Merry, I think I somewhat disagree with you here and with others that have chosen to depict Celeborn as being "less powerful" or "ceding authority" to Galadriel. As a Sindarin Lord and close kinsman to both Elu Thingol of Doriath and Thranduil of the Greenwood, Celeborn would be an extraordinarily powerful figure among the Sindarin and Silvan elves, and FAR more influential with them than Galadriel, who as a Noldorin exile would probably have been regarded initially with suspicion. That she became beloved of the elves of Lothlorien, who were primarily Silvan and some Sindar, was no doubt due to her marriage to Celeborn and to her good will and diplomatic behavior that set her apart from Feanor and his sons. It also went to her favor that she had no part in the Kin Slayings at Alqualonde, Doriath, and Sirion.Merry wrote: Celeborn and Galadriel sort of have a mixed marriage, don't they? Coming from different lineages of elves, their experiences of Middle-earth are different in some ways. And those who accuse Tolkien of being a misogynist overlook the fact that it was Galadriel who was more powerful of the couple. Perhaps this would have been true even if she hadn't had the Ring.
It's also possible that Elves experience things like love and marriage somewhat differently than humans do. Tolkien suggests in one place, as I recall, that elves have sex only when they intend to reproduce--the subject of a lot of internet discussion! So maybe, since Galadriel and Celeborn had reproduced as they saw fit, it wasn't a huge big deal for them to be apart. Frankly, I always imagined that Celeborn sort of looked forward to a chance to be in charge, to wear the pants in the family, so to speak!
This is, of course, pure idle speculation.
Yes, she bears an Elven Ring, and this gives her significant magical power -- but politically, she is an "outsider" who has gained acceptance among the Silvan and Sindarin elves because of her marriage to Celeborn, her friendship with Thingol and Melian, and her good behavior when compared to the Feanorians. Her magical power and foresight are certainly respected among the people of Lothlorien, and she has become beloved as their "Lady of Light." But Celeborn is always referred to and deferred to with tremendous respect and is hailed as the Lord of Lorien. There is no doubt in my mind that Celeborn is the primary authority, especially in matters related to governance and military and political matters. Galadriel is respected for her wisdom, power, and foresight, and Celeborn certainly avails himself of her counsel, but I do believe the Galadhrim look to Celeborn for any final decisions.
If you read the Lothlorien passages in FOTR carefully, you will see that Celeborn's authority is not at all deferred to Galadriel. Celeborn greets the party; Galadriel remains silent. When she speaks, it is to convey what she has learned by reading the hearts of the Fellowship, her knowledge that Gandalf set out with the party but never entered the Golden Wood, and to serve as diplomat between Celeborn and Gimli. She also speaks as the wife and chatelaine to the Lord of the Golden Wood, greeting, comforting, and providing for his guests. The gifts she gives to the Fellowship are openly attributed to the largesse and good will of her husband -- "The Lord of the Galadhrim is accounted the wisest of the Elves of Middle-earth, and a giver of gifts beyond the power of kings. He has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn, and I have dwelt with him years uncounted." Celeborn asks the questions, demands answers, and concludes the meeting. He is clearly the one in charge.
The night before the Fellowship departs, Celeborn advises them on how to proceed with the next leg of their journey and gives them boats and provisions -- for which "Aragorn thanked Celeborn many times." The next morning, they receive their Lothlorien cloaks, woven by Galadriel and her ladies, but provided, once again, through the largesse of the Lord of Lorien. Then finally, at the final parting feast upon Egladil, Celeborn gives them detailed information about the lands they will be passing through and the latest intelligence from his scouts. Then Galadriel, as Lady and chatelaine, presents the parting cup and gives the final gifts from "the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim." Once again, Galadriel has had a hand in the creation and selection of these gifts -- particularly the gifts for Sam and Frodo -- but the gifts themselves come from the largesse of the Lord of the Golden Wood.
As far as why Celeborn remains in Middle-earth when Galadriel sails, again I firmly believe that he remains primarily as the sole remaining elder kinsman for Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen. As Ringbearers, Galadriel and Elrond MUST sail to preserve their own wellbeing. I have seen stories and essays that assume some sort of "falling-out" between Galadriel and Celeborn, but there is nothing whatsoever to support that opinion. In fact, Celeborn's final words to Aragorn are, "Kinsman, farewell! May your doom be other than mine, and your treasure remain with you to the end!" Clearly, Celeborn is distressed to be parted from his wife, but there is no other choice if she is to be healed and they are not to utterly abandon their grandchildren.
My opinion is that Celeborn does indeed eventually sail after the death of Arwen and after Elladan and Elrohir have made their final choices. However, The Professor chose to leave the ultimate fate of Celeborn, Elladan, Elrohir, and Thranduil a mystery, and hence, the province of LOTS of fan fiction!
, I have had this rattling around in my brain since re-watching the extended DVD extras of LOTR for that contest. Shippey appears quite often in the extras when they discuss Tolkien and the part that really caught my attention was where he labeled the group of British fantasy writers of which Tolkien was part, the traumatized authors. C.S.Lewis was also part of the group of former military men (like Tolkien) who were part of the carnage and horror of trench fighting in WWI. Shippey purports that, as writers, these men turned to fantasy not only to escape the horrors they witnessed, but it seemed the only place for them to create a fictitious world where there was some honor and integrity to combat the evil ... where goodness and compassion would prevail. To be honest, I had not thought of the historical precedence that was the foundation of LOTR in quite that way. Oh ... to be sure ... I have read all about how WWI influenced Tolkien's writing, but I focused on the strategies and battles and plotting and overriding evil, with little thought on how the experience drove these writers to fantasy fiction. I also wonder how much this may be true for other fantasy writers of other generations and experiences.