Ceremonies
We can host namings and blessings, weddings (including same-sex weddings), funeral and memorial services on our premises (and can arrange a celebrant if you would prefer your ceremony to take place elsewhere).
If, like a growing number of parents, you would like to celebrate the birth of your child but would like your child to have freedom to choose their own spiritual path, alternatives such as a church blessing, naming ceremony or simple “naming day” are becoming increasingly popular. The focus is on the individual child and family, and can be held whenever you’re ready. A typical naming ceremony might include readings or poems, parental promises to their child, and the appointment of ‘guideparents’. Ceremonies can also be held to welcome adoptive children into a family, and to mark adult transitions and changes of name.
Weddings, blessings and commitment ceremonies are similarly tailored to suit the beliefs of the people involved, whether they identify with a particular faith or not. Bradford Unitarians is proud to have been the first venue in Bradford licenced for same-sex weddings. We welcome couples of mixed faith and those who have been previously married. For weddings, a registrar will need to be arranged and the legal words must be spoken, but outside of that there is a great deal of freedom to choose music, words and rituals which have meaning to you. For blessings and commitment ceremonies, there is even more freedom as no legal restrictions need to be observed.
Funerals and memorial services are also created in a way that honours the beliefs and outlook of your loved one, while also allowing you the freedom to remember and grieve them in a way that is meaningful for you.
In all our ceremonies, we aim to hold a safe space for you and your community to come together to share the important moments in your life. Whether for namings, weddings, funerals (or any other significant event you would like to mark with an appropriate ceremony) the Unitarian approach is for the celebrant to work closely with all those involved to craft a personal and meaningful occasion.
