What is your opinion of vow renewals?

[blondeheroine]

printed at the bottom, "No Boxed Gifts."

Okay, some people just need to be throttled.

Perhaps that's what they were asking for and it just simply can't be boxed?

 

[tiggerunner]

My husband and I renewed our vows for our 25th. Invited family and original bridal party. It was a religious ceremony-short and our daughters sang and read. We had a small reception at the site-bagels and fruit and later that day had a barbeque and swim party at my sisters house. Everyone just caught up and had fun. We put out a digital photo frame with old and new photos and had a blast. No gifts and a few people donated to our favorite charity, just to honor us.
It can be meaningful and fun without all the hoopla-pretty much our life anyway.

 

[Maggimus]

No personal experience with renewals here--- but i always here that renewing your vows is like signing divorce papers...
Ive heard of many people going through the entire big process again (Big gathering, big ta-da, and boom- big bills, big long divorce settlement, etc, etc).

I don't think I will ever be doing it (although i did like the idea just after my wedding-- i suppose i was in a slump from disney wedding planning or something). Now-- id say our marriage is just fine. If we did renew our vows, it would be very small, very intimate, and very private. No major fiasco..

 

[Pigeon]

Personally, I think they are kind of silly. We got married right the first time. As far as I can tell, our vows didn't come with an expiration date.

As for expecting gifts, ah, that would be a big no.

 

[rabyoga]

I view the whole vow renewal thing differently. I believe that we put way TOO much emphasis on a big wedding and little thought to the actual marriage. I believe the big party/wedding should occur at the 20th or such anniversary. I think it's way too easy to get married; it's much harder to stay happily married.

*Granted I've been happily married for 21 years. Of course, I haven't done or intend to do a vow renewal. If I could do a Disney one, I would love to do a renewal with a Capt. Jack Sparrow being the official. Imagine how funny that would be. "You intend to keep staying with this wench forever?"..

 

[ericamanda01]

When we got married it was a very, very small wedding. I think we spent a total of $1500 including clothes and dinner. We have talked about having a vow renewal on our 13th anniversary, our lucky number. But the idea of registering for gifts is tacky.

 

[KSchwagg86]

I don't know if I see the point, but maybe that's because I'm not married

 

[ZephyrHawk]

It's a good a reason as any to throw a party, and better than some. However, there should be NO presents at a renewal.

You know, I may be driving through Vegas with DH later in the year and I was throwing around the idea of doing a drive-through vow renewal just for the hell of it. Yes, it's silly, but so are we.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

We've done it a few times. We've been married 10 years. It was more of a group thing twice in Hawaii where everyone who was married had a little renewal and we got free drinks and once when we were on a cruise ship we did it as part of a package because it was the only way we could tour the bridge which we always wanted to do that and we liked the other stuff they offered in the package.

So I guess I'm a bit of a vow renewal prostitute and my price is pretty low.

 

[java]

I don't get it. The original vows were till death so we don't see the need to renew them. But if you want to that's fine with me. Just don't expect me to sit through it. I think it can be a lovely private event. And hello extra honeymoon night wouldn't be so bad! But not our thing.

 

[Camicar]

We had a regular wedding back in the day and I really see no need to do it again. I've never had an urge to throw an anniversary party either.

That said, I don't really care what anyone else wants to do but I have to say that my indifference is not complete. If you want to throw an anniversary party, fine, but I really don't want to sit thru a vow renewal ceremony.

 

[RitaZ.]

Ah well. I'll file it away with the other invitation I got recently that had printed at the bottom, "No Boxed Gifts." At least I'll be saving on wedding gifts this year!

We recently received an invitation for a wedding (3rd marriage for the bride) where the couple registered at 2 stores and asked for $ for home repairs in lieu of gifts. Yes, they called the $ donations, "their favorite charity". It was all listed on the invitation. I didn't send a gift nor donated to their favorite "charity".

 

[trip]

I'm in the middle of helping to plan one right now so I must approve of them.

My DD was just married two weeks ago and is already planning her renewal ceremony for next year! Reason ... her now DH's Marine reserve unit is being deployed to Iraq for the second time. They had a very small ceremony in a local park but are planning to have an all out ceremony/reception next year when he comes home. They will even be registering for gifts!!

 

[Snowysmom]

DH and I feel that the vows were said at our wedding are for a lifetime. We've been married almost 33 years. I do think that vow renewals are great if the first ceremony was small or you eloped and now want to have a ceremony with family. The gift regisry idea though is kind of tacky.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Oh, and we renew our vows every time we happen to walk near our wedding gazebo at the Disneyland Hotel. If it isn't in use, it is open, so we walk up and say we'd do it all over again!


And then our friends make fun of us and we buy them all drinks at the Lost Bar.

I LOVE being a Disney Bride!

We got married at the wedding gazebo there too! It was back in 1996 though.

 

[Carly_Roach]

This thread made me call into the other room to ask DH if he wanted to renew our vows together.

He wants to know what's wrong with the old ones. I love my pragmatist.

 

[turkeymama]

I can see certain circumstances where vow renewals would be totally appropriate, like some of the ones mentioned in previous posts. But in general, they aren't something I could see my husband or I doing.

 

[Piecey]

They got married only 5 YEARS AGO?

That's just silly. I can see a vow renewal after40 or 50 years or so, but anything less is just begging for additional gifts.

ITA! Gift registry, too?! I didn't even do a registry for my FIRST wedding last May!

My parents are planning a vowel renewal for their 30th in 2011.

They're hiring a wedding planner simply because they're doing it on the beach- and that way this lady can do things THERE while they are here.

They're renting out one of those huge houses and inviting family/close friends to come join in the festivities.

They're excited because when they first started planning they didn't have a ring bearer.. now they do.

I don't think their tacky or anything to do like my parents are... especially because they're making it more into a celebration with those that they love.

 

[Pigeon]

My parents are planning a vowel renewal for their 30th in 2011.

I've got to know, why are they leaving out the consonants?

 

[blondeheroine]

I've got to know, why are they leaving out the consonants?

I'm not sure if it's because I'm easily amused or what, but this cracked me up.