Why Molly and TJ Didn't Get Married on General Hospital

In the Feb. 22 episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL, Molly and TJ had a commitment ceremony and became domestic partners instead of getting married. Way back when TJ first proposed, Molly reacted badly and admitted that she didn’t want to get married because she’d seen too many marriages fail. So instead, the couple agreed to have a commitment ceremony and simply became domestic partners.

A commitment ceremony doesn’t actually require any legal documents at all. And it wouldn’t have required anyone special to officiate — anyone can officiate at a commitment ceremony. Because it’s simply a way for a couple to publicly declare their commitment to each other, they can have whatever kind of ceremony they like and it can be officiated by anyone whether a family member or a friend.

However, Molly and TJ were not just having a commitment ceremony because they were at the Law Clerk’s office to sign official paperwork, something commitment ceremonies do not require. What the young lovers were doing were becoming legally recognized as domestic partners. This means that while not legally married, Molly and TJ will have some of the legal rights that a married couple does, although their union may not be recognized in all 50 states.

GH Molly TJ hug — Kristina and Jordan were on hand to celebrate Molly and JT’s legal union.ABC

But mostly, this just means that Molly was able to proclaim her love for TJ and make their partnership legal without actually having to go through a big splashy wedding for a marriage that she — based on personal experience in her young life — fears would be doomed to fail. Of course, Molly’s family might have preferred if they’d been invited to attend and help celebrate her and TJ’s union. Jordan was only there because TJ needed a ride!

Hopefully, since Molly got her wish, and TJ agreed to a domestic partnership rather than a real marriage with a ceremony and reception, the couple can look forward to a happy life together. Of course, this being a soap opera, that might not be possible! Keep watching GH to see what happens, and be voice your opinion by voting in our online poll below!