A vow renewal is a wonderful and fabulous (and super-fun) way to reaffirm your love and devotion for your partner, and vice versa. Since it is not a wedding ceremony, you may wonder how the heck you should word the event program.
Don’t fret – it does not have to be complicated at all. In fact, it can be as simple or as intricate as you want depending on the nature of the ceremony and how big and bad you want it to be.
Take a moment to figure out the procession of, well, everything with your partner and make a list. From that you can easily figure out what to put in the program. In case you need more help (and we all do sometimes), use our handy guide to make the vow renewal process as seamless and streamlined as possible. After all, this is a celebration of your years together – why not enjoy it?
What Is The Best Way To Word My Vow Renewal Program?
Do not worry about being too formal or too casual – this is your vow renewal, so do whatever you want!
Your renewal can be similar to a real live wedding, or simply a gathering of your closest friends and family while you say a few words to each other before dancing the night away.
The Breakdown
Here’s the normal order of things to help you out:
- Processional: Also known as the part where you and your spouse walk down that storied aisle. If you have kiddos, feel free to include them if you want… and if they want! They may simply be happy to watch you say your vows to each other and get all misty-eyed in the process.
- Greeting: The officiant welcomes everyone to the renewal before diving into the ceremony. This a lovely part of the ceremony most people opt to keep no matter how untraditional the rest of the event is.
Exchange Of Vows: The part where you and your spouse declare your undying love for each other in front of your family and friends once again. This is obviously the biggest part of the event and the most emotional part as well. Many couples opt to write their own vows or do a version of their original vows with a few key updates. Remember, do whatever feels right!
- Exchange Of Rings/Gifts: If you are exchanging new rings, this would be the time to do so. If you do not want to exchange rings because you are satisfied with the ones you have or simply do not need the extra jewelry, you could exchange small (or large) gifts, or experience gifts, such as surprising each other with trips or fun nights out.
- Pronouncement: The officiant is not going to declare you as hitched for obvious reasons, but this is usually the time when the person says something fantastic about everlasting love and commitment. If you have any ideas for what you want the officiant to say, simply schedule a meeting and go from there.
Recessional: Also known as you and your spouse exiting the building. If your reception is at the same location, you aren’t going to be leaving, but you will still be vacating the room first so you can thank everyone for coming and all that fun stuff.
Remember, this is just the basic order of things, and is easily tailored for your specific needs.
Once you have your special vow renewal order down you can create your programs and keep planning your oh-so-excellent event. The program can also include an “about us” section of sorts that details some of the milestones and other happy times that has made up your union and brought you to this point. If you do include a section of this kind, you can also feature a section about your children (if applicable) or how you plan to spend the rest of your lives together.
Your vow renewal is a celebration of your love, so personalize it however you see fit. Have fun, and congratulations on making it this far together!
More Helpful Information:
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