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Why have a Naming Ceremony?

Emma Graddon-Sims • April 30, 2019

Since time began we have marked milestones in our lives – mostly births, deaths and marriages. It has traditionally fallen to religious organisations to conduct ceremonies that acknowledge and celebrate these but as our lives develop and diversify the traditional route might not feel “right”. 

Since becoming a Celebrant I’ve had one of two reactions: “Er a what?!” or “Ah lovely, what a great job” But I don’t think that it’s something that’s particularly controversial – especially the idea of having a “Naming” rather than say a Christening. I think of a Naming as a throwback to the way in which our ancestors would have marked the arrival of a new baby. In most countries and cultures it is traditional to have a ceremony that marks a birth, and particularly that “gives” a baby their name.

So, why have a Naming? Maybe the traditional Christening doesn’t fit in with your family values, maybe you both come from different cultures and want a ceremony that reflects that, maybe you want something a bit different to celebrate your new baby! Whatever the reason – using a Celebrant to plan and deliver a ceremony means you can mark a really important milestone in a way that reflects you. 

You can include aspects that are important to YOU, not have what is expected. If it’s important to you then I will find a way to weave it into your ceremony. Anything goes, the things that make you and your family uniquely “you” will make the ceremony all the more special and meaningful to you all. 

I say “baby” but you can have a Naming whenever feels right for you – I actually had my little boy Named when he was two years old. It meant he understood he was having a party “A party? For me? I get cake?” (He had the right priorities – I raised him well!) And that his older brother was old enough to join in with a reading and make promises to be a kind big brother to him. It also meant that we knew his personality so could include some little touches such as quotes from his favourite films. 

And it just felt right, that’s the only way I can think of to describe it. As a family we were in a very contented place and after several tumultuous years (a deployment to Afghanistan, life threatening appendicitis, two house moves to name a few) it felt like the time to pause, to reflect and to celebrate how far we had come as a family. We gathered up our closest family and friends, celebrated our love for them and their love for our children and had a big party (and of course cake!)

Importantly for a young family – often with a Christening you are included in the Sunday service –this might not work with your schedule. We all know how important nap times are, and the last thing you want is an overtired child when you are trying to celebrate and have a nice time with them! Pick a day and pick a time that suits you and your child and you are much more likely to be able to enjoy the day. These things might sound little but they are actually really important. (Can you tell I sat through a Christening with a very sad one year old on my lap?!)

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Feet in sand on a beach in West Sussex

A Love Letter to West Sussex

By Emma Graddon-Sims. • May 1, 2019
I am a bit biased, but I love West Sussex (handy, seen as I live here...!) I got married here and know many couples who chose to as well. It’s a vast space, with the Southdowns National Park reaching down to a stunning and varied coastline, with cities, villages and bustling market towns and seaside resorts. Can you tell I love living and working here? Maybe you have a family tie here, maybe it’s home or maybe you just love visiting...here are a few reasons why you should consider a West Sussex wedding... Great transport links (I know....how boring is this?!) But, hear me out. If you’ve got guests travelling from far and wide they need to be able to actually, GET to your wedding. Brilliant hotels! Whilst your guests are in West Sussex they could extend their stay and have a bit of a mini break. From the quirky glamping at Billycan in Arundel to the luxurious Amberley Castle there are so many places to suit both taste and budget. Choice. There is so much packed into this little county of ours. If you fancy saying your vows on the beach you can enjoy the old fashioned seaside glamour of Brighton or the quaint English beach huts of West Wittering (with a kaleidoscope of colours as your backdrop) If you want a city feel to your celebration then Brighton city centre has plenty of hustle and bustle or the charming streets of Chichester have a slower pace but still all the benefits of a city. The Cathedral hosts wedding receptions in both grand and cosily intimate locations – definitely worth a look. You’ve got beautiful, quirky towns such as Midhurst or Arundel – with different venues offering up so many choices that it can be hard to know where to start! Hotels, the stunning Cowdray Estate or the intimate Capron House all offer up something different and unique. Or maybe you want to enjoy the spectacular countryside? The cricket pavilion at Burpham as incredi ble views with plenty of space and a brand new playground for the little guests to enjoy (all whilst their parents kick back with a Pimms or two...) Those little extras. Pinks Ice Cream Van offers up a fun and delicious addition to your wedding – your guests will love getting to choose their own ice creams. Maybe you want to go down the traditional wedding caterer route or maybe try something different? Boca Loca serves up the most delicious street food, giving a really informal yet fun twist to your wedding. What about hiring some vintage garden games? Your guests can have a fun and friendly competition whilst you’re having your photos taken! We’ve got some incredible florists including The Enchanted Florist in Angmering village or Rococo in Chichester. These are local suppliers who are dedicated to making someone’s wedding day extra special. Me! (Well, it had to be done didn’t it?!) I am based in West Sussex and love being a Celebrant. So – come to West Sussex and use me as your Celebrant. Whatever kind of West Sussex wedding you choose to have I can help you make it a really special day!
Rainy Window

What if it doesn’t go to plan?

By Emma Graddon-Sims • May 1, 2019
I had planned this blog post to be a celebration of the Great British Summer wedding. A beautiful June day (not too hot, not too cold...just right), maybe an outdoor ceremony with ribbons fluttering in the breeze and the air full of the scent of flowers. Well – it is raining as I type this. Not just raining, it is POURING! There is thunder, there is lightning...I might need a boat to do the school run later. You get the picture. So that’s my plans for a lovely summery blog post out of the window. But it got me to thinking – what if it does all go wrong? What if the “perfect” day you had envisioned isn’t going to happen? Firstly – don’t panic. It may not feel like it at the time but it’s these bumps in the road that make a wedding day memorable. Trust me. And, this is where your Celebrant comes in (me!) We are going to have talked about this already – the what ifs? And if you’ve chosen a Celebrant led wedding then that means you’ve got a sense of humour and the desire for something a different. Have you planned an outdoor wedding? Knowing the Great British Summer is Greatly Britishly Unpredictable means that there will be some kind of cover, somewhere. We can all grab a brolly and I even know a Bride who walked down the aisle in her wellies. I’m quite jealous of her actually. I spent my wedding day tottering around in sky scraper heels trying not to fall over until I’d had enough Pimms to say sod it and spend the rest of the day barefoot. At least her feet were warm! We can move things around – again, the beauty of a Celebrant wedding is being flexible! Maybe we can set up the ceremony in another part of the venue, a quick message around to the guests to bring coats and blankets. People love to help and to get involved and it can actually morph into a moving show of your guests love for you. Embrace the bumps – we can laugh about it, we can get some photos of the wedding party under brollies laughing and hugging together, you’ll have an excuse to snuggle up to each other even more than you were already. Hey – it’s to keep warm, honest! And, ultimately, this day is about you guys and the promises you are making to one another. I know that’s an easy, and possibly preachy thing to say – but it is true. All that matters is you both proclaiming your love and your friends and family being there to celebrate. Yes, a beautiful summer wedding sounds wonderful but you won’t look back and wish you’d had sunshine. You’ll look back over the years and remember the words and the promises, the laughs and the tears and (of course) the party afterwards.
Mother and babay

Planning a Naming Day

By Emma Graddon-Sims • April 30, 2019
Hello! So you’ve probably landed on this page if you have decided to have your baby or child named. Congrats! You have come to the right place – I’ve got some top tips and insider advice for you... It can be hard to know where to start – I would advise there are two things that are the most important: one being where you are having it and two being who is conducting it. Both will require some planning and notice as often venues and Celebrants can get booked up quite far in advance (especially around Spring and Summer) So I would advise trying to book both of those as soon as you can. You might want to have your Naming at home or in a park so those time constraints won’t be a problem (though you might want to have a wet weather plan...good old England!) You’ve got your venue booked – brilliant. And you’ve found a Celebrant you like (hopefully it’s me!) You’ll have a meeting with your Celebrant so that you can decide if they are right for you and the type of ceremony you have in mind. I think you can tell pretty much right away if they are the person for you, it’s really important that you feel happy and comfortable with them. Bringing some ideas to the meeting would be helpful but not essential. Some couples have a firm idea of what they’d like, others are open to suggestions. Both are great and there isn’t a “right” way to do this. Whatever works for you! Your Celebrant will take you through some questions to give them an idea of what you would like in the ceremony and leave you with a questionnaire to fill in. If that sound formal, it isn’t at all. It teases out from you both the context for the ceremony and helps your Celebrant to write a ceremony that is all about you. Your Celebrant will ask for a deposit to secure the date and time of your ceremony as well. Next – invite your guests, choose some Guide Parents (they can be named whatever you want – some families like to stick with the traditional Godparent and that’s absolutely fine!) And decide which readings or music, if any, that you want. The readings and music really can be anything you want that is special to you. The more individual and out there they are the more special your ceremony will be! I think a Naming is a great excuse for a party so you might want to decide if you’ll be having food and maybe a cake (I love a cake – I think the bringing out of it, maybe lighting a candle and having a sing song before all tucking in is a wonderful way to bring everyone together near the end of a celebration!) Maybe you’d like some decorations to make it more festive? Bunting, balloons, lanterns, ribbons....anything that is special to you! Maybe you don’t want too much fuss and want it to be quite intimate? You can easily just have a few jam jars of flowers dotted about the venue. And that’s just about it. Your Celebrant will give you a first draft of the ceremony and get you to have a read over in your own time. You can make any changes you wish to it – it’s your day after all and they only want you to be completely, 100% happy with it. On the day, they will arrive with plenty of time and be ready to deliver a beautiful ceremony for you. You can rest easy in the knowledge that you know what is coming and that you’ve had 100% control over it. Then – time for the party and enjoying spending time with your friends and family!
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