On Sunday morning, in the middle of a weekend-long party at my parents’ house, we held a little naming ceremony for Arthur. It wasn’t the focus of the weekend, but so many of our friends and family were there that it seemed like the perfect opportunity. This picture was taken at the end of the ceremony, just as people were beginning to dissipate. Arthur, who was brilliant throughout, had found a quiet spot to sit and strum his ukulele.

Everything was so hastily organised that it passed in a bit of a blur of adrenalin, but I was so glad we’d managed to pull it together. Both my and Leigh’s parents were there, all of our siblings, even my 96 year old Grampa. Lots of our extended family were there too, as well as friends from all stages of our lives. We made promises and read poems, joined by the words of the three people we have chosen as Oddparents to help us inspire our son and hold his hand on his journey. The ceremony closed with a group rendition of ‘All You Need is Love’ led by the awesome Rubblebucket. We sang it at our wedding, and it also happens to be one of Arthur’s favourite songs.

The whole occasion was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the people and the values that are important to us, to celebrate all that Arthur is so far and to sow the seeds of his identity that will grow as he does and no doubt continue to surprise and amaze us every day.

We chose a humanist ceremony, conducted by a lovely local celebrant. Neither Leigh or I have ever been particularly religious, and humanism gives something positive to identify our values by rather than just a negation of the alternatives. We had a humanist wedding at my parents’ home too, and it seemed the perfect choice to formally welcome Arthur into the world.

That little courtyard was filled with so much love and laughter and inspiration that morning. All things that I hope will remain at the core of Arthur’s identity as he grows from a baby into a boy into a man.

Joining in with The Alphabet Photography Project over at PODcast.