Renewal of Vows

A vow renewal ceremony is very romantic; it’s your opportunity to reconfirm your commitment to each other in a personal & heartfelt way. Many couples, like you, want to celebrate and reaffirm their love and commitment for one another by renewing their marriage vows, either privately or publicly. This may seem strange, but I have found that in many ways a vow renewal is even more romantic and special than a wedding; sometimes a couple has been through a bad patch… or a pandemic, and they take stock of what’s important to them and they realise it’s each other.

During the lockdown you were home together more than ever before, and you were reminded why you fell in love with each other and indeed why you made a lifetime commitment to each other. You had time to think about what was important and you realised that you were going to be together forever and decided to celebrate your ongoing love with a ceremony.

Here are ways that your vow renewal can be both fun and meaningful:

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Reasons Why You May Want to Renew Your Marriage Vows:

Vow renewals are appropriate for married couples regardless of how long you have been married. There are many reasons why you may want a vow renewal ceremony. Here are some examples:

It’s a special anniversary, such as your 5th,10th, 25th, 50th, etc.
The two of you want to make a public statement of your love and commitment to each other.
Friends and family couldn’t attend your wedding due to distance or it is a small ceremony and you now want to share your vows with them in attendance.
You and your spouse have had a difficult time and want to start fresh.
You can now have that adventurous ceremony that you wanted originally, but you couldn’t share it with all your friends and family.
Now is the time to have some ‘just us’ time to celebrate what you have, all you have achieved and to look forward in your future together.
It’s a great excuse for a party!

A vow renewal ceremony is a symbolic, sentimental ceremony it is not a legal ceremony.

Generally paperwork is not required, however you may wish to sign a souvenir certificate and have your witnesses sign it as well!
It can be as simple as the two of you alone in a beautiful spot reciting vows you have written or a fancy affair with guests.

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Exchange words from your heart and then you won’t go wrong!

Recommendation for your vow renewal

Keep your renewal of marriage vows casual and simple in fact most vow renewals tend to be intimate celebrations, with only close family and friends present, and a lunch or dinner afterward at a nice restaurant.
If you write your own vows, focus on your future together.
Re-dedicate your rings or have your wedding rings blessed instead of purchasing new rings, although I’d never say no to another new ring!!
I think a bouquet is a nice idea – it gives you something to do with your hands … unless you’re going to hold hands throughout the ceremony, of course.
You and/or your spouse may make a toast to yourselves and/or any guests.

Planning Your Vow Renewal

* You will may want a more intimate celebration with close friends and family or even just yourselves with your children, or no children.

* You should begin by thinking about what kind of ceremony and reception you want and how many guests will attend.

* Set a budget and a date and then find a venue.

* For the reception, if you are having one, you may have it catered or you could plan to enjoy a beautiful meal together at a local restaurant.

Officiant for Vow Renewals

Choose a celebrant you can relate to, who listens to your ideas and plans and is experienced and loves her/his role.

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For more information about the various ceremonies I offer as well as more about me, please follow the link:

https://weddingcelebrantqueenstown.com/phillipa-cook-queenstown-celebrant/

Testimonials

A celebration of a special life

Recently we were lucky to have Phillipa officiate at the funeral service of our much loved daughter. During a time where emotions were high, Phillipa was a breath of fresh air. She worked with us in a much needed, kind, calming and professional...

Bianca and Miles from Australia say Phillipa’s the most outstanding & passionate celebrant!

Phillipa is the most outstanding & passionate celebrant. The ceremony was so personal, intimate and simply beautiful. She has such a warm personality and her passion for weddings is evident in everything she does. We appreciated the great communication before the...

Winter Heli Wedding on Cecil Peak Review

Paula and Kosta first met in a local bar and restaurant in Christchurch, I’m not going to repeat Kosta’s pick up line but he won points for originality and clearly it worked because Paula agreed to a date at a Thai restaurant a few days later. From there they...

Ruth highly recommends Phillipa as a celebrant

We were truly blessed having Phillipa officiate at our wedding. Her relaxed, friendly, professional style was perfect. We appreciated the great communication throughout the planning process. She listened to our requirements, offered ideas and solutions and together we...

David and Joy just moments after exchanging their vows on the Queenstown lakefront

A beautiful testimonial from 2 very special people.

We met Phillipa two weeks before our wedding date - yes, just two weeks. At first, we were hesitant as we were quite on a tight timing but Phillipa told us that our wedding should be about my partner David and I. That the ceremony should reflect what we envisioned it...