How to Make Vow Renewal Ceremonies
Events to Remember

My husband and I more or less eloped when we got married in 2004; it was actually what some married couples would consider the ideal intimate affair for vow renewal ceremonies. My brother and his wife accompanied us to a very quaint and historic bed and breakfast where we had our small romantic ceremony. It was lovely!

As a surprise wedding gift to my husband, I hired a bagpipe player to lead my sister-in-law and me down the "aisle," which was the staircase leading from the second floor into the main living room area. That was the highlight of the ceremony for me, seeing my husband's surprise when the bagpiper entered the room.

I loved my wedding and I couldn't wait to get back and share the photos with everyone, still wishing they'd been able to be there with us.

So in searching for wordings for my cousin's invitations, I kept coming across wedding invitations for vow renewal ceremonies.

Then I read more articles on vow renewal ceremonies and realized, hey, I can finally have my own fairy tale wedding as our fifth wedding anniversary gift to each other, and as an anniversary party for our friends and relatives to come to and celebrate with us. Talk about enthused!

So if you want to have that fairy tale wedding when you and your husband renew your vows, the planning is no different than planning a traditional wedding.

You still need to plan early, book your venue and music early, then look for your perfect gown and accessories. And you still need invitations, although the wording will be different because you're already married!

Here are some frequently asked questions about reaffirmation ceremonies that will help you with planning:

Who officiates a reaffirmation ceremony?

What vows do we say?

What kind of wedding dress is appropriate?

Where should we have our ceremony?

You can choose a close friend, relative or even one of your children to be your officiant. It's whatever or whomever you want! My cousin's husband is going to be our officiant. I wanted a close friend and member of the family and he fit the bill perfectly.

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What vows do we say?
For your vows, you can choose to repeat the exact vows you spoke on your wedding day, or write new ones that reflect the time you've been together and how you still feel.

I'm not much of a romance writer and didn't want our vows to sound like something canned. So I did a lot of research on the Internet, picked out a variety of different sample vows that said exactly what I wanted us to say, then blended them in, changed some around, and wrote the final draft that my husband and I will repeat to each other.

I also wrote the greeting that my cousin will read to our guests when the ceremony starts. And no one has to memorize a thing. I'll have our ceremony printed in booklet style on cardstock for my cousin to hold and read from, which makes him a lot more comfortable. Then he'll read our vows and we'll repeat them, so we don't have to memorize them either.

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What kind of wedding dress is appropriate?
That is really a personal choice. If you can still fit into your original wedding gown, feel free to wear it again. If you had a large traditional ceremony when you got married, you can wear a more casual dress for this ceremony. The choice is yours depending on how small and intimate or large and formal the reaffirmation ceremony is that you're planning.

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Where should we have our ceremony?
And just like with planning any other wedding, you can choose to have your vow renewal ceremony anywhere you want-outside, at a fire banquet hall, anywhere. It's your day, all over again, and you're celebrating the years that you and your spouse have been together. So make it as special as you want.

And don't hesitate to have the big ceremony you didn't get a chance to have when you got married. Any time's a good time to have your vow renewal ceremony!

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