NEW PATH CEREMONIES
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Commitment Ceremonies are for any adult couple of any sexual orientation who wish to celebrate their formal commitment to each other without undergoing a legal marriage or cannot marry for legal reasons. You can elect for a ceremony with guests or for a private occasion with just the couple in attendance.
Every Commitment Ceremony is unique. Working within the Ceremony framework, couples create their own unique celebration by selecting words, poems and readings that hold a special meaning for them. The venue, number of guests and involvement of other guests are also chosen by the couple, creating, in all, a very meaningful and personal experience.
When two people make a commitment together, they are promising that they will live in a loving, mutually honoring and cherishing union. They are acknowledging they belong with each other and this is an opportunity for great celebration.
In most states, same sex marriages are not yet legal, however many gay and lesbian couples choose to have a commitment ceremony.
This ceremony is a time for you to publicly declare your partnership, and love for each other, before your family and friends in a dignified manner. A commitment ceremony is very similar to a traditional wedding ceremony with just a few subtle changes. Incorporated into the ceremony may be music, readings, vows, and the exchange of rings, signing and presentation of certificates and of course “the kiss.”
We will work with both of you to create a unique ceremony, that reflects your personalities, your beliefs and ideals.
While a commitment ceremony is based on a traditional wedding, so many traditional wedding customs are inherently based on the mixed gender of the couple. There are a number of ways in which this can be addressed for same sex couples.
We do not believe it is appropriate for the partners each to take on a heterosexual role. Instead, we suggest that you assign individual customs to the partners instead of entire roles (customs includes who enters first/last, who stands on the right, who takes the first vow, and so on), and also assign customs in duplicate (for example, both partners walk down the aisle instead of just one).
In planning a commitment ceremony, you can start with a blank sheet. There are no hard-and-fast customs that everyone believes you MUST adhere to (well, apart from the ring and the always-important kiss after the declaration). As a result, you can do whatever is authentic to you as a couple. You can have whoever you want stand up with you, and you can enter the ceremony space accompanied by whomever you wish.
In terms of your attendants/supporters, there is already a precedent for mixed genders in straight wedding parties. Because more and more people are having the people they are close to stand up with them, rather than sticking with the traditional gender divide, we are starting to see a neutralization of the gender of the roles by referring to the matron/maid of honor/chief bridesmaid and best man as "honor attendants" and bridesmaids and groomsmen as "attendants".
The gender bias in straight ceremonies is most obvious in the way that a traditional wedding party’s appearance derives all of its flair and color from the bride and the bridesmaids. The groomsmen, on the other hand, dress in staid black or grey and the identically dressed groom is separated from them solely by his style of boutonnière. While, for lesbian couples, the choices are more varied, if a gay couple applies the traditional dress code to all the men, the party lacks a focal point because the grooms are then virtually indistinguishable from their attendants. Color, style, boutonnières, and type of dress can all be used to bring some color and differentiation into the wedding party’s attire.
One of the decisions that needs to be made and conveyed early to your celebrant, is how you want to be referred to and addressed during the ceremony. Our advice, stick with your names. Just as your relationship is unique and special, so are your names. Groom and Groom or Bride and Bride can be awkward, Partners has a nice gender-free inclusive ring, and for heavens sake, avoid stereotypical awkwardness caused by assigning a "male" role and a "female" role.
Legal Notice: The current laws in most states prohibit the issuance of a marriage license to same sex couples, and in the United States, the legal effect of a commitment ceremony will be determined by the state of residence of the parties involved. Domestic Partnership laws vary by location. Please check in your local area to determine the legal implications of a commitment ceremony. New Path Ceremonies makes no warranty of any kind as to the legal effect of its commitment ceremonies.
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COMMITMENT CEREMONIES
"We Are All Spirits On A Human Journey"
A commitment ceremony is a meaningful way of publicly declaring and celebrating your love and desire to share your life with your partner. Indeed many couples regardless of state laws, feel entering into the legalities of marriage is simply not relevant to who they are as individuals and as a couple. Yet a commitment ceremony holds the same intention as a marriage ceremony and offers an opportunity for friends and family to bear witness as they make your vows to each other.
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