Renewing one's vows to a partner is gaining in popularity, and why not? There may be no better way to acknowledge and honor a journey with a life partner that to commit all over again in front of friends and family. Renewal services may resemble the original event, or they may be designed completely anew. Commemorative events such as these used to appeal largely to couples celebrating a milestone anniversary, often a twentieth or twenty-fifth. Today, other circumstances lend themselves to vow renewals just as well. Sometimes a couple who marries in a destination remote or distant from family wishes to throw an event that everyone may attend. Other couples like to recommit to one another every so often just because. People may choose to participate in a vow renewal ceremony to:
- Honor a special anniversary
- Mark a transition through a challenging time
- Recognize their love and commitment publicly
- Acknowledge the test of time
- Celebrate with friends and family who may have been unable to attend the first ceremony
Intimate or Epic
Many couples who opt to restate their vows may choose to replicate some or all of the original service. For some, it is a gesture that says that they would do it all over again. Of course, if the original celebration was a formal wedding with all the bells and whistles, a duplicate may not prove practical or even desirable. There is no one right way to do this. Often couples choose to hold a more intimate gathering than the first time. Also, if the couple has children, they may play an important part in the service. In this way the event becomes a joyful celebration of the family that arose from the union of two people. What the festivity looks like is up to the individuals. A quiet dinner out for a few invitees may be as likely a choice as an all-night dance party for one hundred.
Where to Begin
After two people decide they would like to re-declare their commitment to one another in a service, they may address how to go about organizing the event. Large or small, a vow renewal ceremony may be that much more memorable with a bit of prior organization. Some typical tasks may include:
- Pick a date. It may be a good idea to check on guests' availability.
- Choose a location. It may be the same as the original or at a new special spot.
- Invite guests.
- Engage an officiant.
- Arrange for food and beverages, if desired.
- Don't worry about the license odds are there already is one!
Pick and Choose at Will
A vow renewal ceremony may reflect the best of a couple's beginnings as well as their ensuing journey. Original wedding videos and written vows may be treasure troves for great ideas on how the new ceremony may take shape. A couple may want to repeat their promises verbatim or create something new in the spirit of the original. A good suggestion may be to honor history not by replicating it, but by adding to it. It may be very moving to acknowledge the hopes and dreams of the two people who first said yes to one another, and to then pay homage to the life they have since built together. Vow renewals need not be officiated by the person who performed the service the first time, unless it is important to the couple to have it be so. Regardless of who the couple chooses, the officiant may assist in mapping out a ceremony, choosing a reading or selecting some special music. Perhaps the officiant's most necessary job is supporting the couple as they create magic the second, third or however many times around.
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