Marriage and commitment ceremonies are the precious container for a couple’s vows to each other. Commitment anchors our love into the everyday of our existence. It is the boundary around an endless horizon that holds the tender promise for tomorrow.

Commitment to an intimate relationship requires ongoing attention to keep renewing our love.
Marriage and commitment ceremonies are the bridge that carries us when love feels far away and our journey together is not over. Our community’s responsibility is to help us when we are feeling stuck or lost. It requires mutual wisdom to give and receive support.

I Have Learned
... that the commitment ceremony is the punctuation, the placing of a sacred boundary of union
around a couple. I hold high regard for the sacredness of the intention of the commitment ceremony. It is all of our responsibilities to support the two people who are making the commitment to love, honor, and cherish each other. As the invited guests, we are there to bless the couple and their journey ahead. For me, the couple is like a Gothic cathedral, with the guests being the buttresses supporting the couple’s life together.

Musings on Marriage and Commitment Ceremonies, With a Sense of Wisdom
Wisdom is seeing the trees in the forest, and what is beyond. When we consider commitment
ceremonies with a sense of wisdom , we widen our perspectives. What were your best experiences of commitment ceremonies when you were growing up? What responsibility do you carry as a guest at a commitment ceremony? How do you honor the couple that is making a lifelong commitment to love each other? How well are you able to see the similarities with yourself and others at a commitment ceremony?

EncouragementIf it is your commitment ceremony, honor your dignity and love and be fully, generously present. If you are the invited guest, behave the same way. Remember, it is good to give yourself full permission to love and be loved on this blessed occasion.

My commitment to being generously present at marriage and commitment ceremonies is ...

The above is an excerpt from Welcome Home to Yourself: A therapist and photographer explore the meaning of life through individual lenses—a mother and son’s journey published in 2008 by Relationships Matter Publishing Inc. www.suzannekyra.com

Author's Bio: 

Bio of author:As a sensitive writer keenly focused on the nuances of self-awareness and relationships, Suzanne Kyra awakens the spirit of life through the sculpted meaning of her words. Ms. Kyra fulfills her professional calling as a Registered Clinical Counsellor, speaking internationally, leading workshops, consulting, and providing clinical supervision for Simon Fraser University Psychology Clinic. She also has a private practice in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia. Suzanne gratefully lives with her husband and younger son in the midst of British Columbia’s natural beauty.

Bio of photographer:Nathan Derksen is a gifted photographer. As a Simon Fraser University graduate, he works for an international company as a Web architect, programming and designing sites. Nathan also shares his expertise as an international speaker and author of a technical book on computer design. He lives with his wife and son in Vancouver, British Columbia.