Naming Ceremonies
Rhondda Cynon Taf offers Naming Ceremonies. Naming Ceremonies are a way of formally celebrating the arrival of a new baby or older child into the family, enabling your family and closest friends to share this happy and joyous event.
What is a Naming Ceremony?
When families are celebrating the arrival of a new baby sometimes they feel the need for a special celebration to mark the joyous occasion by gathering together their family and friends. A Civil Naming Ceremony is designed to meet the individual needs of your family and offers the opportunity to welcome the new arrival into the family and wider community. Enabling parents to publicly declare before family and friends, their promise to dedicate themselves to the child’s upbringing, through pledging their love, support and commitment to nurture the child into adult life.
A Naming Ceremony is an expression of commitment to your child in the presence of family and friends, providing the opportunity of bonding together those special people who will play an important role in the life of your child. It is a unique and dignified occasion providing the opportunity for everyone to feel involved and for adult friends or relatives to confirm their special relationship with your child, through offering their support in your child’s future development. These are known as Supporting Adults.
Naming ceremonies can also be used to celebrate and welcome adoption or stepchildren into an extended family. Children of any age may have a Naming Ceremony - parents may wish to include older children as well as the new child in the ceremony, or they may consider holding a naming ceremony immediately after their marriage ceremony. Whatever you decide a Naming Ceremony is a unique and personal ceremony, designed to meet the individual needs of the family.
Neither the Naming Ceremony nor any Commemorative Certificate has any legal status.
Naming Ceremonies are secular and will not contain any religious references. If you wish to hold a religious ceremony, please contact your local church or religious community.
A Naming Ceremony is an ideal alternative if you don’t feel a religious baptism would be appropriate.
We are not married – can we still have a Naming Ceremony for our child?
Parent’s can arrange a Naming Ceremony whether they are married to each other or not. You can also have a Naming Ceremony if you a single parent. Ceremonies can be arranged by anyone who has parental responsibility or legal guardianship for the child.
The natural mother of a child will automatically have parental responsibility.
For births registered after 1st December 2003, the natural father also has parental responsibility either if he is married to the mother or if he signed the birth register along with the mother. If the mother registered the birth alone, the natural father will not automatically have parental responsibility.
Another person may be given parental responsibility. Evidence of this would need to be produced.
As Naming Ceremonies hold no Legal Status you may not use a Naming Ceremony to change a child’s forename unless you have authority to do so. In some circumstances, it is necessary for the Courts to authorise a change of forename.
If you are uncertain whether you may change your child’s forename, you must seek legal advice before booking the ceremony.
Can we have a Naming Ceremony at the same time as we get Married, form a Civil Partnership or Re-Affirm our Marriage Vows?
It is possible for a couple to book a Naming Ceremony to follow their Marriage, Civil Partnership or Re-affirmation of Vows Ceremony. This may be requested where the couple have an adopted child, when stepchildren are involved or where a couple have been together for some time. The Superintendent Registrar conducting your Marriage, Civil Partnership or Re-affirmation of Vows will be able to advise you further
Where can a Naming Ceremony be held?
In Rhondda Cynon Taf celebrants can conduct ceremonies at the District Register Office at Pontypridd or at one of the “Approved Premises” currently approved by the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for ceremonies. Please see below venues available across Rhondda Cynon Taf for Civil Ceremonies.
http://www.taffswellrfc.co.uk/
http://www.llanharrywmc.co.uk
www.threesaintshotel.co.uk
What is the cost of a Naming Ceremony?
An arrangement fee of £60 is payable at the initial meeting which is non-refundable. An attendance fee is also payable prior to our attendance at the ceremony, together with fees for any commemorative certificates you may wish to purchase at a cost of £6.00 per certificate issued.
If you wish to hold a Naming Ceremony at the District Register Office Pontypridd the fee is currently £40 Monday –Saturday.
Please use the following table to determine the cost of a Naming Ceremony at one of our Approved Premises. The following fees do not include the £60 arrangement fee.
Monday – Friday (9am-3pm) |
£135 |
|---|---|
Monday – Friday (3.30pm onwards) |
£150 |
Saturday |
£165 |
Sunday & Bank Holiday |
£200 |
If you wish to hold your ceremony at an approved premise then additional fees for the hire of the room must be arranged independently with that venue.
The Ceremony
Whether you decide to hold a Naming Ceremony at the District Office Pontypridd, or at one of our “Approved Premises,” the ceremony itself will be unique offering flexibility to meet the needs and wishes of your family.
You can not hold a Ceremony in a private home.
The ceremony can be written to reflect your needs and wishes as a family. You will be able to choose the promises and commitments you wish to make to the child, grand parents can also make promises, as can the supporting adults you may choose for your child.
Poems and readings can be included to enhance the ceremony and you can, if you wish, present your child with a special gift to mark the joyous occasion.
You will be asked to sign a Civic Record of the event and a Commemorative Certificate can be signed, witnessed and presented during the ceremony for parents to keep as a record of the event. – Neither the Naming Ceremony nor any document issued following the ceremony has any legal status.
A Ceremony can last up to 30 minutes depending on the content you have chosen.
Contact Information
To arrange a Naming Ceremony at either the District Register Office Pontypridd or at one of our “Approved Premises” please contact:
Superintendent Registrar
District Register Office
Municipal Buildings
Gelliwastad Road
Pontypridd
CF37 2DP
Telephone: 01443 486869
Email: registrar@rhondda-cynon-taff.gov.uk
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Content authorised by: Registrars
Last revised on: 21/4/2010