Hope + Leo | July 2023
“You were AMAZING!! If ever a person has found their calling!! You brought so much heart to it.”
As a twin mum I’m always excited to meet a fellow twin mum, so you can imagine how delighted I was when new parents Zaina and Andy invited me round to meet their squidgy baby twins - Hope and Leo - and discuss ideas for their naming ceremony.
The couple had gone through multiple rounds of IVF to have their precious children and so it was emotional hearing about their journey, delivering the story in front of their loved ones, and meeting the people (“their village”) who had played such supportive roles along the way.
Twins Leo and Hope with their besotted parents
The naming day was held at the beautiful, and newly renovated, Marvel Hall in Whitley Bay. Guests were involved throughout the ceremony: we had a nephew pray in Arabic before we began, guide parents made their promises at the front and took part in a candle ceremony, and then a dear friend came forward - with her own little girl attached to her leg - to read this gorgeous Donna Ashworth poem on friendship:
Here's to the friends
who give us grace
to cancel plans we made
when we were
a different version of ourselves.
Here's to the friends
who never say I told you so
but instead sit down
to hear the entire story
they predicted already.
Here's to the friends
who have our secrets in their pocket
and keep them safely guarded.
Here's to the friends
who show up for the happy and the sad
and see the importance of both.
Here's to the friends
we just could not be without
on this rollercoaster ride.
Here's to the friends
who bring in light
when light is scarce.
Here's to you
and here's to them
we're blessed indeed
to have those friends.
One huge privilege - and a first for me, having grown up in a Christian family - was reading from the Qur’an; verses that had helped Zaina in her long periods of hoping and waiting. It’s one of my favourite parts of being a celebrant, that I get to hear about someone else’s unique faith journey, parenting journey, love story. No two ceremonies are ever the same because no two life stories are ever the same.
After the ceremony friends and family were invited to stay for a middle eastern feast: dishes piled high with spinach pies, chicken, humus, babaganoush and fresh salads. There was also the most delicious selection of sticky brownies, including my personal favourite: a plum, almond and white chocolate blondie. The generous plateful Zaina sent me home with saw me through a good few days of tea break snacks. I even let my twins try one…under duress.