Have you ever heard of a vow renewal?! Keep reading to find out what exactly a vow renewal is & to get 5 unique vow renewal ideas!

What is a vow renewal?

Chances are, you’re familiar with the concept of anniversaries – but you might not know what the heck a “vow renewal” is, even if you have heard of it! 

It’s pretty self-explanatory, but I wanted to lay it out plain & clear just in case: a vow renewal is when you & your spouse renew your wedding vows after a certain period of time.

 

There’s no exact number of years or length of time that vow renewals happen. You could renew your vows after your first five years of marriage, on your 10-year anniversary, even after 20, 30, or 60 years!! 

Vow renewals are a super special way to celebrate the time you’ve spent together on your marriage journey, no matter how long it’s been. They give you an opportunity to “get married again” in a way – whether you decide to renew by saying the same wedding vows you originally did, or you write new vows to each other.

 

Now let’s get into some common questions I see asked about vow renewals, and talk about WHY these questions aren’t ones you need to be asking!!

Common Questions About Vow Renewals (That You Don’t Need to Ask)

When I searched “vow renewal ideas” on Google before writing this post, I took a look at some of the “people also ask” questions, just for fun. And y’all, these questions made me sad!!

They’re all questions about what you “should” be doing for your vow renewal; what the “right” way to do it is. But there is NO right way, and if you know me, you know I encourage my couples to do their own thing!!

 

So I want to go through three of the questions I saw being asked, and address WHY these questions aren’t important when it comes to planning a vow renewal.

“What is a good year to renew your vows?”

Like I mentioned above – there’s no “right” year to renew your vows!

 

Here’s what you should consider when deciding if you want to renew your vows at a certain point in your marriage:

• How have we grown since we got married?

• Have our lives changed significantly, and therefore our original vows have grown/changed too?

• Do we have new vows we want to make to each other based on what’s happened since our wedding day?

• Would renewing our vows signify our growth & renew/refresh the love we have for each other?

And you can also do MULTIPLE vow renewals!! Why not do one on your 5th wedding anniversary, then your 15th, then your 30th? It’s ALL up to you two and what would be meaningful to you!

“What do you say when renewing your vows?”

Y’all there is no right thing to say when renewing your vows!! Google can’t tell you what would be meaningful to you. Think about whether you want to renew your original vows, add new vows in, or do both!

 

What you say to each other is completely up to the two of you, and what you’re feeling + what you want to promise to each other.

“What should a bride wear to renew her vows?”

First of all, let’s give grooms & those who don’t identify as EITHER a bride or groom some love too?!

 

There’s no “right” thing to wear to renew your vows!

You could wear your original wedding attire if it still fits. Or if your original outfit had some sort of accessory, like a belt, hat, or veil, wear that along with a new outfit! You can also totally just buy new outfits or wear your normal clothes.

 

It’s up to you how formal you want to go, and what would be meaningful + feel most like YOU to wear!

 

Now, let’s get into my top 3 reasons you should have a vow renewal! 

3 Reasons to Have a Vow Renewal

1. Your marriage has grown

I’ve already mentioned growth a lot in this blog post – because it’s super important when it comes to vow renewals!

If you two have grown a ton in your marriage since you got married, and you want to celebrate that by renewing your vows, do it.

 

If you’ve gone through new changes and new seasons of life, and your original vows don’t reflect that, renew ‘em & write new ones.

Or if you simply love how you’ve grown as a couple & want to recognize that, renew your vows and have a little celebration!

 

You can do your vow renewal in private, or you can invite some guests. It’s all up to you whether you want to keep it casual or make a party or trip out of it!

2. You want to remember where it all started

If you’re at a point in your live where maybe you now have kids, pets, jobs, or just overall busy lives, you might be wanting to bring the focus back to where it all started: you two!!

Vow renewals are a great way to re-focus and give you an excuse to come back to the present moment and focus on your marriage & love for one another. They’re also a wonderful way to celebrate how far you’ve come, and the journey you’ve been on together since the big day when you made it official!

3. You want an opportunity to celebrate with your family

Vow renewals are the PERFECT excuse for a celebration with your friends & fam!!

 

Especially if you got married during COVID – you might not have been able to have the big wedding you planned, or may not have gotten to celebrate with your loved ones. Don’t worry – vow renewals are the best opportunity to make up for that!

You can totally make a trip out of a vow renewal, just like you can a wedding or elopement. Head somewhere epic with your loved ones, renew your vows, and spend the rest of your time relaxing + adventuring! Rent a cozy Airbnb with your BFF’s and have them stand by your side as you renew your vows.

BONUS: New pics!!

And finally, a lil bonus one I HAD to include – you’ll get new photos together!!

 

Whether you hated your wedding photos and want a second chance at them (in which case, I’m heartbroken for you!!), or you loved them and just want MORE, fresh photos together, vow renewals are the perf chance!

 

You can wear wedding attire, or just get fun, fresh pics in your casual clothes if that’s more your vibe. Either way, vow renewals allow you to get updated photos together in your current season of life! 

5 Unique Vow Renewal Ideas

Before I give you some more helpful resources you might enjoy, let’s go through 5 super fun, unique vow renewal ideas! 

 

1. Rent a giant Airbnb to share with your loved ones

Who says you have to renew your vows at a venue or a national park? If those aren’t your vibe, find a huge Airbnb to rent where you can say your vows in the backyard, and party with your loved ones all in one location!

2. Re-create your wedding day

If you want to feel nostalgic, find ways to re-create your wedding day! Maybe you can hire the same florist to create a similar bouquet for you as you held on your original wedding day, you can renew your vows at the location you got married at, or you can wear your original wedding attire.

 

Find ways to tie in your original wedding day, but also make your vow renewal fresh with new elements too!

3. Buy new rings, or re-dedicate your old ones

If you’re in a financial position to do so, and if it would be meaningful to you, you can buy each other new rings (or upgrade your original ones)! You might be better off financially now than you were when you were younger & getting married, so maybe you want to upgrade each other’s rings.

 

Or, simply re-dedicate your original wedding rings during your vow renewal ceremony to give them new & fresh meaning!

4. Renew your vows at home

If you want to renew your vows in the place that’s most meaningful to you & your journey together, renew your vows at your home! Simply celebrate in your most intimate, personal space that you’ve built together with your kids, dogs, fam, friends, whatever. This will keep it super special & unique to you!

5. Make a trip out of it

If you want to renew your vows at some sort of destination location, make a great trip out of it!! This is the perfect excuse for a getaway for just the two of you (or you and your loved ones, if you want), to escape from real life and bring it back to your honeymoon days. Pick a place you want to visit & start planning an amazing trip!

 

Happy vow renewal planning! And if you’re looking for a vow renewal photographer in the PNW, you know where to find me 😉

If you loved this article, here are some more resources I know you’ll LOVE!!

• 10 Unique Elopement Ideas to Make Your Big Day Feel Like You

• Oregon Honeymoon Guide