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Polyamorous Commitment Ceremony: a Guide

Unfortunately, most countries and regions in the world do not permit polyamorous weddings. Naturally, there are exceptions like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or South Africa; however, in most cases, these only legalize a man having multiple wives and not the other way around. This is why commitment ceremonies take place in polyamory. They are just like weddings, with one simple difference, they bear no legal validity. In this article, we look at such ceremonies and guide you through their ins and outs. We invite you to read on.

What Is a Commitment Ceremony in Polyamory?

If you ever tried to come out as polyamorous to your parents, you either experienced or at least read about others experiencing a sort of backlash. This is because most of society still does not accept polyamorous relationships. This is also one of the reasons why commitment ceremonies exist in polyamory. 

Polyamorous marriages are illegal in most countries around the world, including the US. Commitment ceremonies are, therefore, non-legally binding marriages, a sort of wedding that isn’t a wedding.

Polyamorous commitment ceremonies include vows and all the other elements known from regular marriages, though what they look like depends on those organizing them. They are organized mainly to symbolize “the next step” by two (or more) people in a poly relationship, increasing their commitment to each other.

Are Commitment Ceremonies Legal?

Commitment ceremonies are completely legal, they aren’t legally binding marriages; hence, you can participate in them in all 50 states.

What is really important here is that anyone can organize a commitment ceremony. Although they are primarily prepared for those living in poly relationships, such an event might also be held by, for instance, a gay couple if the state does not allow same-sex marriages.

Can Only Two People Vow in a Commitment Ceremony?

There are no rules or strict frameworks regarding commitment ceremonies—after all, they aren’t legally binding. Whether you want to participate with only one of your non-primary partners or… all your partners in a non-hierarchical relationship is entirely up to you.

Naturally, the number of people exchanging vows at a commitment ceremony will affect how you organize this event. For instance, as a throuple, you should arrange a ceremony where you all face your guests rather than each other. This will make it much easier for the photographer to take wonderful, memorable photos of your ceremony.

A Few Tips for Polyamorous Commitment Ceremonies

Are you keen on organizing your polyamorous commitment ceremony? Then, here are some helpful tips from our team to help you make it perfect!

Decide Who’s Vowing Commitment Early On

If you’re in a larger relationship or poly network, start planning your ceremony by deciding who will exchange vows and why. This will help you avoid misunderstandings later on.

Establish How Others Will Help

When you know who is going to exchange vows, you need to decide on the role of other partners in your poly commitment ceremony. Should they just be guests, or perhaps you want them to help with the preparations? Check whether you’re all on the same page and establish the roles early on.

It’s Good to Create a Ceremony Outline, So Do It

Another useful tip: create an outline of the ceremony. We don’t want to provide you with an example, as there are numerous ways to approach your commitment vows; nevertheless, you should decide what elements will make it to such an outline together with your partners. This way, you’ll plan the perfect ceremony.

Don’t Use Marriage-Related Words

Polygamous marriages are illegal in the US and penalized in most states. Thus, stick to naming your event a commitment ceremony and avoid using words like “marriage,” “wedding,” “spouse,” or “wife.” This way, you will avoid being accused of breaking the law.

Time to Celebrate Your Love!

Commitment ceremonies are a great way to strengthen your bond and show your love in a polyamorous relationship. While you might need to avoid calling them weddings, they represent the same level of intimacy and commitment; thus, if you feel like marrying someone in your poly relationship but cannot do that due to the legal state of poly marriages, don’t hesitate to organize such a ceremony!

And if you’re still looking for “the ones,” see our polyamorous dating app.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc

Sister Wives Family Tree: The Brown Family Tree Explained

The Brown family tree in Sister Wives can get quite confusing. After all, it’s quite large, so it’s not difficult to feel lost or forget who’s who. But do not worry. In this article, we offer you a comprehensive overview of the whole Sister Wives family tree. Do you want to learn more? Then keep reading!

The Brown Family Tree in Sister Wives

Knowing how many seasons of Sister Wives have aired already (spoiler alert: 18), it’s not surprising that the Brown Family Tree might get quite complicated. Nevertheless, we want to break it down for you. Below, you’ll find all the information and relationships between the family tree members; we’ve organized them by each of the wives to make the information easier to navigate.

Meri

Meri is Kody’s first wife. As such, they were legally married at the beginning of the show. However, they divorced in 2014 since Kody wanted to marry Robyn (and adopt her children) legally. They have officially ended their relationship at the beginning of 2023.

Meri and Kody have one child:

• Leon: you may also know them as Leo since Leon revealed that they are transgender only in 2020.

Janelle

While the Brown family tree on the side of Meri is pretty straightforward, things get quite complicated with Janelle. Although she isn’t Kody’s first wife, she’s the one with whom he has the eldest child…and six children in total! These children include:

• Logan: Kody Brown’s firstborn, currently childless and married to Michelle Petty.

• Madison (Maddie), fourth of the Brown children in terms of age, married to Caleb Brush. Currently, they have three children:

○ Axel,

○ Evangalynn,

○ Josephine.

• Hunter: The sixth child in the Brown family.

• Garrison: Born right after Hunter; died on March 5, 2024, at the age of 25 by committing suicide. The impact of his death is bound to affect what the next seasons of Sister Wives will be about.

• Gabriel (Gabe), born in 2001; he’s the 10th child in the Brown family.

• Savanah: one of the youngest children in the Brown family, though still much older than their younger siblings; Savanah is the 15th child by age.

Christine

Christine’s the third wife in the Sister Wives family tree, but she still managed to tie in with Janelle regarding the number of children:

• Aspyn: the oldest child of Christine and Kody and the 2nd oldest child in the whole Brown family tree. Aspyn was born on March 14, 1995, and currently remains married to Mitch Thompson.

• Mykelti: born on June 9, 1996, the fifth child in the Brown family. Married to Antonio Padron (their wedding was documented on the show!). Currently, they have three kids:

○ Avalon: daughter.

○ Archer: son, Ace’s twin brother.

○ Ace: son, Archer’s twin brother.

• Paedon: born on August 7, 1998, he’s the 8th oldest child in the Brown family.

• Gwendlyn (Gwen): Born on October 15, 2001, she’s the 11th oldest child in the family; married to Beatriz Queiroz.

• Ysabel: born on June 13, 2003, thirteenth oldest child.

• Truely: born on April 13, 2010, she’s one of the youngest children in the Brown family only Solomon and Ariella are younger, making her the child no. 16.

Robyn

Finally, there is Robyn, the only wife who brought her children from the previous relationship to the Brown family tree. More importantly, Kody decided to adopt them; this is why he legally divorced Meri (although he remained with her) and married Robyn.

The three children Robyn had with David Jessop are:

• David (Dayton): the 9th oldest child in the Brown family; adopted by Kody in 2015.

• Aurora: the 12th oldest child in the Brown family; adopted by Kody in 2015.

• Breanna: the 14th oldest child in the Brown family; adopted by Kody in 2015.

Moreover, they have two children on their own, who are also the youngest offspring in the whole Sister Wives family tree:

• Solomon: the youngest son and second youngest child, born on October 27, 2011.

• Ariella: the youngest child in the Brown family, born on January 10, 2016.

Time for a Family Reunion!

We hope that we’ve explained the intricacies of the Brown family tree from Sister Wives. It might sound complicated, but as you watch the show and have our cheat sheet open, you shouldn’t quickly learn all about family relations in the program.

And if you want to become like Sister Wives heroes, check out our polygamy dating app and find other like-minded people

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc