Considering a vow-renewal ceremony? Whether it’s been 10 years or 50, it’s a reason to celebrate, we think. Back then, when you first tied the knot, things were so much different. Your tastes, your family, your marriage as a whole—they’ve all grown a lot. With a re commitment ceremony, you get the chance to stand up in front of everyone for a second time, with your strong marriage as testimony. You also get to pop a few bottles of champagne with friends and maybe even go on vacation, and we all know those are worthwhile incentives. Here are a few more reasons why you might consider renewing your vows.
- It’s a Nice Way to Reaffirm Your Commitment – Renewing your vows is a wonderful way to reaffirm to your partner that you’re still wholly committed to them and the marriage. If you still have them, consider breaking out your old vows and reading them to one another either during or before the ceremony. Just make sure you also write brand-new ones, too, since your love and commitment have totally evolved, and that’s something to embrace and celebrate during the recommitment ceremony. Take a look at some of these vow renewal vow samples for a few ideas.
- It Honors the Hard Work You’ve Put In – Your wedding was the original agreement, the signing of the contract. Your vow renewal ceremony is the progress report that honors all the hard work you’ve put into your marriage over the years. We all know that getting married is a lot easier than staying married, so this is a celebration of the fact that you’ve stuck it out, even when times were tough, and that you came out on the other end still in love and happily supporting one another.
- You (Might) Get a New Wedding Ring – Who says you can’t rock a sweet new wedding ring when you’ve been married for ages? In fact, it’s a particularly appropriate time to pick one up, especially if your tastes have changed and you’re not crazy about the original. And, with the ring-stacking trend so hot, you could even add a unique wedding band and wear it right alongside your old one. If you’ve decided to exchange your band altogether, there are all sorts of great ways to repurpose your old one so it doesn’t lose its sentimental value—like wearing it as a necklace or turning it into earrings.
- You Get to Throw a Party – After a string of milestones in your 20s and 30s—graduations, weddings, babies—there’s a long period of time when you stop celebrating your accomplishments. Usually, there’s not a big party in your honor until you retire. The vow renewal is an excellent excuse to throw a massive bash however you want to do it, with you and your spouse as the guests of honor. As an added bonus, bringing your entire family and all of your close friends together is a rare occasion, and this would definitely be a great time to do it.
- It’s a Special Way to Press “Reset” – We all know that marriages are more like marathons than sprints, with hurdles all along the way. If you’ve experienced a particularly tough year due to a death in the family, an illness, or even infidelity, a recommitment ceremony can be a sweet way to start from scratch. You don’t necessarily have to bare all of this to your attendees if you choose to have attendees at all. It’s something that you and your significant other can share in private and reflect upon during the ceremony. Sometimes, for one reason or another, the knot gets untied. A vow renewal ceremony lets you retie it.
- You Get to Go on a Honeymoon – Or a renewal-moon—whatever you want to call it. If it’s been a while since you and your spouse took a romantic vacay, this is definitely one reason to bust out the suitcases and flip-flops. You could even consider having a destination vow renewal ceremony at a tropical resort or somewhere exotic so you have an excuse to pack up and get out of town! Many resorts will happily orchestrate the ceremony for you so you don’t have to do much besides show up.
- It Can Count as a Do-Over – When your spouse first asked for your hand in marriage, circumstances were so much different. Money, school, jobs, and other factors may have prohibited you from having the big, fancy wedding of your dreams. Perhaps someone you’re especially close to wasn’t able to make it or maybe you weren’t able to buy the dress you wanted at the time. A recommitment ceremony is a special way to grant yourself a redo and to make up for a few of the marks you missed the first time.
You Don’t Have to Have a Big Reason
To be honest, there are tons of unique reasons why you might want to renew your vows, many of which probably aren’t listed here. You may not have a reason at all, and that’s perfectly okay. Every marriage is different, and the reason why you decide to re-tie the knot is a good one, no matter what it is. Continually expressing your love for one another, even if you’ve been hitched for decades, helps strengthen your bond and bolster you as a couple so you stay in it for another several decades!