A vow renewal ceremony is a special way to declare your continuing commitment to your spouse before family and friends. The ceremony can occur any time after your original wedding.

Couples who eloped or had a "destination" wedding may choose to renew their vows shortly after the original wedding at a gathering for the family and friends who were unable to attend the wedding. Others may choose to renew their vows on a special anniversary, such as the 10th, 15th, or 25th.

Some couples choose to publicly recommit themselves to one another after going through a difficult period in their lives. Since the couple is already married, there are differences between a vow renewal ceremony and a wedding. Following are some of the differences to consider:

Since the ceremony is symbolic, not legal, a minister or judge does not need to perform it, nor do you need to obtain a marriage license. You might choose to ask a father, grandfather, or a special friend to perform the ceremony, thus making it very personal.

Personalize your vows if you have been married for a number of years. You might mention occurrences during past years and hopes for your future together, giving special meaning to the occasion.

Since the wife is already married, her father should not "give" her in marriage. He may walk her down the aisle, however, then place her hand in her husband's.

Because the wife is not a bride and the husband is not a groom, there are no bridesmaids or groomsmen in a vow renewal ceremony. Instead, if the couple wants to have attendants, they might ask their children, parents, or friends that have had a major impact on their lives to stand with them. You might also ask your original wedding attendants to again stand with you.

What do we say during the ceremony?

What you say to one another at the actual ceremony depends on several factors including, the laws of that province or country where the marriage is taking place. The most simple civil ceremony done at the courthouse will include the legal wording of the land. You are basically attesting to and signing a contract in front of witnesses, a contract written by the state.

Depending where you are of course, most religious and symbolic sentimental phrases will not be included in these ceremonies. It up to you therefore to decide what you want to say or what you want to include. Below are some traditional wedding vows that are often used or modified to suit specific tastes. We welcome submissions of original wedding vows or old classics that you may have dug up somewhere.

Vow No. 1 - Bride & Groom - Traditional

I, (Bride/Groom), take (you/thee) (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; and I promise to be faithful to you (as long as I shall live) or (until death parts us).

Vow No. 2 - Bride to Groom
I, (Bride's Name), take (you/thee), (Groom's Name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] husband, secure in the knowledge that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. On this special [opt: and holy] day, I (affirm/reaffirm/give) to you in the presence of God and (all those in attendance/these witnesses) my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your [opt: faithful] wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad. I (promise/further promise) to love you without reservation, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve (higher/all of your) goals, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Vow No. 2a - Groom to Bride
I, (Groom's Name), take (you/thee), (Bride's Name), to be my [opt: lawfully wedded] wife, knowing in my heart that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. On this special [opt: and holy] day, I (affirm/reaffirm/give) to you in the presence of God and (all those in attendance/these witnesses) my (pledge/sacred promise) to stay by your side as your [opt: faithful] husband in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, as well as through the good times and the bad. I (promise/further promise) to love you without reservation, honor and respect you, provide for your needs as best I can, protect you from harm, comfort you in times of distress, grow with you in mind and spirit, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Vow No. 3 - Traditional
(Groom)
Do you (name) take (name) to be your lawful wedded wife?
I DO.
Will you love, respect and honor her throughout your years together?
I WILL.

(Bride repeats the same vows.)

Vow No. 4 - Traditional
(Groom)
(Name) do you take (name) whom you now hold by the hand to be your lawful wedded wife?
I DO.
Do you promise to love and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?
I Do.
(Bride repeats the same vows.)

Wedding vows are a very important part of any wedding. Although there are some wedding vows that you can choose from that have already been written out for you, it's always a good idea to write your own. When you write your own wedding vows, you are opening up a door to a new world! You are able to add in special moments that you have already shared with your soon to be wife or husband. Whether you choose traditional wedding vows or funny wedding vows, it should always reflect who you are and something special about your wedding day.

Mock wedding vows are chosen a lot, because they give people a chance to not have to worry about what they are going to say for their wedding vows. These are wedding vows that have already been wrote, and you just read them off. However, most of the time mock wedding vows are just traditional wedding vows. These are the ones that you have heard all of the time, like:

“I (your name here), take (your partners name here) to be my wife/husband. I promise to love and to cherish her during times of sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as we both will live.”

Although those kinds of traditional wedding vows are fine, some people find that they want a little something more. For those people, they need to come up with some wedding vows of their own. When this happens, they mostly like to come up with funny wedding vows.

Funny wedding vows are easy to come up with, and they normally get a laugh out of people. However, before you get started on funny wedding vows remember that they need to be in good taste. Hurtful wedding vows are not funny and can even break off a wedding. No one wants to be embarrassed in front of friends and family. Most of the time funny wedding vows are best when they are about hobbies you like or funny moments in your life. A very popular funny wedding vow is:

“I (your name), take (their name) to be my wife. I promise to love and not obey her, through good times and bad, in sickness in and health, for richer or for poorer...or at least until she spends all of my money, until death do us part.”

These are funny wedding vows, because they are not very personal. They are kind of a generic funny that everyone can get on board with. Everyone knows that women love to shop, thus, they can spend all of your money. Also, we know that men do not want to obey their wives, thus, the “not obey” was funny.

A few things that you should remember about wedding vows. First of all, there are no rules! Your wedding vows should be used to show your feelings towards each other. Although it can be hard to put your feelings into words, it can be done if you give it some time. Remember that most of your wedding vows are just going to come to you. It can be hard to come up with wedding vows whenever you just sit down and force yourself to write them. A good way to come up with wedding vows is to keep a small pad of paper and a pen on you at all times. When you come up with something that you would like to say in your wedding vows, write it down. After all, the most meaningful moments in our lives are normally not things that we can force.

Second, always remember that it is your wedding, and no one can make you do anything that you do not want to do. Thus, if you get married at a church and they want to use the standard vows, ask them if you can do something else if you want to. This is your wedding not theirs. Also remember that both the bride and groom do not have to say the same things. Although the traditional wedding vows are done in this manner, there is no need for it if that is not what you want.