vow renewals

C&K*s Mommie wrote: If you were considering to renew your vows, at what time would you do so? The 10th anniv, 25th, or 50th anniversary? And if you did it would you have a big-to-do, or a low key one?

I was considering having a vow renewal for our 5th anniv (next year) but I reconsidered since we are already in our 4th year, and I was considering waiting until the 10th to renew. Nothing big for us, but I thought it would be a a great chance to recommit in front of close family, friends, and GOD again. And a chance to get on a second honeymoon (and maybe a BIG one this time )

Anyhow, do you plan to do anything for any anniversaries & vow renewals?

luvmykids replied: I think we might do it at 20. We had to cut our honeymoon really short, so we're taking another one at 10 but thats all we've planned so far.

5littleladies replied: We had originally planned to do one this year for our 10th anniversary, but due to complications we are now thinking about the 15th.

MyLuvBugs replied: I think we want to do one at 25 years, and have a big 'ol shin-dig! But something outside with TONS of flowers and stuff. Fun stuff.

mckayleesmom replied: I want to do ours for our 10th....We did the vegas thing for our first and it was awsome....I think this time I want to do the big wedding thing.....lol...The dress, flowers, bridesmaids...etc.

CAMSMOM1 replied: That's funny, cause my friends and I were talking about this today at a bridal shower. And I would really like to renew our vows, probably at our 5 or 10 year.

We didn't have a big wedding, only 30 people attended. We kept it small due to money, and just buying a house, ect. But I have always dreamed of having a big bash for a wedding, and having a honeymoon. We never did take a honeymoon, all we did was go out to dinner. The next time we do it, we're going to go all out on everything!

MamaJAM replied: We eloped....just us, 2 witnesses, and the judge were there.

We've talked about renewing our vows under the Chuppah (Jewish wedding-canopy)...with the kids and our families and close friends there. We had originally thought about doing it on our 12th anniversary since that fell on a Sunday...but finances got in the way. Now we've started on the Bat Mitzvah line (DD#1 turned 13 and had her Bat Mitzvah last Nov)....DD#2's is in Oct 2009 - with the other kids to follow as they each turn 13. Between those and the kids' weddings (in due time)...I'm not sure when we'll have our ceremony (IMO - our day is low priority under the kid's special days). Maybe for our 30th. We only just celebrated our 14th anniversary in Jan of this year -- there's plenty of time.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: I don't know if we will...maybe 25 or 30 years. We just past #5 and it doesn't seem like that long ago that we got married it would feel weird to re-do them already. The IL's did it for their 25th and flew all the kids and families to Hawaii for the week. THen they renewed their vowes on a cliff over the water. That was awesome just having it be with the most important people in their lives because I could never see myself doing the dress and whole "wedding" thing again.

MamaJAM replied: I just remembered -- my grandparents did that for their 50th anniversary - it was so sweet. The service itself was small (just immediate family) -- but then they had a HUGE anniversary party with everyone they knew.

amymom replied: At our 15th Anniversary we bought ourselves new wedding bands. We were married with plain Irish Claddagh rings. (Story of Claddagh ring LINK )

For our 15th anniversary we had some rings imported from Ireland. Mine is the Claddagh symbol surrounded by the celtic knot. My DH's new ring has the claddagh symbol enbossed in it all they way around. (Hard to describe).

I considered a celebration at our 20th which was last year, but other religious events got in the way. I have told our children that we would like them to celebrate our 25th Anniversary with a surprise party, but since my son will only be 19 and DD will only be 13 then, I don't think that will happen. Our diocese (Church) does a renewal celebration every year for all 25th and over anniversaries, so I plan to attend that with my husband in FOUR years.

luvmykids replied:
Mine too, it was very moving! And it was so awesome to see them looking into each others eyes, so emotional, and then all the people that turned out to celebrate with them said a lot about them!

And my cousin tried on my gmas wedding dress, and we had calla lillies everywhere, which is what her boquet was when they married, and my gma made a dress almost identical to the one she wore on their first date! And my aunt made a photo quilt .... it was really great.

Kaitlin'smom replied: I had wanted the 10th but since we are working on year 12 it did not happen. I wanted to go to vegas oh well. Maybe our 15th or 20th. I dont want a big thing a small renewal and then maybe a big party after. Who knows or maybe we will do the vegas thing. I do want to do something.

My2Beauties replied: I wanna do it for our 10th, but that is 9 years and some months away so we'll see But I think at our 10th year one it would be really low-key, maybe even in Gatlinburg or Vegas with close family, but if I had one at my 25th it would be a big shin-dig!

coasterqueen replied: We'll wait til our 50th like everyone else in our family does.

kimberley replied: i would love to since we eloped. maybe on a beach somewhere romantic with lots of family and friends . either 10yr or 25yr depending on $$.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I'd like to renew them on our 20th in Hawaii. I want to take a family vacation and invite my best friend and her DH, but as a surprise. Her DH is a minister. I want him to renew our vows on the beach

He (best friend's DH) did this for his parents a couple of years ago. They all went to Hawaii and went to dinner at a great restaurant then went walking along the beach. All of a sudden Chris turns around, whips out his notes and starts reading some things his dad wrote about his mother. His dad grabs his mother's hands and it was a total surprise (for her). Chris and his dad orchestrated all of it. How sweet is that???

Chris didn't marry us, but I've known him since we were kids and Cathy (my best friend) and I have known each other since we were 2. It would be special for them to renew our vows for us.

luvmykids replied: Aimee, that sounds so awesome!

My3LilMonkeys replied: Well I will probably never get a vow renewal b/c it was hard enough to get DH to stand up in front of people for the actual wedding.

Personally if I did, I would wait until at least 25 years, probably 50. IMHO people are too quick to make a big deal out of "young" anniversaries - marriage is a lifelong commitment. If my DH and I are blessed enough to still have each other after 50 years then it would be something to consider.

I don't mean to offend anyone - this is strictly my personal opinion.

Brias3 replied: I'd like to do it on our 10th anniversary but we really haven't discussed it as of yet. My parents did theirs on their 10th, 25th and 40th so the whole process of renewal has become a nice tradition in our family.