Celebrate your love: The rise of vow renewals among couples
You're too old to celebrate your love.
Image: Kampus Production / Pexels
Vow renewals are growing in popularity as more couples choose to celebrate their lasting love with a heartfelt ceremony.
Whether it's a quiet moment between two people or a festive gathering with friends and family, renewing vows allows couples to reflect on their journey and recommit to the future together.
From marking milestone anniversaries to embracing a fresh start after challenges, vow renewals offer a meaningful way to say “I still do.”
With even celebrities embracing the trend, it's clear that many couples are finding new reasons to celebrate old promises.
If you need high-profile encouragement, look no further than Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who quietly renewed their vows in 2018 and later shared snippets of the intimate moment during their “On the Run II” tour.
Salma Hayek’s husband, François-Henri Pinault, surprised her with a barefoot ceremony on a Bora Bora beach, children cheerfully acting as witnesses.
And Justin and Hailey Bieber, eager to press “refresh” on the hectic early years of their marriage, chose a private lakeside gathering to declare their love all over again.
Part of the surge in popularity comes from life itself.
Milestone anniversaries sneak up, children grow old enough to understand what mom and dad’s bond really means, or a couple survives long-distance work, illness, or just an incredibly busy decade and wants to mark the fact that they made it through together.
How to plan a vow renewal ceremony
You don’t need a wedding planner or a big budget to have a meaningful vow renewal. Here's how to make it happen.
- Choose a meaningful date: Pick a day that’s special to you, like your wedding anniversary or another important milestone in your relationship.
- Decide on the style and size: Think about whether you want something private and intimate or a larger celebration with friends and family.
- Pick a location that reflects you: This could be your backyard, a beach, a place you both love, or even the original venue where you got married.
- Write your own vows: Reflect on your journey together and express what your partner means to you now. You can repeat your original vows or write new ones.
- Choose someone to officiate: A vow renewal doesn’t need a legal officiant. Ask a friend, family member, or even one of your children to lead the ceremony.
- Dress in a way that feels right: Wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable, whether it’s formal, casual, or completely unique to you.
- Include personal touches: Play your wedding song, involve your children, display old photos, or recreate a moment from your original wedding.
- Celebrate afterwards: Have a meal, cut a cake, share a toast, or throw a party.
Whether it happens five years or fifty years after the wedding, the sentiment is the same: it's about celebrating how far you’ve come and looking forward to everything still ahead.
IOL Lifestyle