an opportunity to declare, before family and friends, your promise to be as good a parent as you can and for adult friends or relatives to confirm their special relationship with your child. It is a unique occasion for everyone to feel involved as they pledge their love and support for your child’s future development.

Perhaps you are looking for a ceremony which acts as a focal point to make a formal start to your celebrations with family and friends. You may not consider a religious baptism to be appropriate – then a naming ceremony is ideal.

Naming ceremonies can also be used as a celebration of adoption or to welcome step-children into an extended family unit. Children of any age may have a naming ceremony – you may wish to include older children as well as your new child

What you serve your christening or naming ceremony guests to eat or drink will depend on a number of factors: weather, budget, number of guests, formality or quite simply, your personal taste. Most christening receptions are held during the day so the food served tends to be a lunch or afternoon tea. You can use a venue with catering, hire a caterer or do it yourself at home.

Silver service/ plated service

This is the most formal type of meal. It usually involves at least three courses, all of which are served to seated guests individually. This is usually the most expensive option but does add a touch of luxury and grandeur to the proceedings.

Sit down buffet
Typically, starters, desserts and coffee are served at the table with the main course being a self service buffet. However, it can be less formal with all courses being available from a buffet. The buffet itself can either be hot, great for winter events to warm up after a chilly church service, or cold with light meats and salads, ideal for a summer lunch.

Finger buffet/High tea

This informal option is also one of the most economical. The food is designed to be eaten mostly with fingers and usually includes sandwiches, quiches, cold pies, pastries, cakes and fruit. It’s perfect if space is limited with standing room only or if you have many children as guests. If doing the catering yourself, it’s also easiest to prepare in advance without any last minute heating.
This is a less formal option as the food is designed to be eaten with a fork only. It Is ideal for parties where there is less space as people eat while standing or on their laps. The foods can be hot or cold, but the key is for it to be eaten easily without a knife.

In children’s story tales, a fairy godmother makes an appearance just when she’s needed most. With the wave of a wand, she can make everything right. Godparents – also called mentors, special adults or supporting adults in non-religious ceremonies – might not have a magic wand, but their role in your child’s life can have a magical effect.

But choosing godparents – or supporting adults – is not always an easy job. They are meant to be people who provide religious (if required), moral and practical guidance to your child as they grow. They are the type of people who you would, in theory, be happy to have looking after your children if you died (even though being a godparent wouldn’t make them legal guardian of the child).

In an ideal world, a godparent or supporting adult will develop a close relationship with your child so that as they grow, they have an adult who they can turn to when they don’t want to approach mum or dad – or perhaps just want another point of view. They should be able to combine the right mixture of fun and games, with discipline and learning.

Church of England

The CoE suggests you have at least three Godparents – two the same sex as your child and one of the opposite sex. They can be family or friends but they should all be 16 or older and be baptised. Some priests require that they’re also confirmed and practicing Christians. Others are more relaxed. Either way, the Godparents will be asked to make solemn religious promises and they should be comfortable doing this.

Catholic Church

In Catholic baptisms, one Godparent is sufficient but two are allowed. If you have two, you should have one man and one woman and neither is allowed to be the parents of the child. They will need to be 16 or older, be baptised and ideally confirmed, although speak to your priest as some are more relaxed on this point. Non-catholics cannot be Godparents but they can be Christian Witnesses.

Naming Ceremony

As this is a secular ceremony, you can choose who you like and how many people you like to act as supporting adults. Like the Thanksgiving Service, they are not called Godparents, rather special adults, supporting adults, sponsors, mentors or guides. The statements they make during the ceremony are customisable but usually centre on providing guidance and support to the child and its family.

The christening gown represents a special treasure that is a keepsake signifying an important occasion for your child. When it comes to choosing a christening gown there’s a huge range of gowns to look at. It’s probably the second most important, piece of clothing, a mother will buy – the first being her wedding gown. Therefore you would surely want to choose a quality christening gown that will last through the generations to provide you with a long lasting treasure of nostalgic memories.

It’s not difficult to find exquisite christening gowns, the problem is in finding the christening gown that suits you, your baby, your situation and that fits your budget! Therefore you should make your decision carefully.

The style of the christening gown is an important choice. It’s a matter of tradition and personal taste. Do you want your baby to wear the christening gown that you wore when you were christened? Or do you dream of the latest style, perhaps a little tuxedo style outfit for your little man? Choose a christening gown or christening outfit that will have your baby looking beautiful, and yet not having you worrying about comfort throughout the ceremony.

Pay attention to the fabric. Choose all-natural fibres that breathe well and are comfortable to the child. Fabrics like 100% cotton, linen and raw silk are good fabrics for christening garments. These classic fabrics have been used for generations in the making of infant christening gowns and outfits.

White is the most popular choice for christening gowns, but that does not mean you are restricted to that one colour. You can choose any colour of your choice depending on what you want to symbolize for your child. White, however is the preferred colour for a christening gown as it symbolizes purity and youth.

You will want your baby to be as comfortable as possible on his/her special day so make sure baby has enough room to move around without constriction. When choosing the size of your baby’s christening gown make sure the garment has enough room to move around without the cutting into his/her skin. Watch that the material is soft against the skin and doesn’t cause itching.

Christening gowns can be plain or fancy, but should always be made of the finest material and stitching. Christening gowns or outfits should also be elaborate and beautiful as well as soft and as comfortable as possible.