It's "Bride" Season - Have You Done A Vows-Renewal Event?

[ronandannette]

I've been watching several wedding-related tv marathons lately and also loved reading the current wedding thread. I find it really interesting to hear how others think about weddings and what they have done or are doing to "tie the knot".

DH and I had a pretty traditional wedding in 1995 with a church ceremony and country club dinner and dance. We then hit "rough waters"; turns out being married is harder than getting married . It was 10 years before we really found our stride and were finally able to see "forever" on the horizon. We celebrated with a small ceremony and dinner followed by the honeymoon we didn't have the first time. We wore special attire, had flowers, decor and a 2-tiered cake and champagne. The guest list was limited to 5 couples that had been through the trenches with us. It was very meaningful and one of our most cherished memories. We spent about $1,000 all in (not including the trip) and it was worth every penny!

 

[tazdev3225]

I never have but for my parents 25th anniversary I surprised them with a party and vow renewal. I should say I surprised my mom, my dad was in on it. They eloped and never had the whole wedding thing. They will be married 60 years this October and have had a rough year with my dad getting diagnosed with cancer. This time I am surprising them both. My brothers and I are chipping in for a luncheon at our church. We are inviting whoever is there that day to celebrate our parents anniversary. My dad's sister will be coming up from Florida, already had plans to visit but is making sure the dates coincide, and we will invite some other family members. They are also going to be surprised with a vow renewal/blessing during the church service. I am really looking forward to it.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Had one but it wasn't a big thing. It was just he and I on a nice beach with the reverend saying a blessing. Later, the Planner served dinner and we had a small cake (she even put a little Han Solo and Princess Leia figurine on it ). We went out later on that night to some club. The pictures were really nice.

 

[crz4mm2]

We celebrated our 30th with a Cruise Vow Renewal. Our kids both came and my BFF and her DH. It was wonderful. Carnival went above and beyond. We had cake, champaign, hot appetizers and a photographer.
It truly was one of the best things we have done.

 

[mommasita]

That sounds nice, and you are spot on, it is harder..

I always thought I would at 20 years, and next month it will be 20, but I am too much of a chicken liver..LOL.

So I say maybe 25????... I just don't think I could do it in front of anyone, perhaps DH and I alone, or with our children, and if they still have people in their lives at that time.. I don't know..

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

We had a big traditional wedding and a rough early marriage, as well. We often joke that no one had bet on twenty years, so does that mean we get the money from the pool? He's talked about vow renewal, but I'm not so sure I want to. Maybe if we make it to fifty.

 

[Miskey]

We did not have a wedding, just went to the justice of the peace without telling anyone. We had a small vow renewal ceremony on the beach in Gulf Shores to celebrate our 25th anniversary

 

[cybrkitn]

I never have but for my parents 25th anniversary I surprised them with a party and vow renewal. I should say I surprised my mom, my dad was in on it. They eloped and never had the whole wedding thing. They will be married 60 years this October and have had a rough year with my dad getting diagnosed with cancer. This time I am surprising them both. My brothers and I are chipping in for a luncheon at our church. We are inviting whoever is there that day to celebrate our parents anniversary. My dad's sister will be coming up from Florida, already had plans to visit but is making sure the dates coincide, and we will invite some other family members. They are also going to be surprised with a vow renewal/blessing during the church service. I am really looking forward to it.

That was so sweet! Sixty years! That's great! IIRC, my in-laws will be married 66 years this November. Unfortunately, my MIL has had Alzhiemers (sp?) for over 13 years and has been in a nursing home for just about 13 years (she went in when DS was only a month old). I don't think they ever did a vow renewal.

DH and I did. I think it was on our 10 year anniversary, but I'm not too sure about that b/c I remember spending our anniversary in NYC for the weekend to see Wicked. Our church was doing a group vow renewal at the time and we decided to do it. We've been happily married for 16 years this September, but together as a couple for 28 years this July. We're high school sweethearts

 

[ronandannette]

That sounds nice, and you are spot on, it is harder..

I always thought I would at 20 years, and next month it will be 20, but I am too much of a chicken liver..LOL.

So I say maybe 25????... I just don't think I could do it in front of anyone, perhaps DH and I alone, or with our children, and if they still have people in their lives at that time.. I don't know..

At our wedding DH and I each had 8 attendants and 40 family members. At our vows-renewal we limited the guest list to people we were really close to; those that had helped us through the rough times in ways we couldn't have done without. Interestingly, there wasn't ANYBODY at the second that had been at the first...and if we were to do it again now only 1 of the 5 couples from the second would be included. Seasons of life - people come and go in some pretty unexpected ways.

 

[Colleen27]

We haven't. I used to talk about it, in a semi-joking way - doing a vow renewal at the 25 year mark, when we're entering the "new" kid-free stage of married life since it has never been just DH & I - but lately DH has mentioned it in a more serious way. Not so much as the celebration I imagined, but having our marriage sanctified in church since when we married neither of us was particularly religious and we had a small non-denominational outdoor ceremony. We have since joined the parish affiliated with our girls' school and DH has decided to go through the RCIA process to become Catholic, so having the marriage sanctified is an idea that keeps coming up.

 

[lorimay]

We had the big Catholic wedding in 1987.
Then for our 25th in 2012 we did a vow renewal on The Disney Magic, it was just us our 2 kids, there significant others and our 2 precious grandchildren. It was a perfect day and a wonderful family vacation.

 

[Wendy31]

We were married 20 years this past April. We had a traditional wedding & reception, so I've never really felt like we missed out on anything.

In the past, we've occasionally joked about doing a vow renewal, but both came to the conclusion that we'd rather take the money we'd spend on a vow renewal & put it toward something like a really nice vacation.

However, I think a small vow renewal w/ just our kids on a beach somewhere could be nice...

 

[tazdev3225]

That was so sweet! Sixty years! That's great! IIRC, my in-laws will be married 66 years this November. Unfortunately, my MIL has had Alzhiemers (sp?) for over 13 years and has been in a nursing home for just about 13 years (she went in when DS was only a month old). I don't think they ever did a vow renewal.

DH and I did. I think it was on our 10 year anniversary, but I'm not too sure about that b/c I remember spending our anniversary in NYC for the weekend to see Wicked. Our church was doing a group vow renewal at the time and we decided to do it. We've been happily married for 16 years this September, but together as a couple for 28 years this July. We're high school sweethearts

Thanks. My mom always says don't do anything but I know she will be surprised and happy.

 

[Gigi22]

One vote for the other side. I have always told DH that if we ever renew our vows, it will have to be in Vegas with an Elvis impersonator officiating. Vegas, baby!

And no, renewing vows isn't anything even vaguely attractive to either of us.

 

[bsblady01]

my husband and I have been married for 10 years and this is not something we ever plan to do, we had a medium sized wedding on my grandparents farm in upstate ny, we did not do a honeymoon since I was 8 months prego with our daughter, but ten years later we are still married with great jobs and three awesome kids

 

[trip]

We're 6 years away from our 50th. Time has flown by! Hopefully we'll take our kids and grandkids on a cruise and do our vow renewal.

 

[Bluestars]

I've never had a vow renewal and never will. It's not something either my husband or I are interested in doing. Once was fine with us. I think it's great that some people find them meaningful and enjoy doing them. Everyone should do whatever makes them happy.

 

[donac]

My parents had 2. One at 25 and one at 50.

When dh and I were celebrating our 24th he surprised me through out the day with 24 small presents. The 24th was a lenox heart that said happy 25th and inside was a paper that said. Will you marry me again. We had it the next year in our backyard With immediate family and a few friends. A friend's husband was a deacon and he performed the ceremony. My friend and her daughter played. We had a great time.

We will be married 37years in August.

 

[superme80]

I want to do a vow renewal at Disneyland! So far DH is not on board. We will be celebrating 8 years in October. Will see what I can swing in 17 more years!

 

[rszdtrvl]

One vote for the other side. I have always told DH that if we ever renew our vows, it will have to be in Vegas with an Elvis impersonator officiating. Vegas, baby!

And no, renewing vows isn't anything even vaguely attractive to either of us.

DH and I married in Reno, and the vow renewal I want to do is almost identical to yours, except I want to have the renewal at Denny's on Fremont in Vegas with Elvis officiating. I keep telling him that (our 20 year is in January). But I am about 50% serious about a renewal. My younger brother renews every year with a big party. A bit too much, IMO.