Curious about the details of collaring?

New to this lifestyle but have been researching a lot recently & was curious. Everything I've read says collaring is a really big commitment between a Dom/sub and some websites even say it's like a wedding ring which makes me think that there has to be some deeper connection between the Dom/sub before collaring but I've had some people tell me that collaring can also just be given for sexual reasons as a graduation from slave training type thing with no real emotional meaning. I'm just curious as to how serious a commitment collaring is.

It's as serious as you make it. For some people it's a fashion statement. I used to wear a cat collar when I was younger just because I liked the way it looked. For some people it's a big deal like lifelong commitment. For some it's just something they do because it makes their bits tingle. If you want it to mean something, discuss that with your partner when the time comes.

Yep, as serious (or not) as you want it to be. It also may depend on how"protocol heavy" one is... some people do multiple collars -

Collar of consideration
Training collar
Play collar
Permanent collar

You may also run into people who's entire goal (though they may deny it) is the chase. They're obsessed with "being collared".

To confuse things further, there are also people who do "Velcro collars". This is often a special subset of the sorts of people who "chase" collars. (Look up sub-frenzy.)

On the flip side, plenty of D/s couples are in long term, committed relationships with absolutely ZERO interest in collars. I once had a lover put a collar on me "as a symbol of the safe space we are about to enter" (gag). He was following internet blahblahblah advice about transitioning from vanilla life (work/etc) to D/s. I tolerated it out of politeness, and took the damn thing off the second we were done fucking/flogging/etc. (He didn't expect that reaction and was not happy. Oops. )

It's like a ring. A ring signifies a serious commitment, unless it doesn't.

It is a to each their own thing. Princess and I have lightly discussed it. Neither wear our wedding rings (damn thing almost cost me my finger when it got hung on something one day) but we came to the decision that for us the outward display of a collar wasn't important. Even if only to be worn when we are intimate or princess is getting disciplined, whatever.

If another couple see merit then by all means, buy/make as many as you want. If it makes you feel more secure in your relationship, then absolutely. Like someone wisely posted on this, "It's like a ring". But I would add rings, like collars, only have significance to them when the relationship is sound, safe, and consensual.

Depends on the person.

I have 17 collars with 1 left to earn. They are all different, to wear in different situations and with different outfits. My Master doesn't see the need for a collar but I do, so we have compromised where he picks what one I will wear and only he can put it on or remove it (unless I am in a situation that dictates otherwise).

I still consider it as just a serious symbol of commitment and of the D/s dynamic as someone who has only one collar.

Some people view it as a serious commitment. Some people don't. Both of these groups of people are absolutely right in their interpretation - figure out what you want a collar to represent.