
Marriages come with ups and downs, trials and tribulations, good times and bad times. The only constant is the bond between spouses. And just as a wedding ceremony gives you the opportunity to pledge yourself to one another in front of friends and family, a wedding vow renewal ceremony lets you celebrate and reaffirm that commitment.
There are many reasons to renew your vows, but, unlike wedding ceremonies, there are not a lot of guides or helpful literature out in the world with great ideas and advice for established couples looking to double down on their commitment to each other.
The fact of the matter is that no two vow renewals look the same. They vary wildly based on how long the couple has been together, the reasons vows are being renewed, and any number of other given circumstances.
That said, no matter why you want to renew your wedding vows, there are a lot of hints and tidbits of knowledge that can help you pull off your ceremony with minimal stress—allowing you to stay focused on your spouse and your love for them.
Common Reasons for a Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony
Everyone that decides to renew their vows has a different reason to do so, but there are a few reasons that are cited a bit more frequently than others. Here are some of the most common reasons for the renewal of wedding vows.
1. Milestone Anniversary
This is probably the most common reason people renew their vows. Whether it is a 10 year wedding vow renewal ceremony or a 20 year or 50 year or even 5 year anniversary, many people love commemorating big milestones with a renewal of their vows.
The great thing about an anniversary renewal is that you can bring in people from the length and breadth of your lives to celebrate your love. From family to school friends to college roommates to people you bonded with at work to your own children—focusing on celebrating a major anniversary gives you an excuse to create new bonds with the important people in your life even as you reaffirm your dedication to the person who is most important to you.
2. Making Up for a Small Ceremony
Sometimes a couple doesn’t have the time or the means to throw the wedding of their dreams. Maybe they are just starting out in their careers or they don’t have parents that can help mitigate costs or they simply decided to elope and feel like they missed out on a major milestone by forgoing a big ceremony and reception.
Sometimes people who want the big party they missed out on when they first got married might renew their vows within a year or two of getting married. They just wanted to defer the costs of a big wedding to instead throw a fun party with all the trappings of a wedding for a smaller cost.
3. As Part of a Healing Process
This reason is not nearly as fun to talk about as the others, but it is a common reason that people may throw a wedding vow renewal ceremony. Sometimes problems arise in a marriage such as infidelity that test the bonds between spouses.
When a marriage survives a severe issue, renewing vows can be a valuable way to say “what is done is done, we look to the future—Together.” This type of vow renewal might be on a smaller scale than others, but can still be used as a source of joy and celebration of what is to come.
Planning Your Event
No matter your reason for renewing your vows, once you know you are going to hold a ceremony, you need to start planning. When looking at wedding vow renewal ceremony ideas, keep in mind that your renewal can be as large or small as you want.
Here are a few tips to help you get started on your planning stage. These aren’t the only things you will need to think of, but if you take care of these aspects of your renewal event, you will be in pretty good shape heading into the day of the ceremony.
Size of the Party
The first thing you will want to do is figure out who you want to be there. A wedding vow renewal ceremony does not have the societal pressure on it that a wedding has, so you don’t need to think about distant relatives or your mom’s friend from church that used to babysit you that she insists needs to at least be invited. Think about the people you want to celebrate your love with, and don’t worry about anyone else.
Also, most renewals don’t have bridal parties. So instead of making several special invitations for wedding vow renewal ceremony groomsmen and bridesmaids, just put together one list and send everyone the same RSVP information.
The Venue
This is a big one. Once you know how many people you want to invite and have a decent idea of how many people will be coming, you can select an appropriately sized venue for your ceremony and party.
The wedding venue can also help you establish what kind of event you want to have. Is this going to be an all-out, wedding reception style dance? Is it going to be more of a cocktail hour that facilitates mingling and conversation? Is it going to be a karaoke party?
You can also use venue information to help you determine how many invites to send out. For example, The Lumber Exchange Event Center in Minneapolis has several spaces suited for different sized and themed events. So instead of making a list of names first, you could decide on where and how you want to celebrate and let that determine the limit on invitations.
Read More: Affordable Wedding Venues in Minneapolis: Where to Celebrate Without Breaking the Bank
Think About How You Want to Celebrate
You may not be interested in having a reception. You may want to slide directly from recommitting yourself to the dancefloor. You may be reading this and thinking that neither of these options seems like you.
That’s ok! You can have a catered meal, you can have an open bar, and you can have tables set up with different board games so that all your friends with the same hobbies as you can celebrate your love in the way you enjoy most.
The thing to remember is that all of these things—the size of your party, the venue, and how you want to celebrate—all relate to each other and affect each other. So you can start with any of these topics and expand outward to plan your perfect wedding vow renewal ceremony.
Are There Traditions to Keep in Mind?
The short answer to this question is no. The long answer is that there technically aren’t, but there can be. Really, it all depends on you.
Are you someone who wants to celebrate and renew your vows on a regular basis—such as every 10 years or every 25 years? Maybe you will develop traditions that stretch from your wedding to your first renewal to your second renewal and on and on.
But beyond the traditions that you decide to set, there is no societal precedent for what makes a proper wedding vow renewal ceremony.
Some couples don’t want any guest to bring any sort of wedding vow renewal present. That’s totally fine. Some couples who never had a wedding registry for one reason or another might encourage gifts. That’s also totally fine.
The same is true of wedding vow renewal rings. Some couples will get new wedding bands for their renewal, some will add pieces to their rings, or some will simply re-exchange the same rings they’ve worn for their entire married lives. None of these choices are wrong or fly in the face of some kind of tradition.
Read More: Non-Traditional Wedding Dresses: How to Stand Out at Your Wedding
Legal Requirements
There are no legal requirements for vow renewals. These are purely ceremonial events. You do not need a state-sanctioned officiant. There is no wedding vow renewal ceremony certificate—you can make a certificate if you want one, but there is no legal requirement to have one.
Make the Day Your Own
When all is said and done, your wedding vow renewal ceremony is about celebrating the power and treasure that is your marriage. You can make that party a reflection of your wedding ceremony with hired photographers and videographers or you can have a quiet party with your kids and best friends. It’s completely up to you.
No matter how you decide to celebrate, working with the team at The Lumber Exchange is a good idea. Getting feedback from event planners, easy connection to in-house catering and audio equipment services, and access to rooms big enough for a huge celebration or intimate enough for an elegant soiree can make your wedding vow renewal ceremony planning stage a snap.
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