What is the celebrant role in a Naming Ceremony?

What is the celebrant role in a Naming Ceremony? The role of a celebrant is to not only write and craft the Naming Ceremony, but to lead all proceedings on the day. It is their responsibility to create a meaningful, personalised ceremony that perfectly encapsulates you and your child’s life.

Your celebrant will spend time getting to know you; they will ask you questions and prompts in order to find out more about your family history and your hopes for your child. As every single Naming Ceremony script is written from scratch, they will then use their newly discovered understanding of your special family to design a service that tells your unique story.

Why should I choose a celebrant to lead my Naming Ceremony?

The beauty of having a celebrant lead your Naming Ceremony is that they can take all the stress out of arranging this important day.

Celebrants have a wealth of experience writing and conducting a whole host of ceremonies, including Naming Ceremonies. They are confident speakers, eloquent writers and empathetic listeners. Everything you could dream for in a Naming Ceremony, they can bring it to life.

Plus, since a Naming Ceremony is not governed by any restrictions or requirements, you can ask your celebrant to include anything you wish for in the service. This could include meaningful readings, symbolic elements or involving other members of the congregation.

What can a celebrant help with in the Naming Ceremony?

One of the many celebrant roles in a Naming Ceremony is to discuss the options to personalise the ceremony with you. They will do this by getting to know you so they can tailor a service to suit your family ready to be officiated on the day.

Your celebrant is an expert in creating celebrations that people love. They can help you by guiding you through what can be involved in the ceremony, how they recommend it can run smoothly, and also with some ideas you may not have considered.

Having regular contact with your celebrant is the best approach as you can use their experience to make the ceremony exactly how you envisage it. You might want to make it relaxed or formal, bright and colourful or elegantly decorated. You have total freedom to make the experience as best as possible for your family and loved ones.

How do I choose a celebrant for the Naming Ceremony?

Before you hire your celebrant, you may want to consider a few points.

You need to feel comfortable with your celebrant and trust that they will deliver the Naming Ceremony you desire. Remember that all celebrants will have a slightly different style – some will include humour in their ceremony, others will be more serious, and many will take a more symbolic approach – and you should take the time to find a style that suits you.

We recommend contacting a few of your favourites to get to know them more before making the final decision. However, whatever style feels right for you, it’s worth making sure your celebrant:

• Is a confident  communicator
• Are they a good listener? Do you think they accommodate all of your thoughts and needs?
• Has positive reviews

First impressions count, and this is likely to be both a practical and emotional decision.

Will I meet our celebrant before the Naming Ceremony?

Many celebrants will offer home consultations so you get to meet them before the ceremony. You could choose to only have contact with your celebrant online such as through Skype, WhatsApp or other video call software – something which has grown in popularity throughout 2020 due to obvious reasons – but if it’s possible, we would recommend meeting the celebrant in person.

We believe it is important to meet your celebrant beforehand as, this way, you can truly understand their style and personality. This is a special day; you need to make sure that you connect with your chosen celebrant on a meaningful level.

Where can I find a celebrant?

The Celebrant Directory is home to a huge selection of different Celebrants, all from different locations and walks of life and with varying styles. Why not have a browse and contact a few that stand out to you?

Photographer Credit: Amber Varghese