Considering renewing your wedding vows? This is a beautiful way to reaffirm your love and commitment for each other. You’ll also get to relive some of the special memories from your wedding day, surrounded by friends and family.
But when is the right time to renew your vows, and how do you go about it? There’s lots to think about, including the venue, ceremony and of course, what to wear for a wedding vow renewal.
Why Do People Renew Their Wedding Vows?
To help you start planning, it’s a good idea to sit down together for a chat about why you want to renew your wedding vows.
Here are a few of the most common reasons couple decided to tie the knot again:
- Reaching a milestone wedding anniversary
- Emerging from a tough period, perhaps after dealing with illness or grief
- Approaching a significant life event, such as a new child, new career or house move
- A chance to celebrate with friends and family who couldn’t make it to your wedding (for example, if you had a small ceremony or eloped).
You don’t need an excuse though – you might simply want to do it all over again and feel it’s the right time to renew your vows. Ultimately, it’s all about reaffirming your love for each other and celebrating the strength of your marriage.
When Can You Renew Your Wedding Vows?
Renewing wedding vows is a symbolic act, so there are no legal restrictions, rules or requirements. You can do it whenever and wherever you want. It may be one, 10 or 20 years after the wedding, or even the week after if you really wanted to!
How Do We Renew Our Wedding Vows?
Vow renewal ceremonies are completely personal, so you can plan any kind of celebration you like.
You can choose to do things similarly to your original wedding, perhaps even down to holding it in the same venue, or you can do something entirely different. The day can be formal or relaxed, adventurous or low key – it’s up to the two of you.
It’s not necessary to have a celebrant there to officiate the ceremony, unless you want to of course. You might want to choose a close friend or family member to lead the ceremony instead.
Some couples choose to organise everything themselves, while others bring in a party planner to arrange all the details.
Planning the Ceremony: Style, Roles and Rings
Vow renewal ceremonies are unique to each couple, so there really are no rules on style, speeches, location, venue, flowers or anything really.
You can hold the ceremony in a favourite location you visit as a family, the spot where you got engaged or even your original wedding venue.
It can be outdoors in a fairy light-lit forest, a family member’s garden or on the beach at sunset. You could even hold it in your favourite local pub and the day would be just as special and personal to you.
Do You Get New Rings When You Renew Your Vows?
A lovely thing to do for your vow renewal ceremony is exchange eternity rings. You can also choose to add a new engraving to your original wedding bands, or add another smaller ring next to it. This is called ring stacking, a popular way to showcase love throughout the years, as well as a nice way to add something new without changing what you’ve had before.
However, you don’t have to get new rings at all. You might find it far more moving and symbolic simply to re-exchange the wedding bands you’ve both treasured since your wedding day.
Do You Have a Best Man When Renewing Vows?
It’s not necessary to have a best man, maid of honour, bridesmaids or groomsmen when renewing your vows, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have them anyway! – but why not? It might be a nice touch to honour those closest to you by asking them to be a key part of your big day, whether they’re the ones who were there for the original wedding, or if someone new has come into your life since then that you want to share that moment with.
Having a best man, or even other groomsmen, also means you have the chance to co-ordinate looks with them, adding an extra sense of style to the occasion. Plus, you can mirror this with the bridesmaids, turning the event from a small renewal to a celebration of your love, both platonically and romantically!
Look the Part: Suits Made for the Moment
Now sure what to wear for a wedding vow renewal? A sharp new wedding suit could be exactly the right match for the specialness and importance of the occasion. For most couples, renewing vows is a really big deal, so you’ll want to look the part.
Why a New Suit is the Perfect Fit for a Vow Renewal
For many couples renewing their vows, the celebration marks an exciting new stage of their lives. Career goals are achieved or within reach, families have grown and relationships have deepened. You’ve grown as people and as a couple.
You may want to reflect these changes in what you decide to wear for your vow renewal ceremony, to express who you are now. A new suit can be the perfect way to do this, especially if your tastes have evolved along with everything else.
Choosing the Right Look for the Ceremony
The first consideration when choosing your outfit for the day should be the style of the ceremony and the location. For example, you might want to opt for a simple cream suit if it’s a relaxed ceremony in the back garden, while a sophisticated black tuxedo is the ideal choice for formal celebrations and evening receptions in grander settings.
You’ll have decided between the two of you on a colour scheme and a style for the day, so these can act as your cues when choosing a suit.
Comfort is also crucial. Life’s too short to spend such an important occasion suffering in an over-tight or ill-fitting suit, so it’s worth taking the time to get a good fit. This is your big day and you want to enjoy it without any distractions.
Why Choose Groom Hire for Your Vow Renewal Suit
For your vow renewal suit, you’ll want as much choice as possible, along with a custom-tailored look suitable for such a special occasion. It might also be helpful to get some personalised advice, especially when it comes to getting the perfect fit.
You get all of this and much more with Groom Hire, where we provide bespoke in-person advice and measuring. With our help, you’ll feel ready, relaxed and excited for your big day.
