If you’ve ever thought about renewing your wedding vows, but wondered how to go about it, then you’ve come to the right place! In this week’s blog, I look at some of the reasons couples choose to renew their vows, what the legalities and formalities are, and some ideas and inspiration should you decide to go ahead!
Whatever the reason, renewing your vows is a wonderful way to celebrate your marriage all over again. You might be considering renewing your vows following a major milestone in your life together: it could be 5 years or 25 years of wedded bliss, but a special anniversary certainly presents a meaningful opportunity to reaffirm your love and loyalty to one another.
Perhaps you are considering renewing your vows because your marriage has survived a particularly rocky episode, and despite the difficulties, you’ve come out stronger than ever. A vow renewal ceremony celebrates the successful navigation of life’s challenges and formally enables you to look ahead with renewed commitment.
Maybe you married on a budget, and find that times are now financially healthier, so you are in the position of having the ‘wedding day’ you couldn’t afford the first time around. What better reason to get friends and family together, host a big party and show off the dress of your dreams?
If you quietly eloped or married abroad, you have my utmost respect! Having a small intimate wedding ceremony is (in my view) certainly to be admired, but perhaps you might decide to have another ceremony on your return, and renew your vows in front of family and friends in a second celebration.
When it comes to convention, you should be delighted to hear there are no rules or traditions associated with a ceremony to renew your vows. It’s not a legally binding ceremony, so you don’t need to find a licensed venue or organise it through the Registration Service. If you want to hold your ceremony on a windswept beach, by a stunning lake, in the depths of a forest, on a yacht at sea, in a luxury hotel or even your favourite pub - you can do whatever your heart desires.
Plus if you use a celebrant to design and deliver your ceremony, it can be religious, semi-religious or non-religious. If you want your ceremony to be a trip down memory lane, then your celebrant will ensure it is so. If you want it to be focussed on your forward-looking journey, then ditto. You can repeat the vows you made originally or write new vows. You might choose to have your wedding rings re-dedicated or blessed, or exchange new rings. And as with any celebrant-led ceremony, you can include whatever music, readings and rituals you desire – it’s completely your call.
So if you’re ready to shout from the rooftops that you’d do it all again in a heartbeat, I’d be delighted to help! Drop me a line or give me a call and we can chat about the ceremony you’re dreaming of.