Naming Ceremonies are a non religious alternative to a Christening and can be held in any of our approved venues or at Backhouse Hall, the Register Office Ceremony Suite.
Many of our venues have a designated area for performing ceremonies outside. You should check with the appropriate venue for further information.
Naming ceremonies are very personal with each one being designed to customers requirements and readings, music, lighting of candles and promises to the child make each ceremony unique creating a lasting memory for friends and family.
Naming Ceremonies are usually a way of celebrating the arrival of a baby or child with family and friends with key guests making a formal promise and pledge to the child which will stay with them for the rest of their life.
However some parents wish to hold a naming ceremony to mark a special event or moment in the life of a child for example, welcoming a child into a family following a marriage or adoption.
Backhouse Hall
Backhouse Hall is the Register Office’s Ceremony Suite and is located off the market place in Bull Wynd with an impressive entrance and garden area for photographs.
We have two ceremony rooms for you to choose from, The Pease Suite accommodation up to 80 guests or the Stephenson Suite accommodating up to 40 guests for a smaller ceremony. Only 1 ceremony is held at anyone time and the prices are the same for either room.
As the Backhouse Hall Ceremony Suite is part of the Dolphin Centre we have access to the bar area which is ideal for guests to meet and have a drink either before or after the ceremony and also the Dolphin Centre can provide an ideal venue for a post ceremony function.
Making a Booking
Once you have a date in mind for the ceremony you should contact the Register Office (01325 346604) to check availability and agree the date and time for the ceremony.
A provisional booking will be held for you for 14 days which you need to complete and return a booking form [Word Document] together with the appropriate deposit or fee.
You will then receive confirmation of the ceremony and be invited to attend the Register Office to meet a Registrar to discuss your ceremony.
Fees
All fees are required to be paid in advance of the ceremony and customers have a choice of either paying the complete fee at the time of booking or paying a small deposit upon booking and paying the balance before the ceremony.
The Ceremony
Each Naming Ceremony is designed according to the needs of the customer and you will meet a Registrar before the ceremony to discuss the content and format of the ceremony [pdf document] and to agree some of the key people involved in the ceremony.
The Child’s parents, any grandparents and also “Supporting Adults” who are lifelong mentors to the child, will all make promises to the child which they will say along with the Registrar.
In addition to this up to 3 guests can be nominated to each perform a reading. We have selection of readings [pdf document] for you to choose from or you can provide your own. The only requirement is that any readings cannot contain any obviously or intentional religious content (such as extracts from the Bible). You are also welcome to bring music with you for playing during the ceremony or alternatively we can provide something; again the only requirement is that the music isn’t obviously or intentionally religious.