They had used the space in front of the garage and arranged it so everyone had a chair, and there weren't too many rows from front to back. The table for signing was a lovely family antique covered with a lace cloth and the backdrop to it all was a screen of golden-cane palms which surrounded the covered barbeque area (where they'd set up the refreshments for afterwards). So from every angle throughout the ceremony, the photographs had a lovely backdrop, and everyone could hear - the only problem was that palm trees often harbour mosquitoes and we were all bitten to death - at 3pm
Obviously, as a celebrant, it is part of my job to ensure that the ceremony space is appropriate. But that can be difficult when the ceremony is held in a private home (as most baby naming ceremonies are).
Still, I've found that paying attention to the following will help to make sure that everyone is comfortable, safe and can see and hear:
- Make sure you don't invite more people than the space can accommodate - and even if you have a large outdoor area, the weather isn't always cooperative, so you need to use the inside space you would use in case of rain as your basis for deciding on how many guests to invite
- Try and have enough chairs for everyone (children can sit on cushions on the floor/ground in front of the seated adults)
- Have the chairs relatively close to the action and try not to have too many rows of them
- Make sure the table provided for the signing of the naming certificate and register is stable
- Check on external noise - over-flying aircraft, building construction, lawn mowers and powertools can all drown out a ceremony. Try to pick a time for the ceremony that both suits the baby's routine and is relatively quiet. If you have a good relationship with your neighbours it is a good idea to let them know when the ceremony is being held and ask that they don't use tools or lawnmowers during that time
- Check that all areas that are hazardous to children (ponds, pools etc) are secured
- Provide shade on hot days
- And if you have native Australian plants or palms that hold reservoirs of water in which mozzies can breed, spray the area well before the ceremony!
Despite the mozzies it was a lovely, happy ceremony and the photos were great.
Til next time ...
