If you are considering doing a vow renewal with your spouse, you might be wondering exactly what that entails and whether or not it’s a good idea. For many couples, renewing their wedding vows is a way to recommit to their relationship. Some do this on landmark anniversaries while others do it to mark a particularly big milestone in their marriage. You can plan to renew vows wherever suits you and your partner, and you can have an officiant be involved if you prefer. Unlike a wedding ceremony, recommitment ceremonies are not a legal matter. For some couples, this type of ceremony can strengthen their marriage and deepen their bond. However, it’s important to make sure that you are choosing to renew your vows for the right reason, and not as a band-aid. Hopefully, you and your partner can make the decision that is right for you.
Vow Renewal: Is It Right for You and Will It Improve Your Relationship?
What Is It?
A vow renewal is a way of ceremonially and symbolically recommitting to one another. Often it involves repeating the vows you took on your wedding day. Or creating new vows to one another. For many couples, it’s a way of honoring and celebrating their love before friends and family.
Why Do Couples Choose This?
Some couples choose to do a vow renewal as a way to celebrate large anniversaries. For example, ten, fifteen, or twenty years of marriage. In other cases, couples might use it as a way of reconnecting if they have gone through a rough patch. For instance, if they considered a breakup or if there was adultery, they might use this as a way of symbolically marking their decision to stay together.
How to Plan a Ceremony
A vow renewal is a ceremonial practice only and not a legal matter. You don’t need to obtain a marriage license or speak to an attorney before planning your recommitment ceremony. It can take place wherever you like and can be as fancy or casual as suits you. Some couples choose to invite friends and family. And some choose to have clergy preside over the ceremony. It depends on your relationship and what suits you and your spouse.
Will It Strengthen Your Marriage
A bigger question many ask is whether the vow renewal will strengthen your marriage. A lot depends on the motivation behind it. It’s likely to bring you closer if both of you are truly and sincerely committing to your future together. However, if one person is using it as a peace offering or to get out of trouble, then it can be a bandaid. But it doesn’t really address underlying issues with your marriage. It’s best to choose this type of ceremony when you are in a healthy place, rather than as a way of throwing a “hail mary” to fix your relationship.
A vow renewal can be a great way to honor your marriage and pep up things in your relationship. It’s a fun way to gather friends and family to celebrate the strength of your love. Some couples choose to have lavish ceremonies while others choose small private gatherings. The choice is up to each individual couple because recommitment ceremonies are not legal matters. You might choose to renew your vows on a milestone anniversary or to mark the end of a rough patch in your marriage. However you choose to celebrate, both partners should be equally committed to one another and to your future together.