If I’m gonna tell a real story, I’m gonna start with my name.

Kendrick Lamar1

Celebrating the arrival of a new life is a joyous occasion, and for many a serious one. New lives are new additions to families, such as births and adoptions, as well as restarts into life with a new identity. This celebration welcomes the new life, sets the importance of their name, establishes the commitment of the parents (much like vows in marriage commit partners together), and can establish mentors charged with guiding the new life.

Some choose to celebrates significant transitions in life. These transitions can be based on age, experience, changes in paths, or changes in identity. Whether a coming of age or a naming ceremony, a humanist celebrant helps bring about this celebration of life.

When you are ready to schedule a service, click on “Book Services” in the top menu2.

To read some examples of humanist child welcoming/naming ceremonies, please see the “Examples – Child Welcoming/Naming/Coming of Age Ceremonies” page.

Child Welcoming/Naming/Coming of Age Services3

Consultation

A free 30-minute initial consultation is available to discuss any initial questions regarding performing a naming or child welcoming ceremony. This consultation is not meant to replace of any part of the service planning outlined below; it exists for you to determine if you want Usagi-Warren Services to conduct your ceremony.

Child Welcoming Ceremony

A welcoming ceremony involves more than the ceremony itself; there’s plenty of background work put into even the shortest of ceremonies. As such, Usagi-Warren Services, offers more than simply conducting the ceremony itself. The following are included (times provided are for reference and may vary):

  • Introductory Meeting (1 hour)
    • A time to gather much of the basic and logistical information
    • Introduce the celebrant and parents/parents-to-be
    • This is when you express what you want for your child’s welcoming ceremony
  • Second Planning Meeting (1 hour)
    • Begin composition of the ceremony verbal components (ex. parental commitments)
    • Outline the ceremonial timeline
  • Third Planning Meeting or Rehearsal (1 hour)
    • A rehearsal of the ceremony
    • If a rehearsal is not possible or desired, this serves as the finalization of the plans for the ceremony
  • Conducting the Ceremony (1 hour)

Naming Ceremony

Sometimes a naming ceremony is held separate from a child welcoming ceremony, or the ceremony is for a person taking on a new name to begin their new life. This ceremony can contain all seen in the child welcoming ceremony above, or be simplified as needed.

Coming of Age Ceremony

Coming of age ceremonies recognize the passage from one segment of life into another: from childhood to adulthood, from a life of learning to a life of wisdom, from a life of work and development to a life of retirement. Sometimes, they even involve adding or changing a name. This ceremony can contain all seen in the child welcoming ceremony above, or be simplified as needed.

Planning Consultations

Sometimes a ceremony needs more than the usual planning time. You can schedule extra time with a celebrant as necessary to help plan the child welcoming, naming, or coming of age ceremony.

  1. Barshad, Amos. 2012 Aug. Vulture. Kendrick Lamar on His Upcoming Major-Label Debut, Tupac Hologram, and Fruit Snacks. https://www.vulture.com/2012/08/kendrick-lamar-interview.html. ↩︎
  2. Booking and payments for services are provided via Square (Block, Inc.). ↩︎
  3. Services provided account for no more than one (1) hour drive time to and one (1) hour drive time from where the service is conducted. Extra fees will apply for further drive time and accommodations as necessary. ↩︎