Wedding Vow Renewals

“With about half of all marriages ending in divorce, for those marriages that endure, a renewal of vows can be significant… As marriage progresses through stages… people begin to recognize more the significance of each stage, the milestones represented by each stage, and the value of an enduring relationship.”

–Marota Wesely-Clough

This is the reason why wedding vow renewals are significant to the wedded couple who has endured more than their fair share of trials and problems together, and have triumphed in spite of it all. Wedding vow renewals serve as a rekindling of the commitment that couples have towards each other, affirming once again their love for each other amongst friends and family who bear witness to this very special and blessed event.

Vow Renewal Ceremony

The wedding vow renewal ceremony is indeed a very special one. It is a momentous event wherein the whole family is gathered together to bear witness to the love and commitment that is being reaffirmed between two people whose relationship has surpassed the trials and tribulations of time.

The importance of family members and friends is highly emphasized in the wedding vow renewal ceremony. Guests can range from over the immediate family members to several hundred witnesses to this occasion.

Also, these wedding vow renewal ceremonies are usually held in public places such as in churches, in the homes of the people renewing their vows, outdoors, etc. These ceremonies are usually officiated by a member of the clergy such as a priest or minister. After which, there is a reception in order to celebrate this special event.

Types of Wedding Vow Renewals

Couples basically renew their wedding vows for a whole lot of reasons. There are several types of wedding vow renewals, which are categorized according to the reasons behind conducting the ceremony in the first place.

Anniversary Vow Renewals

The first type of wedding vow renewal ceremony is instituted by either the couple or the family members, and it is basically community or family-oriented by nature. This is the type of ceremony that usually commemorates a couple’s wedding anniversary. It bears testimony to the strength and endurance of their marriage, therefore giving their family as well as the younger generation a role model of what a real marriage should be.

This first type of wedding vow renewal ceremony is also held because a couple’s original wedding ceremony was lacking due to financial constraints or other reasons like elopement. Some couples weren’t married in a church, only in front of a judge, and so would want to renew their commitment in a more religious setting. Hence, this wedding vow renewal ceremony gives the couples a second chance at a much more formal and grander wedding than they had at the start. These couples now have an opportunity to recommit to each other in front of so many family and friends their love for one another in a much more extraordinary style.

Turning Point Vow Renewals

The second type of wedding vow renewals focus on couples who wish to conduct a renewal ceremony especially after facing an extremely difficult challenge or turning point in their lives. For instance, a couple might wish to renew their wedding vows after being separated or estranged for some time, so that they may be able to reaffirm their love and commitment to one another.

Mass Vow Renewals

This third type of wedding vow renewals is actually a mass, wherein there is an officiating priest or minister who presides over this ceremony to administer the vow renewal to several couples at the same time.

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No matter the reasons behind it or how it is conducted, these wedding vow renewals will always remain special. The meaning behind it will never change—it will always stand as a testimony of the bond between two people who have chosen to love and stand by each other forever—for richer, for poorer, in sickness, in health, until the end of all time.