Naming Ceremony Messages

Naming ceremony messages and card wording

A naming ceremony has no blessings and no church, so the card wording is different: welcome, the name itself, and the promises the adults made.

Messages below cover guests, grandparents, guide parents and the parents themselves, plus short readings you can use in the ceremony.

Nothing here needs crossing out. It is all secular.

Naming ceremony cards, blank inside

No religious wording, blank inside, printed in the UK. Pair one with a candle, print or coaster you can date as a keepsake.

Illustration of two large pints of stout next to a tiny baby stout with text "Two's a couple, three's a family". Two's A Couple, Three's A Family (Guinness Congrats On The New Baby Card) £3.87 Illustration of a smiling graduate in a cap and gown on a congratulations graduation card for him. Congratulations! You Did It Graduation Card For Him £3.87 Graduation card for her featuring a cheerful illustrated character wearing a black graduation cap and gown. Congratulations! You Did It Graduation Card For Her £3.87 Future Dad Fuel (Dad To Be New Baby Card) Future Dad Fuel (Dad To Be New Baby Card) £3.87 Practise Your Dad Jokes (Dad To Be New Baby Card) Practise Your Dad Jokes (Dad To Be New Baby Card) £3.87 Cheers M'dears Congratulations Card Cheers M'dears Congratulations Card £3.75

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Short messages

  • Happy naming day, little one.
  • Welcome to the world, officially.
  • What a lovely name for a lovely girl.
  • Today we said your name out loud. It suits you.
  • With love on your naming day.
  • So glad we were there for it.

From guests

  • A beautiful ceremony for a beautiful baby. Thank you for having us.
  • Welcome to the family - there is no way out now.
  • Congratulations to all three of you on a perfect day.
  • Here is to the newest and smallest person in the room.

From guide parents and supporting adults

  • I made a promise in front of everyone today. I meant it, and you can hold me to it.
  • Not a godparent, but the same job and the same love.
  • Whenever you cannot ring your parents, ring me.
  • Your guide parent, officially. Best role I have been given.

From grandparents

  • You have filled this family right up. Happy naming day.
  • We chose your mum's name too. Yours is better.
  • Front row, both of us, crying. Obviously.

From the parents

  • We picked your name after someone we loved very much. One day we will tell you all about her.
  • Today we told everyone your name and asked them to look after you. They all said yes.
  • No church, no fuss - just every person who loves you in one room.

Readings and promises for the ceremony

  • We promise to listen, to be honest, and to let you be exactly who you are.
  • We give you our name, our home and our word: you will never be on your own.
  • May you have adventures, good friends and the courage to change your mind.
  • We cannot promise an easy life. We can promise to be there for all of it.

Cards for the day

Blank inside, drawn in house, printed in the UK and posted first class.

Illustration of two large pints of stout next to a tiny baby stout with text "Two's a couple, three's a family". Two's A Couple, Three's A Family (Guinness Congrats On The New Baby Card) £3.87 Illustration of a smiling graduate in a cap and gown on a congratulations graduation card for him. Congratulations! You Did It Graduation Card For Him £3.87 Graduation card for her featuring a cheerful illustrated character wearing a black graduation cap and gown. Congratulations! You Did It Graduation Card For Her £3.87 Future Dad Fuel (Dad To Be New Baby Card) Future Dad Fuel (Dad To Be New Baby Card) £3.87 Practise Your Dad Jokes (Dad To Be New Baby Card) Practise Your Dad Jokes (Dad To Be New Baby Card) £3.87 Cheers M'dears Congratulations Card Cheers M'dears Congratulations Card £3.75 It's a Boy New Born Baby Duck Card It's a Boy New Born Baby Duck Card £3.91 It's a Boy New Born Baby Card It's a Boy New Born Baby Card £3.91

Keepsakes for the parents and godparents

Candles, prints and coasters that stay in the house long after the day.

Colourful typography poster featuring the text You're Gonna Hear Me Roar from Katy Perry's song, unframed music print. You're Gonna Hear Me Roar Poster (Music Lyric Print) £8.00 Graphic music lyric print featuring a giant open mouth and lyrics from Lola Young's song Messy. Cause I'm Too Messy And Then I'm Too Fucking Clean (Music Lyric Prints) £8.00 Taylor Swift Who's Afraid of Little Old Me lyric print featuring minimalist black typography on a white background. Whose Afraid Of Little Old Me By Taylor Swift Music Lyrics Print £8.00 "Let It Be" Beatles lyric print featuring a guitar illustration and song lyrics, displayed as unframed wall art. "Let It Be" By The Beatles Inspired Music Lyrics Print (Guitar) £8.00 Humorous wall art print featuring four lined-up pints of Guinness stout and the text 'line. them. up.' with a white border. Line Them up Guinness Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 Colourful quote print featuring the text "If you're reading this then I love you, ok?" in bold, stylish typography. If You're Reading This Then I Love You, Ok? Quote Print (A4 & A3) £8.00 Square drinks coaster with the humorous text Relax I Have a Spreadsheet For That, ideal gift for office colleagues. Relax I Have a Spreadsheet For That Funny Drinks Coaster £3.75 Motivational wall art print featuring the inspiring quote, "You're right where you're meant to be". You're Right Where You're Meant To Be Quote Print £6.00

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Frequently asked questions

What do you write in a naming ceremony card?

Welcome the child, mention their name, and add a wish for their life. Leave out blessings and references to God - a naming ceremony is non-religious.

What do you call godparents at a naming ceremony?

Guide parents, supporting adults or mentors are the usual terms. Pick one and use it consistently on invitations, in the ceremony and in the cards.

Is a naming ceremony legally binding?

No. It carries no legal weight - registering the birth does that. A celebrant can lead it for roughly £150 to £400, or a relative can.