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Commitment | Wedding Day

Sunday 22 March 2026

The World Water Day 2026 theme will focus on the vital role of water in achieving gender equality, highlighting how water access and management impact women and girls throughout their lives. The theme emphasizes the need for policies and programs to be tailored to the evolving needs of women and girls, from childhood to older age, ensuring inclusivity and effectiveness.

World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater.

World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Preparation

Paint the Streets

This fantastic campaign can be used to raise awareness and take back space. You can find more information and some fantastic fishy stencils here.

The Language of Flowers

Create a bouquet with a special message here.

What Can a Water Ceremony Bring?

Ceremony brings people into a deeper connection with water, which can be moving and uplifting. It can bring a deeper dimension to an action, so you can better:

  • Create an emotional connection with your local water bodies.
  • Connect with the emotions you feel to drive change. Preserve them as your source of hope.
  • Continuous outreach - engage your community in devising and publicising your ceremony, then invite the wider public to your event.
  • Develop and strengthen relationships with other groups.
  • Build a common community purpose.
  • Influence local authorities and regulatory organisations.
  • Bring people to your Community Assembly.
  • Raise awareness and promote Water Pressure - Citizens' Assembly on Water.
  • Filming your ceremony and sharing it as widely as possible can cultivate a greater connection to the issues and inspire others.

Create a Water Ceremony

Resources for your ceremony including songs, vows, posters, flyers.

Throughout history, we have always held ceremonies and rituals. They are our means of celebrating, marking moments, or making sense of the world we experience. For example, events such as naming ceremonies, funerals and unions (marriages), or more frequently, a football match or gig, are all a form of ritual where we share our feelings. They can include performance and express a sense of mourning or appreciation. Ceremonies are sacred. They are powerful.

Water is sacred in many cultures. Water is fundamental to life. Wherever clean water flows, life grows. Water represents emotions, renewal and life, which all ebb and flow. Constantly evolving, ebbing and flowing, it reminds us that we can too.

How can you connect with your emotions to truly embody water in this ceremony?

For inspiration, watch Sacred Rivers with Simon Reeve, a BBC TV mini-series that explores three of the world's major rivers: the Nile, Yangtze, and Ganges. Simon takes us on an exploration into the spiritual and cultural significance of the rivers delving into the beliefs, cultures, and traditions that surround them.

A water wedding or ceremony symbolise commitment to protecting and celebrating bodies of water. Some examples are:

Knot-Tying Unity Ceremony

Getting married is called "tying the knot" for a reason. If you're looking for a symbolic wedding unity idea, literally tie a knot to signify your bond. We recommend using a fisherman's knot to tie a piece of rope—not only is it the strongest knot, it gets tighter with pressure, making it a beautiful representation of your relationship.

More information on organising and promoting your ceremony here and suggested vows here.

You can also integrate a ceremony or ritual, like a Unity Sand ceremony, water blending ceremony or water rituals, to visually represent your union.

Hand Fasting Ceremony

"Hand Fasting" is similar to knot tying. It can be adapted by using and sharing a garland and then allowing the river to accept some of the flowers and the union.

Blessing Stones

Celtic weddings were often near water. Guests could offer a special pebble as a gift to the river and make a wish as they cast it in.

Spring Equinox

The commitment day comes just after the Spring Equinox (20th-21st March). The spiritual meaning of the spring equinox is deeply rooted in themes of balance, renewal, and transformation. This celestial event marks the moment when day and night are equal in length, symbolizing harmony between light and dark. Across cultures, the equinox has long been recognized as a powerful time for growth, reflection, and new beginnings. Symbols of new beginnings can include decorated eggs and spring flowers.

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