Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony – Say “I do” all over again

Say “I do” all over again with a wedding vow renewal ceremony. As the years have passed by, your relationship has evolved. You’ve likely been through good times and bad, sickness and health. If you’ve managed to make it through all of this together and are still in love, then you deserve to celebrate! Today, many couples celebrate with a wedding vow renewal celebration. A couple might choose a wedding vow renewal ceremony to celebrate a significant anniversary, such as the tenth or twenty-fifth, after a significant live event, or after a trying time in their relationship. Occasionally, a wedding vow renewal ceremony may be held when the couple eloped or were married at a remote location, and want to have a second ceremony so they can include friends and family.

Wedding vow renewals offer many wonderful benefits for married couples. Simply wanting to have a vow renewal ceremony speaks volumes about how you feel about each other. Standing up in front of your family and friends and sharing your personal vows further strengthens support for your bond. It is also a way to include children and grandchildren ceremonially in your union sending a message of enduring love to them as well. Mostly importantly, renewing your vows is a deeply meaningful way to renew and refresh the bonds of love within a marriage.

There really is no right or wrong way to conduct the ceremony to renew your wedding vows aside from a few common sense guidelines.Simply make it a reflection of who you are as a couple and what your marriage means to you. It can be as formal or casual as you wish, reflect your original ceremony, or be its own distinct celebration. Above all else, a wedding vow renewal ceremony should be an expression of the unique joy of your life together.

Wedding vow renewals are a spiritual occasion rather than an official one. They can be conducted by clergy, another official such as a judge or a ship’s captain, or even friend. As for where, the renewal of vows can take place in any setting imaginable, from a church to a vacation destination to the couple’s home. The event is generally hosted by the couple themselves as with any other party unless parents are hosting the event following an elopement or civil ceremony, or children are hosting to celebrate their parent’s silver or golden anniversary. The couple does not register for gifts and guests do not bring them unless the event follows an elopement or civil ceremony, or marks a silver or golden anniversary.

Since the couple is “man and wife” versus “bride and groom,” aisle few details of the ceremony are different. The father of the wife does not give her away, but he certainly may escort her down the aisle. It is not unusual to see the couple’s children escort their mother down the aisle or for the couple to walk down the aisle together. The wife usually does not wear a veil, unless she is wearing her original gown and veil, but it is considered appropriate (but not necessary) at any age for her to wear white.

In a wedding vow renewal ceremony there is not usually the traditional wedding party (i.e. bridesmaids or groomsmen), but the couple may ask their original wedding party to stand up with them if they so choose. More often than not, it is the couple’s children and grandchildren or other significant family members or friends from relationships developed over the course of the marriage who stand up with them as they take their renewed vows. However, if you want to have attendants, feel free to do so!

Some couples opt to recite their original vows again, be they traditional or those they wrote themselves. Others write their own, making them more meaningful and personal, and most importantly relevant to the unique nature of their relationship.

Hot Tip: Take some time to sit back and reflect on your years together, through the good times and bad. Make notes as you think about the ways in which your spouse has come through for you and how you have made it through the challenges together. Be sure to include specific memories and the emotions they hold for you. Follow this with your hopes for the future.