Couples choose to celebrate their love in many ways. You may want a traditional marriage ceremony, something more casual that still legally binds you together, a commitment ceremony that celebrates your love, or a vow renewal ceremony as a declaration of your ongoing commitment to each other.
Under Australian law, marriage is ‘the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.’ Your marriage ceremony is the heart of your wedding day — a celebration of your love, commitment and the unique bond that brings you together. A marriage ceremony also establishes a legally binding contract between you.
A commitment ceremony is a public exchange of vows and declaration of your commitment to each other. It's a celebration of that commitment with your nearest and dearest and a ‘rite of passage’ marking the beginning of the next stage of your life. A commitment ceremony isn't a legally binding contract and doesn't have standing under Australian law.
Under Australian law, a married person cannot remarry unless they are divorced or widowed, even if they wish to ‘remarry’ their current partner. Therefore a vow renewal ceremony is a ‘re-commitment’ ceremony, a public celebration of the commitment you’ve already legally made to each other and a declaration of your ongoing commitment.
