LuAnn C. Collins, Ph.D.
A commitment ceremony is a ritual in which you make a sacred vow that defines who you will be in a relationship.
Typically, these are wedding vows or religious vows.
With competition for our time and energy today, we may feel as if we've lost ourselves and want to renew our path to personal discovery. In doing so, we may make a personal commitment--
to ourselves, our lives, and our well-being.
We may also want to commit to a specific and particular spiritual path, which could be to a religious entity or our own soul's growth as we have designed it.
We may want to make a commitment to another person. Traditionally, this is a wedding vow, but it can be to a friend or a romantic partner or a family unit.
Although not typically performed explicitly, we may commitment to a career or a business. This may look like a medical oath, an oath of office. It might be a commitment to your business.
A commitment ceremony is a way to commemorate a relationship and formalize who you will be in that relationship. Of course, it is never necessary to have a ceremony in order to make a commitment, but a ceremony makes the commitment more explicit, more intentional, and more concrete.
The ceremonies provided here are examples to help you consider who you want to be in relationship with others. Use them to create your own unique-to-you ceremony. For now, they are free to use as a way to encourage you to live with intention and integrity, to remember the sacredness of commitment and the expectation of honor once it is made.
