I was just talking to a friend about her recent holiday. It turns out that she had gone on a cruise. While at sea, the captain performed a lovely vow renewal ceremony, for herself and her husband.
I had to forgive her for not using me to conduct the ceremony, as she didn’t realise I was a civil celebrant (how can that be?!!). And I don’t have the smart naval uniform, either.
I asked if there was any particular reason for the ceremony. It turns out that they were celebrating 13 years together, and renewing their vows “just seemed like a good idea at the time”. And why not?
So why bother renewing your vows?
- You may be, like my friend, in a secure relationship, and want to celebrate it publicly.
- Perhaps you want to celebrate an unorthodox number (such as a 13th anniversary), but it certainly makes sense to commemorate a significant milestone (ending in a 5 or 0).
- You may originally have eloped or had a small wedding, and would now like to share your delight with your friends/family.
- Maybe your wedding didn’t meet expectations for some reason (poor weather, an argument, disappointing service) and you want to make up for it.
- You’ve come through a rough time (infidelity, illness, financial difficulties) and want to affirm to the world that you are sticking by (and with) each other.
- You want to strengthen your relationship by a public reaffirmation.
What you won’t need
Because a vow renewal is not a wedding, you won’t have to worry about any of these:
- Rings
- Hen party/stag do
- Wedding list (no, come on, you don’t need any more presents!)
- Stuffy rituals (you can organise what you want, if you have a civil celebrant)
- Venue (you can do this almost anywhere)
- A reception (unless you choose to have one)
Organising a vow renewal is simple enough.All you have to do is fix a time, place and a date, invite some friends and choose an officiant – oh, and look forward to a wonderful, meaningful day!