Welcome to the World, Little One… A look at Baby Blessings…

I was just flicking through the local newspaper the other day and I came across the Lockdown Babies section, a multi-pager full of cute newborns all born over the last few months. So, first of all, fair play especially to all the amazing new mums who held it together in these weird times but also, to any dads in the room who strapped themselves in to the corona coaster for the strangest childbirth protocols of our times. Congratulations to you all! Anyway, it led me to thinking. Now, that we are a little bit more relaxed (but still covid-conscious et al), doesn’t all of the above deserve a little acknowledgement, a little civil celebration in itself, fitting of the times? Doesn’t it, though?? Got ya covered, parents! May I introduce the Baby Blessing- the way forward in welcoming your brand new baby to the world, and more specifically, to your family and closest friends.A time to publicly announce the name of your new bundle of absolute joy, a time to praise the new parents for a job well done and offer support for the job they have yet to do, a time for the child’s chosen supporting adults to step up and make their promises to the child/ren, a time to shower that baby in love (and possibly gifts..)! Time for a celebration! Unlike a traditional baptism, these celebratory gatherings can take place anywhere, from the familiar family home to a high-class hotel to a beautiful beach to a gorgeous garden. As with all of my civil ceremonies, there are no restrictions on times, content (music, readings, symbolic traditions-ask me more! ) and/or participants. Just a wonderful opportunity to create something lovely to welcome your little one to the world. So, how does it roll? Well, from my point of view I approach a Baby Blessing with the same degree of detail as I would a wedding. The only difference obviously is that the spotlight of the ceremony shines on your bundle of joy. As with any of my ceremonies, I don’t serve to merely turn up on the day, say a few words and exit stage left, rather it’s a process of creating a personal celebration by way of working with the parents and family of the child/ren to create a memorable event in honour of their newborn. I say newborn, but that doesn’t even necessarily have to be the case; baby blessings can and are often organised for a few months down the line- or longer. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that here is a chance to welcome your baby to the world, to your family and friends. It’s an opportunity to make your own personal promises to the baby and also, to invite the supporting adults aka ‘godparents’ to do the same. And not forgetting, it’s a chance to officially announce the name(s) you have chosen for your little one and if you so desire, explain why you have chosen it  It’s a chance for celebration, to interlink with some heartfelt poetry or readings about what it means to be a parent, to present gifts to the baby, the event with music and life and laughter… and Love, Above all, Love. So, yes, a Baby Blessing ceremony is a beautiful thing and I’ll tell you this much- had I known when I had my own son that these Baby Blessings were even a thing, and if you know me at all, you can just imagine how I’d have gone to town on the whole thing. But I didn’t, so I couldn’t…But YOU can, and I promise you, having that freedom to welcome your baby the way you want to is a beautiful thing! Get in touch for more info and/or a good old chat over a cuppa about how I can help you create the perfect way to welcome your baby to this crazy old world we live in. All you need is L.O.V.E …and a baby!