SECULAR CEREMONY - BIRTH: Debbie Kennedy and Lee Mason knew before their daughter Isabelle was born that she would not be christened.

But the couple from Woodhall Park, Swindon, still wanted to celebrate her official naming day so they opted for a secular naming ceremony.

Debbie, 30, said: "Lee and I aren't religious we go to church only for weddings and funerals.

"But we are so proud of Isabelle that we still wanted to celebrate her special day.

"This way Isabelle can decide what religion she wants for herself once she is old enough."

Isabelle, who turned one year old on April 29, was named in August in a garden ceremony surrounded by friends and family.

Debbie said: "Another plus point about secular ceremonies is you can choose any location, and have lots of input with the service content.

"We held it in my parents' garden in Wroughton and included specially chosen poems. The setting is idyllic, complete with a stream at the bottom of the garden.

"'Duck' and 'quack' are just two words Isabelle has learnt and that's because of the stream. Everything seems to be a duck at the moment."

Lee, 28, a bus mechanic at Thamesdown Transport, said Isabelle's ceremony had fuelled the imagination of his friends.

He said: "It was everyone's first time at a secular naming ceremony and it went down very well. Our friends are now considering it for their children."