Your dedication to your spouse is a beautiful and enduring testament of your love for each other, so why only celebrate it once in your life? Hosting a vow renewal ceremony is not only a great way to celebrate the ongoing and continuous love you have for each other, rededicating yourself to your spouse in a public declaration of commitment, but it is also a touching way to celebrate the life you have built together so far. 

Why Host a Vow Renewal?

We are firm believers in not needing a reason to celebrate your love for each other, but if you are looking for an excuse to finally host the vow renewal you always wanted, there are some traditional reasons couples have renewed their vows in the past. One of the most common reasons to host a vow renewal is to celebrate a milestone anniversary. What constitutes a milestone anniversary can vary from couple to couple. 50 years of marriage is certainly something to celebrate, but so is 40, 30, 20, 10… A milestone anniversary may not even have to do with a specific number of years, but rather with significant achievements you’ve made or challenges you’ve overcome as a couple. If you feel like a certain anniversary marks a significant milestone in your married life, that is cause enough for celebration.

The second common reason a couple may choose to host a vow renewal is to have a second chance at the wedding of their dreams. Whether it was timing, circumstance, or finances that kept you from having your dream wedding on the first go around, a vow renewal is the perfect opportunity to live out your dreams. You can rent that venue you daydream about, buy that dress you could never afford, invite those important guests who were unable to attend, or elope to that picturesque destination that reminds you of each other.

While the majority of vow renewals are hosted by the couple themselves, there are circumstances in which the couple’s loved ones, often their children, decide to host the vow renewal as a celebration of gratitude for the couple’s example of love and for the family they created together.

Planning the Event

Planning a vow renewal is much like planning a wedding. You have the ceremony, the reception, the venue, the food, the attire… There are some major differences, however, that can make planning a vow renewal much simpler than planning a wedding. The most important distinction is that there are no legal requirements for a vow renewal. There is no paperwork to fill out, no deadlines, no requirements for a legal officiant, and no witnesses needed. What does this mean for planning your vow renewal? Flexibility! You can plan your celebration where you want, when you want, and with whom you want. The sky is the limit!

When planning the whos the whats and the wheres of your vow renewal, think first of what elements are most important to you. Is getting that dream wedding aesthetic at the top of your list? Are there certain people that you absolutely must include? Is fitting a period of memories and storytelling into your celebration a top priority? Come up with a list of your must-haves and plan the rest of the celebration around it.

The Where

When deciding on a venue for your vow renewal, you have a lot of options. If you are going for a walk down memory lane, choosing to renew your vows at your original wedding venue can stir up those old feelings of new beginnings, burning love, and excitement for the future. It is also a great opportunity to recreate your original wedding photos! If you are shooting for the stars and putting together the wedding of your dreams, then book that distant destination or that aesthetic location. Just remember that the more specific your venue is, the further ahead you may need to book, so planning ahead is a must. A third option for choice of venue, if your original venue is unavailable or your dream destination is out of reach, is to simply choose a location that holds some personal significance to you as a couple. Do you have a favorite local restaurant where the employees know you by name? Is there a waterfall that you’ve hiked to about a million times? If it is meaningful to you, it would probably make a great vow renewal location.

The Who

There are no rules for how many or how few guests you invite to your celebration. You can keep the party small and intimate with only your closest family and friends, or you can throw a big blowout event with “the more the merrier” as your only policy. You can also skip the guest all together and just have a private celebration between the two of you. The lack of legal requirements means you don’t even need an officiant or witnesses, so you truly have a private celebration. 

When choosing who to include in your “wedding” party, or whether to have one at all, you can be as traditional or non-traditional as you want. Have your child walk you down the aisle, ask your grandchildren to be your bridesmaids or flower girls, appoint your comedic close friend to officiate for you… Again, there are no legal requirements here, so you can include whoever you want in any position. You could even get the family pets involved!

The What

Oftentimes when planning a wedding you are pressured to follow a certain format and series of events (ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, speeches, first dance, partying, sendoff) with a few personal touches mixed in. Most of these activities are focused around celebrating the new marriage and wishing the couple well on their new life together. Where weddings celebrate a future of possibilities, a vow renewal celebrates a history of love and dedication. Because of this, vow renewal activities can be even more personal. Include activities and games you enjoy doing together, proudly display photographs of your time together over the years, dedicate time for sharing memories and anecdotes, and bask in the accomplishments you have achieved as a couple so far. Finally, of course, take the time to renew your vows to each other, rededicating your life to the person who makes it all worth it.