commitment ceremony

[ kuh-mit-muhnt ser-uh-moh-nee ]

noun

1. a ceremony and celebration that affirms the love and commitment between two people who cannot or do not want to marry each other, typically a same-sex couple.

Word History and Origins

Origin of commitment ceremony¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Life coach Paul told Charlie she wasn't "giving this experiment any bit of fairness", while his fellow expert Mel called her out for "lying" at the commitment ceremony.

From BBC

Then there's a father who refuses to attend his lesbian daughter's commitment ceremony because he's afraid of what people will say, and a celebrity couple who tie the knot in an opulent ceremony in France, but more for optics and opportunity than for love.

From BBC

We know “To T, or not to T?” has a happy ending, because it begins at D’Lo’s 2015 commitment ceremony to his partner, two months after starting testosterone therapy.

From Los Angeles Times

D’Lo tells a story about a “Super Aunty,” who cautioned him at the commitment ceremony, “You can get drunk, ah? But don’t play the fool.”

From Los Angeles Times

Among other factors, they look at whether the couple was in a committed relationship, lived together or owned property together, supported each other financially, raised children together, or held a commitment ceremony.

From Slate