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Expert Advice · Roundup
A vow renewal is a ceremony for a couple who are already married to say their promises again. Because it isn't a legal ceremony, you can hold it anywhere, keep it to two people or invite everyone, and shape it however you like. Here are 20 ideas to start from, grouped by where to hold it, what to include and how to mark the milestone.
Return to the church, garden or beach where you first said your vows. If the venue has changed, book a meal nearby and walk over for the ceremony.
A renewal is a good reason for the trip you never took. Our guide to the best places to renew your vows abroad covers island resorts, European villas and more.
A backyard or living room ceremony keeps it personal. Hang festoon lights, borrow extra chairs and let the kids set the table.
Take over a private room at your favourite restaurant. Say your vows between courses, then carry on eating.
Keep it barefoot and short, with guests standing in a half circle and dinner booked for afterwards.
Open with the vows you said on your wedding day, then add the promises you would make now. Our guide on how to write your own wedding vows helps with the new ones.
Children can officiate, read a poem, carry the rings or walk you down the aisle. Give each child one job so no one is left waiting.
Skip the aisle walk and enter side by side. It suits a renewal, because you arrive as a couple.
Add a band to mark the years, or have your original rings engraved with the renewal date.
Line the aisle or a table with one photo from each year of your marriage. It gives guests something to talk about before the ceremony starts.
Invite the same bridesmaids and groomsmen, or whoever was there that day, to stand beside you again.
Leave cards on each seat for guests to write a favourite memory of you or a piece of marriage advice, then read a few aloud.
Ten years is a popular point to renew. Mark it by reading aloud ten things you have done together, or with a trip to your ten favourite places.
Silver suits the 25th: silver rings, silver table settings, or a silver dress code for guests.
For a golden anniversary, gather the grandchildren, bring out the original wedding album and invite guests to wear gold.
A renewal doesn't need a round number. After an illness, a move or a tough stretch, a small ceremony can mark starting again.
Serve the dishes from your wedding day, or the same cake flavour, and tell guests what they are eating.
Play your wedding song and invite everyone who was at the wedding to join you halfway through.
Book a house or small hotel for family and friends and hold the ceremony on the Saturday, with lunches and swims either side.
Invite guests to an anniversary dinner, then reveal the ceremony when everyone has arrived. Brief a friend to keep the timing on track.
If you want the renewal somewhere special without organising it yourselves, Wedded Concierge can plan the venue, the guests' travel and the day itself.
Most follow the shape of a wedding ceremony: a welcome, a reading or two, the vows, a ring exchange or blessing and a kiss. Because there is no legal paperwork, you can cut, add or reorder any part.
Wear any colour you like. You can wear your original wedding dress, choose a new white or ivory dress, or pick a colour that suits the setting, such as a light dress for the beach.
Anyone you choose, or no one. Your children, a parent or a close friend can walk you in, or you can walk down the aisle together.
There is no set year. The 10th, 25th and 50th anniversaries are popular milestones, but you can renew your vows at any point that feels right.
Written by
Senior SEO Specialist, Wedded Wonderland
Mark Tuason is the Senior SEO Specialist at Wedded Wonderland, where he writes and refreshes the brand's guides to destination weddings and cultural wedding traditions. He starts with the questions couples search for, checks the answers against trusted sources, and shapes each guide to help them plan, compare and book with confidence. Based in the Philippines, he specialises in content strategy and on-page SEO.
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