What is a commitment service?
A Commitment Ceremony is an affirmation of love and devotion which is celebrated and announced in front of the couple’s friends and family, in a non-legal way. A celebration of your relationship. Because there are no legal aspects involved in a Commitment Ceremony, there is no paperwork to sign.
Afew weeks ago, a friend offered his garden for a commitment service. This garden has a beautiful pond in the courtyard, a colourful piece of artwork adorns the pond, and there is an array of colourful goldfish and flowering water lilies. The day was sunny, just perfect for this special event.
You may ask why the couple were having just a commitment ceremony. The couple’s wedding will happen, but the bride’s grandmother who is unwell, would not be able to make the trip to Australia, so the bride and her fiancé flew to New Zealand to have what is the closest thing to their wedding.
They both did it for their grandmother and it was a special event for family. An aunt officiated the service, this was an opportunity for photographs and spending time together.
If you have a parent or grandparent who are unwell, and your wedding date is a is still in the planning or you are to be married overseas, it is well worth considering a commitment service.
It does not need to be lavish and can be as relaxed as you want it
to be. You could even do it on the beach. It would be good to have some structure to the proceedings, so it does have a special feel. A few bubbles and nibbles would be nice and maybe a small cake to share. Organise someone to take some photos to mark the occasion. While this couple chose to have a commitment ceremony because of their grandmother’s health, there are other reasons that couples have commitment ceremonies. There reasons are incredibly varied and personal to each couple. Many couples choose commitment ceremonies over legal weddings if they’ve been married previously or simply favour an alternative way to share and show their love for one another.
In fact, any couple can have a commitment ceremony, regardless of their sexual orientation, religion, nationality, race, etc. Even those who are legally able to get married can decide to have a commitment ceremony instead. Because they aren’t formally recognized by the church or state, there are no restrictions.