Naming ceremonies
A naming ceremony is a way to celebrate a new arrival into the family with the people closest to you, in a non-religious ceremony and setting.
About the ceremony
The ceremony includes the opportunity for you as parents to make promises and declarations to your child in front of family and friends. At the same time your family and friends may also make promises to your child, offering to support them throughout their lives. You can also include poems or readings as part of the ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony you will be asked to sign a record of the ceremony and you will be presented with a commemorative certificate.
A naming ceremony has no legal status. The certificate issued is purely celebratory and cannot be used for any legal purpose.
Venues
Ceremonies can be held at our register office, any of our approved venues or at any function room or hall such as a hotel, social club or community hall.
If you have a ceremony at a function room or hall, you are responsible for booking the venue and paying the hire fee.
The venue must have a fire certificate for public or private functions and conform to health and safety regulations.
Before you confirm with your venue, you need to check that we can provide a celebrant to conduct the ceremony on the date and at the time you want. You will be asked for proof of the booking when you meet with the Superintendent Registrar to discuss your ceremony.
For a personal ceremony with just 2 guests and the parents you can book our register office
South Gloucestershire Register Office
Kingswood Civic Centre
High Street
Kingswood
Bristol
BS15 9TR
Approved premises
You can find an approved premises on our online map.
List of approved premises
- Aztec Hotel, Aztec West, Almondsbury, BS32 4TS
- Berwick Lodge, Berwick Drive, Henbury, BS10 7TD
- Bristol Golf Club, Almondsbury, BS10 7TP
- Chipping Sodbury Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury, BS37 6AD
- The Compass Inn, Tormarton, GL9 1JB
- De Vere Tortworth Court, Tortworth GL12 8HH
- DoubleTree by Hilton, Bristol North, Bradley Stoke BS32 4JF
- Eastwood Park, Falfield, GL12 8DA
- The Gables Hotel, Falfield, GL12 8DL
- Hamswell House, Hamswell, Bath BA1 9DG
- Memorial Woodlands, Earthcott Green, Alveston, BS35 3TA
- Mercure Bristol North, The Grange, Winterbourne BS36 1RP
- Old Down Manor, Foxholes Lane, Tockington BS32 4PG
- Poole Court, Poole Court Drive, Yate BS37 5PP
- The Ship Inn, Thornbury Avenue, Alveston, Bristol BS35 3LL
- Thornbury Castle, Thornbury, BS35 1HH
- Thornbury Golf Centre, Bristol Road, Thornbury BS35 3XL
- Tracy Park, Wick, BS30 5RN
- Village Hotel Bristol, Filton BS34 6FG
- The White Horse, Hambrook BS16 1RY
- Winterbourne Medieval Barn, Church Lane BS36 1SE
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Fees and booking
Register office
- Monday to Friday (maximum 2 guests) £275 until 31 March 2025
Poole Court and other approved premises
- Monday to Thursday £355 until 31 March 2025
- Friday and Saturday £410 until 31 March 2025
- Sunday and bank holidays £470 until 31 March 2025
There is a £60 non-refundable and non-transferable booking fee required when booking. The remaining balance is due eight weeks before the ceremony.
To book a naming ceremony contact us by:
- phone: 01454 863140
- email registrationservice@southglos.gov.uk
Changes to bookings
There is a £37 fee if you change a ceremony date or time after 24 hours of making the booking.
A late amendment fee of £60 is charged when the date or time of a ceremony is changed one month or less from the original ceremony date (the ceremony must be taking place at the same venue and within one calendar year of the original booking).