Celebrant Stephen

A naming ceremony is a lovely way of celebrating the birth of a new baby – a unique occasion to share with family and friends. Naming ceremonies can also be used to celebrate adoptive children and step children becoming part of a new family.

The event is a dignified and formal way to:

• Welcome the child into the family unit.
• Announce the names that have been chosen for the child (and possibly the reasons behind the choice of names).
• Make promises and commitments to nurture and support the child through to its adult life.
• Choose other adults and family members who are prepared to promise a special supportive relationship to the child.


The Ceremony
Each naming ceremony is unique and specially written to be a day to remember. Any parent can arrange a naming ceremony, whether they are married or not, and irrespective of spiritual, religious or cultural backgrounds.

Parents will be able to choose promises to make to the child, as well as promises to make to each other. Supporting adults and other members of the family will also be able to make promises to the child. Parents can choose from a selection of poems and readings to personalise their ceremony and can choose to present their child with a special gift to mark the occasion.

A souvenir certificate of the ceremony will be signed and presented during the ceremony.

It should be noted however that neither the naming ceremony nor any documents issued as part of the proceedings have any legal status.

Ceremonies can be held at any suitable venue. The venue does not have to be licenced in any way, nor does it have to be local. Many parents have a hotel in mind, a village hall or favourite restaurant.

Contact Me for further information / enquiries.

Funeral Celebrant
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Each service is unique. Carefully written and beautifully delivered, such services provide a memorable experience for everybody present. Always a difficult period in a family’s experience, the funeral of a loved one has to be handled with care. Funeral Directors seek to match the family with the person they assess as most likely to be the most appropriate Celebrant for that particular ceremony. The Celebrant’s task is then to create a service around the deceased person’s life: the celebrant will always take into account the wishes of the family. The funeral service allows friends and relatives to celebrate the life of the person they have just lost, focusing on everything that made that person unique. Sometimes a person’s life or beliefs illustrate the fact that they may feel it more appropriate to have their funeral service created by an Independent Celebrant, rather than having a service based on dogma or religion. There are no ‘set rules’ for ‘Celebration of Life’ services. In close collaboration with family, friends and participants, the Celebrant will create a bespoke service, honouring memories and celebrating life. My first step is meeting the family at a most difficult and stressful time. This first meeting demands patience and understanding and being a good listener. These special skills or gifts are essential in Celebrants, because our job is to support, recommend and advise, not to dictate. This we can only do after meeting the family and considering all suitable options. Equipped with a wide range of poems and readings, from a range of biblical, literary, and philosophical sources, the I will designs the words of the service based on the individual, and guides the family with tact and care through the final funeral experience. Among the mourners there may be people with beliefs not matching those of the deceased, so attention is taken to respect all present as far as possible.
Contact Me for further information / enquiries.