Commitment - Wedding - Marriage - Legal Marriage What's in a Word? Commitment Ceremony A ceremony that acknowledges your commitment to one another but does not create a legally recognised change in your status Wedding A wedding refers to the events of a day (in some cultures this might stretch to several days). It  generally includes a ceremony to unite a couple for life and a celebratory event in which family and friends of the couple join them for a meal  and other activities such as cutting a cake, toasts, dancing, etc.  There is no reason, legally or otherwise, why  couples who cannot legally marry shouldn't have a wedding. Marriage Marriage, as they say, lasts a lifetime, so the word describes a condition. But it can also be used to describe an event. Typically on wedding invitations guests are invited to "the marriage of" and this is understood to be the marriage ceremony. Where there is a reception afterwards, that information is generally given as "and afterwards......" or something similar. Legal Marriage Legal marriage is where the government gets involved. The Marriage Act specifies and controls who can legally marry and what must be done in order that a marriage is recognised as legal. While a marriage is a contract between two people, it is the registration of that marriage with the relevant government entity and the recognition by government of the marriage that makes it legal. Legal marriage grants couples rights and benefts. And while most couples in Australia marry in a civil ceremony (70%) a religious marriage ceremony is the only religious ceremony that delivers secular benefits. Civil Union / Registered Partnership / Civil Partnership Civil Unions are a mechanism by which a government  grants certain relationship entitlements to couples. In Australia while Marriage comes under Federal jurisdiction, Civil Unions/Registered Partnerships or Civil Partnerships are controlled by individual states. In Queensland couples can register their relationship with Births, Deaths, and Marriages. Contact Me