Vow Renewal FAQs

In this blog post, I explore some common questions for couples looking to plan a vow renewal ceremony (including what to call your ceremony, how to approach your vows the second time around and what symbolic actions you could include) - I hope they're helpful and please get in touch if you'd like to find out more!

What to call your vow renewal ceremony

We're planning to hold a second wedding ceremony, but what should we call it? We’re already married, so calling it a wedding doesn’t sound quite right for us, and we're not religious so we don't want to call it a blessing either.

While of course you could call your larger celebration a wedding, you could also call it a:

· Wedding Celebration

· Re-Wedding

· Vow Renewal Ceremony

What to say in your vows

We already exchanged vows at our legal wedding. What could we even say this time around?

The things you’d like to promise each other might not have changed all that much since your first wedding ceremony, but there are ways to adapt your vows to reflect what you have already accomplished in your marriage and your hopes for the future.

Think of words like: still, keep, reaffirm, once more:

“I, Rachel, keep you, Louise, as my wife.”

“I still promise to make you smile every day and to seize the moment, wherever it takes us.”

“I reaffirm the vows I made to you one year ago.”

If you're lost for words, then I can help you craft your own personal vows and here are some tips in my guest blog with Magpie Wedding here.

Symbolic actions to make your ceremony unique and meaningful to you

We exchanged rings on our original wedding day and we don’t want to do it again for our second ceremony. What can we give each other or do instead?

Some alternatives to exchanging rings during your ceremony can include:

· Exchanging a present linked to your anniversary. If you’re celebrating your first anniversary, why not give each other a copy of your favourite book to symbolise a paper anniversary, or put a present in a keepsake wooden box for your fifth anniversary?

· Exchanging plants or a single rose stem: “Ali, I give you this rose as a symbol of our marriage. The rose’s bud represents the beauty of our relationship, and may its thorns remind you I’ll always be there for you throughout life’s challenges. I promise to work together with you to tend to our marriage and allow our family to blossom and thrive.”

· A symbolic action, such as handfasting, lighting a unity candle or a sand blending ceremony. More information on handfasting is available on the Humanists UK website here .

A beautiful handfasting ceremony at a vow renewal

I hope this gives you a quick idea of what your vow renewal ceremony could look like! If you're looking to organise a humanist vow renewal ceremony or wedding celebration, please get in touch.

Mair Garland is a humanist celebrant based in south-east London and leads weddings, vow renewals, baby naming ceremonies, memorials and funerals across London, the South East, Wales and beyond.