Renewing Vows

[bartty]

Well, Dh and I decided we'll be renewing our vows at wdw for our 10th. The only problem is that it's 4 years away!!! I wish we could do it tommorow because I hate having to wait to plan. Anyways, just a few questions for all you wedding experts.... Would you wear a full on bridal gown for your renewal? It will be on the 4th of July, so what location do you think is best to get married at and where should the reception be? We had a very very intimate wedding with just parents and my little sister (total of 6 including us) the first time around. We did it in St. Augustine and after we were married were told that the rest of the family (dh's side) was not happy they were not "invited". So we would love to make up for that at Disney. So, If you were me, what kind of renewal ceremony would you plan???


ps. I got the renewing our vows bug after reading Janet's trip report and was inspired....

 

[Cinderella_68]

We are planning renewing our vows on our tenth anniversary next year. I am SO wearing a wedding gown with veil and tiara. And if anyone doesn't like it, well, too darn bad! (Especially our families.)
Fourth of July, huh? I'd have to say the American Adventure rotunda for your ceremony/reception, for absolutely sure! And you'd have to have some fireworks, so maybe start the night off with an Illuminations cocktail hour?

 

[hmgolden]

I say wear the biggest, puffiest gown you can find, if thats what you want!

Just FYI - Be aware that because July 4th is a holiday, you'll most likely face higher minimums for your wedding day, as well as restrictions on where you can hold your reception. We originally looked at July 4th weekend for our wedding, but ended up opting for the weekend before, for various reasons.

Have fun planning and Congratulations!

 

[scarlett873]

we're planning to do a vow renewal at disney too! we've only been married for 2 1/2 years, but would like to do something for our 5 year anniversary. if not disney, then we'll definitely do disney for our 10th!

when it's our turn for a vow renewal, i plan to wear the frilly full on wedding dress. while i loved my dress that i wore for our wedding, it was very plain and simple. we were married on a pretty tight budget so my dress wasn't the elaborate gown i had wanted. i'm already looking for gowns! (i've really got my eye on the gown that evilina's chosen for her own wedding! i am totally in love with her dress!)

so i would say that you wear what you want to wear...if it's the big frilly dress, have at it! plan as big a party as you want! you're celebrating your marriage!!

best wishes!

 

[bartty]

Thanks....I wore a $40 white dress from macys for our wedding so I want a big REAL dress this time with the works!!! We got married on 4th of July, so it makes sense to renew our vows on that date. Thanks for the heads up of higher costs, since we've got tons of time I can start saving NOW!!!!! I like the american rotunda idea for the reception.... Keep the ideas coming. I'm taking notes in my special planning book (I need help, I know!)

Thanks everyone

 

[scrump]

Yes, Janet's trip report was fabulous! I think the great thing about vow renewals is that you can truly do what you want. Wear whatever kind of dress you want, you've earned it. I too would love to plan for a Disney vow renewal one day!

 

[ead79]

I think you should definitely wear a full on wedding gown for your renewal if that’s what you want! I’m hoping for a vow renewal for our 10th (only 9 years away, LOL!), and I want to wear a gown myself.

I love the suggestion of the American Adventure Rotunda for the reception if you’re planning to invite enough people for the minimum (the minimum number of guests is 100 for that venue). I’ll admit I’m a little biased because I had my wedding reception there, but it’s really a lovely venue!

Do you know if you want an outdoor ceremony, or do you plan to use the Wedding Pavilion? Since you’re planning on July, just keep in mind that it will be very hot in the middle of the day, so if you want an outdoor ceremony you would probably want to consider doing it early in the morning or later in the evening.

If you’d like to see some pictures of the AAR, I’m happy to send you the link to my photo album and video recap so you can see the venue (just PM me).

 

[twojo21]

i would definetly do the princess dress if thats what you desire.

custom weddings (12+ people)nthis year on holidays have a minimum of $20,000 bartty, not sure on intimates (12 people or less). so you have some time to save money $. there are tons of great locations at wdw, i agree with the other dis brides on the suggestion of the american rotunda at epcot which is just beautiful and perfect for the 4th of july theme. disney doesnt book wedding or renewals until 1 year in advance or out but the dis, disneyweddings.go.com (the official site) and yourfairytale.com (has some great pictures & info) are great references as you plan.

congratulations on your years together, hope your future renewal goes off with a bang!

 

[Janet2k]

Definitely wear whatever you want. It's your party.

If I would have been the princess type, I would have worn one of those gowns that looked like a ballerina dress -- fitted bodice with a big ol' fluffy skirt (floor length, of course). Sigh. But I am so not that type (only in my dreams), so I chose something simple that I would feel comfortable in. The dress I wore worked out perfectly (I'll describe it at some point if I can ever find the time to finish my dang trip report).

I wore nothing in my hair – no veil and no tiara. I truly went with simplicity, but that is me. If I would have been the princess type, I would have gone with a tiara or jeweled headband (sigh).

As to jewelry, I wore only a simple eternity band on my ring finger (I did not wear my wedding ring). I wore no earrings (I don’t have pierced ears) and I wore no necklace (I almost wore a strand of pearls but chose not to).

Here is where I further broke with tradition. I wore my watch. That was a tough decision for me to make. I had to decide if seeing my watch in my vow renewal photographs would bother me. I decided that it wouldn’t, so I chose to wear it. Besides, I knew that if I didn’t wear it, I would feel naked and uncomfortable without it (I’ve been wearing a wristwatch since I was in the 5th grade). My watch was actually a gift that I bought for myself a few years ago in order to celebrate a personal milestone. Since it has special significance to me, there was no way that I was not going to wear it on the most magical night of my life. I happily broke with tradition and wore my favorite piece of jewelry.

Whatever you do for your own vow renewal, please pick a dress that is comfortable to wear. The last thing that you want to be worrying about on your magical night is a fussy dress that you’re constantly tugging at in order to keep it in place. As to hairpieces, jewelry, and shoes, definitely choose whatever suits you and not someone else. If you want a cathedral length veil, wear one. If you want a flowery hat, wear one. If you want a rhinestone tiara, wear one. If you want a strand of pearls, wear one. If you want multiple rings on multiple fingers, wear ‘em. And if you want a wristwatch, wear one. It’s your party, your celebration, your life. Live it to the fullest and have no regrets.

 

[mking624]

Hi Bartty! My husband and I are renewing our vows for our 10th anniversary as well....and we're still 5 years away from that! But with him being in seminary, and me finishing up school once he's done, we need to start early with the saving. We're not quite sure if we want an intimate or a custom vow renewal yet. There are aspects we like and dislike about both.

But really, it comes down to what you and your husband want. Don't let anyone else's opinion dictate how you're going to have your big day. My grandparents renewed their vows for their 25th...and had a HUGE bash. Complete with fancy puffy dress/veil, and full blown wedding & reception. I thought it was awesome!!

So go for whatever you like. This is YOUR day!!!

 

[bartty]

Thanks everyone! I will definitely do this renewal our way. I have one question about cost.... Do the prices go up every year? And what do you all think the cost would be for a ceremony w/ rec. for about 25 guests? Oh, and do they count kids as a guest and if so are they charged full price? Thank you so much everyone for all your help.

 

[twojo21]

the prices do change but not every year, as you get closer to the vow renewal you'll have a better estimate. holidays (like 4th of july) are more expensive with a minimum of $20,000 when we did our site visit almost a year ago. you could consider a weekday or weekend before or after the holiday to save on cost. children are counted as guests, but they have childrens menus for receptions & soda bar options so you wont be charged an adult plate or open bar with alcohol for the younger child guests.

 

[hmgolden]

And just to add, since you expressed interest in it, that the American Adveture Rutunda has a 100 person minimum. There is a smaller room upstairs, The AA VIP room that has a much smaller minimum, and would still go with a July 4th theme. At the moment, I believe the FTW f&b minimums are around $100 p/p. Some locations will have an additional minimum that you'll meet in conjunction with the p/p minimums.

Last year (a current bride can tell you if the fee has gone up) our ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion cost $2200 (plus tax, and a service fee I think). Outdoor locations are cheaper ($1,200) but do not include a musican sound system.

So much has changed at FTW in the year since our wedding, but just FYI, for our 2:30 PM ceremony at the WP, reception at Atlantic Dance Hall for 76 pp, and a dessert party at EPCOT, we paid about $25,000 to Disney. That doesn't include things like my dress, or a photographer as we didn't use Disney for that. We also didn't do a lot of the 'extras' that Disney offers, no coach, characters, etc. What your wedding will cost will depend a lot on the choices you make, its hard to give an estimate. I have seen some couples who have your size guest list pull together stunning events and stay very close to the minimums that Disney requires, while other couples can spend $20,000 over the minimum on the same number of guests.

You may want to check out www.yourfairytale.com for more information on the current pricing in effect, and to check out potential locations. There are a lot of pictures and information on that site.

Hope this info helps you out a little. You have so much time to plan and gather ideas. You are going to have so much fun!

 

[J&L Love Disney]

My DH and I are renewing our vows at WDW on December 16, 2005 in a custom ceremony.

I am wearing the gown of my choice. Although I haven't picked it yet, it will be a "real" wedding gown. I will also have a tiara or some other headpiece. However, I will not wear the veil this time.

Our ceremony is at the Wedding Pavilion and our reception is to follow at the St. James room at The Boardwalk.

Everything about our Vow Renewal will be the same as a wedding except for the actual ceremony on the altar. We do plan on having on officiant and we want one of our family members to say something short about our 10 years. We will exchange vows that we have written instead of traditional wording. I'm sure our officiant will customize to our needs. We also will not go with the traditional "Wedding March" music and may not use the Unity candle. Other than that, everything else will be the same.

You do whatever makes you feel happy. The purpose of a wedding ceremony or vow renewal is to share the joy of your love with your family and friends. You don't have to have a ceremony to get married. You can just go to the Clerk of Court and get a license.

Our ceremony is celebrating that our love has grown over the past 10 years, even through some very extreme circumstances. We want to celebrate that our love and devotion to each other is stronger than ever. We want to shout in front of our family and friends that we still want to keep doing this married thing. I personally don't believe you have to wait for a specific number of years to have a Vow Renewal. It just happened to be our 10th. You might want to do one after a particularly rough time or the birth of a child, etc.

This is for you and there are not really any rules. Have Fun and enjoy!
Lisa