Commitment Ceremony for Heterosexual Couples: Trends and Tips

It is in our nature to have a desire to be with someone. People just can't live alone and be happy about it. The majority of the population loves to spend time with their friends, relatives, and lovers. Even those who say that they are completely happy alone and don't meet their friends often (or don't have close friends at all) still make attempts to find new relationships. Needless to say, that our natural desire to be with someone influenced the way how our society has been developing. Thus, we have created marriage ceremonies to officially prove to other people that we want to be with someone.

Besides, a wedding ceremony used to be a very nice way to let others know how much you love your partner. Why did it use to be? You see, the modern world is developing very fast, and more than anything else, people value their freedom. As you know, marriage ceremonies are very closely related to religion. In turn, commitment ceremonies in their nature don't put any restrictions on people. This explains why commitment ceremonies initially were very popular among LGBTQ couples. Nowadays, more and more straight couples prefer to have commitment ceremonies instead of conventional marriages.

What Are the Differences Between Commitment Ceremony and Marriage?

Obviously, traditional weddings and commitment ceremonies are very similar. However, there are some major differences. First of all, what is a commitment ceremony? A commitment ceremony is a ritual aimed to allow two people who want to move in together or already live together to declare their love and commitment to each other in public. Recently, gay couples preferred to have a commitment ceremony instead of a wedding, simply because they weren't allowed to get married. Nowadays, this is not the case, at least in the US. So, what are the main differences between conventional weddings and commitment ceremonies?

1. Marriage is legally binding

The biggest difference between a marriage and a commitment ceremony is that after getting married, you gain new rights and responsibilities by the law. So, you need to involve the government to get married. This also the main reason why gay couples weren't allowed to get married because our government didn't support gay marriages.

2. Declaration of love and commitment

In short terms, nowadays, both conventional marriages and commitment ceremonies serve absolutely the same purpose with a single difference. Today, people often use marriages to serve as a tool to gain new rights and possibilities. Consequently, often marriages are fictional and don't give a sense of participation and belonging to partners.

3. Freedom

Whether you like it or not, marriages have become traditions. Thus, a marriage ceremony involves certain rituals that can't be changed and excluded. In the meantime, a commitment ceremony gives you full freedom. Thus, you can arrange your commitment ceremony the way you want because there are no limits whatsoever.

A Detailed Guide on Organizing a Commitment Ceremony

Hold your horses, friend. Before writing your commitment ceremony vows, you need to know that, today, in our society, a commitment ceremony for straight couples is still a very disputable topic. Some people simply don't understand why a straight couple may decide to have a commitment ceremony. So, be ready to explain to some of your friends and relatives why you have made such a decision. Let's get down to business, even though you have complete freedom, arranging a commitment ceremony is not easier than planning and arranging a conventional wedding. Thus, here are some bits of advice that should help you with planning your future great day.

1. Stay committed to your partner

To begin with, you must understand that a commitment ceremony is purely about an emotional bonding between partners. So, you must plan your commitment ceremony together with your partner. Try to make it as personal as only possible. Consider your and your partner's wishes and desires, and only then write commitment ceremony script for your great day.

2. Write your vows

Of course, if we are talking about a commitment ceremony as about some event, writing vows is the least important matter. However, as we have said before, it is all about your commitment to each other. Thus, it is always pleasant and nice to begin preparations with writing your vows. Additionally, this will put you in the right mood to plan everything else.

3. Be careful with your budget

Complete freedom has another disadvantage - it is very easy to get over the budget. Also, this matter consists of two components. The first matter is that you need to make and stick to your planned budget. The second matter is that you need to figure out how to pay for everything. Luckily, this won't be a problem if you already completely share your budget.

4. Find a perfect location

Your next step is to find the most suitable location for your commitment ceremony. This is not going to be the easiest task in your life because it may be pretty hard to find a balance between your desires and logistics. After all, if you want to invite many guests, you will have to care about logistic matters. Thus, some nice, but remote places won't be available.

5. Seek professional help

Of course, you can create your own plan and script to make your commitment ceremony special and unique. In fact, you should. But planning is one thing, while conducting a ceremony is quite the other. You may ask, who can perform a commitment ceremony? Initially, any trusted and communicable person can perform a commitment ceremony. But you need to understand that this can be pretty challenging, and an inexperienced person may ruin your great day. Thus, you may need to consider hiring a professional celebrant to make sure that everything will go according to plan.

6. Invite your guests

Your commitment ceremony invitations are very important, especially if you want to have many guests at your ceremony. Consequently, take your time to create a list of your guests and only then create invitations. And again, you have no limiting factors there. However, it is always better to use handwritten invitations with your signatures on each invitation letter.

Trendy Ideas for a Commitment Ceremony

Nowadays, commitment ceremonies help express a couple's love, devotion, and interests. This is a great opportunity to invite your relatives, friends, and share with them a piece of your love. Surely, you need to pay attention to your guests, but this is your ceremony, and you should make it the way you want. No matter whether you are a heterosexual or LGBTQ couple, no matter whether you want to have a traditional and spiritual ceremony or a modern theme party, a commitment ceremony allows you to fulfill all your dreams. To make your commitment ceremony truly individual, you may need to find an inspiration or examples. So, here we are going to share with you some trendy ideas for a commitment ceremony.

1. Garden official ceremony

If you want to make your ceremony look more official, you can bring your guests to a garden location. Today, most public gardens have services that are aimed to assist when it comes to arranging weddings or commitment ceremonies. This is a very popular trend, so make sure to reserve the space for your ceremony in advance.

2. Historic site or a public museum

Even though the majority of museums and historic sites forbid some activities, people still love to arrange their commitment ceremonies there. After all, such a ceremony will give a nice opportunity to enjoy the venue and ceremony at the same time. Also, due to the popularity, you need to reserve space in advance, plus inquire about possible restrictions.

3. A meaningful place for both of you

Quite often, modern couples prefer to arrange their commitment ceremonies in locations that hold special meaning to them. For example, in their favorite restaurants or places where they met for the first time. Those places help share personal and intimate experience between partners.

4. Beloved hobby

This one is somewhat tricky because you will have to introduce your guests to your favorite hobby and allow them to participate in it. Thus, you will have to plan many activities for your guests too. For example, if you both love fishing, you will need to make sure that all your guests have all the necessary equipment to try and enjoy it too.

5. Outdoor ceremony

Surely, if you plan to join this modern trend, you need to choose a proper season and pay attention to the weather forecast. Outdoor ceremonies can be arranged in any place. For example, near your local river or lake. Note, the chosen location must reflect your and partner's interests and personality.

6. Destination ceremony

If you have a large budget, then you should consider arranging a destination commitment ceremony. Today, you can find services that offer all-inclusive trips for couples and their guests who want to have a wedding or a commitment ceremony far from home. Usually, those packages include all on-site preparations, catering, decor, discounts, and general assistance.

7. Themed party

Those couples who prefer commitment ceremonies, often, arrange theme ceremonies. You can choose any topic and location because your main task is to ensure that your ceremony has a proper atmosphere. Also, you will have to send your invitations in advance because your guests will need to prepare.

So, commitment ceremony vs marriage, which one is better? You will have to answer this question because the answer depends on your desires and views. If you are a traditional person, then you definitely should choose a conventional marriage. On the other hand, if you are more into freedom, then your choice is a commitment ceremony. Consequently, be honest about your desires and expectation from your ceremony, and don't make any decisions without your partner. Thus, you will make sure that your partner also feels nice and comfortable, no matter what type of ceremony you've chosen.