A commitment ceremony is often very similar to many other types of weddings. The difference is that rather than being a legally binding ceremony, it is simply a public affirmation of a couples commitment to one another. Usually the couple is a lesbian, gay, or transgender couple, and are therefore unable to marry under the law. A commitment ceremony may be religious or secular, formal and traditional or loose and unstructured. The composition of the ceremony depend on the rules of the officiant / house-of-worship and personal preferences of the couple. However, in general, are the key elements:
wish The officiant welcomes guests to a celebration of love and commitment between the couple. He or she will probably also say a few words about their relationship, or about marriage / commitment in general.
wish This is the part where the couple declares its intention to be a married or engaged couple. As in any type of wedding they will make promises about what that commitment means. They may promise to love in sickness and in health, wealth and poverty, till death do they part. Alternatively, they can write their own vows.
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reading / music A religious commitment ceremony will likely incorporate hymns and scripture readings that focus on love. (Many religious officiants will have a standard set of music and readings that are often used at commitment ceremonies and weddings.) A secular ceremony usually also include music and readings about love, including poems , passages of literature, famous quotes, personal writing, pop songs and classical music wedding. It may be gay / lesbian / transgender focused or very general, depending on personal preference of the couple.
exchange of rings Trade few rings, and says a few words about what these rings mean. It can be
With this ring, I thee wed
I give you this ring as an expression of my love and commitment to you
I am honored to give you this ring as a symbol of the promises that I made for you today, and a proclamation to the world of the love I have for you.
Or anything else the couple wishes to say (working with their officiant to craft - some religions may have rules regarding the ring ceremony)
Pronunciation of marriage celebrating the announcement to the guests or congregation that the couple is now married (joined / united / wed - whatever word you prefer to say) and invites the couple to kiss. Some couples can not be used to kissing in public, and so can have a very small kiss, or forgo this part altogether. Others enjoy the moment to have the opportunity to kiss each other in front of their families, proclaiming their love and pride in having that love.
Reception Most couples follow the ceremony with a reception of some sort. As with all marriages, there are no rules as to what it should be - it can be very formal and traditional, casual or as a picnic backyard. It may include traditional wedding elements such as the first dance, cake cutting, and bouquet toss, or may just be an unstructured party. In general, the invitation will give some clues about what it will be like (eg Please join us after the ceremony to toast the happy couple or a reception at the Springfield Country Club will follow the wedding immediately)
