Covid Couples’ Vow Renewal Ceremonies

Did you or someone you know get married during those two years that will not be named – you know, those days when we had to wear masks, stay 6 feet apart from others and socialise in strict bubbles?!

Do you wish you had all your friends and family around you to witness you making your promises to one another and hearing your love story?

Well you still can – would you consider renewing your wedding vows in front of all the people who matter to you?

What is a vow renewal?

Many married couples choose to have a second celebratory vow renewal ceremony to reaffirm their commitment and love for one other, particularly if they are approaching a milestone anniversary together. This is becoming increasingly popular following the pandemic which saw many people having to change their wedding plans – whether that was reducing the guest list to comply with government guidelines or having to get married locally when they’d planned a destination extravaganza wedding.

Some couples who married during Covid are still trying to figure out how to celebrate with their original guest list. With most of them legally married already, they dream of all of their nearest and dearest witnessing their declaration of love for each other. In the same fashion, couples are going back to their original supplier list and visions for a vow renewal, with no restrictions in place!

Just as wedding plans have changed, weddings, as we traditionally may have known them, have changed, too. And this applies to what celebrations look like after those 2 years of doom. Besides a monumental jump in the world of micro weddings, some couples are now choosing to have an intimate wedding, elopements are becoming more popular, as are the wonderful celebrant led ceremonies. (By the way, I do all of the above) And over 2 years later, ceremonies are giving couples the freedom to let go of traditional etiquette whether they are getting married for the first time or renewing their vows.

Your Covid vow renewal could be a celebration of love in front of everyone you want to invite. Couples who legally got married during lockdown either want to still throw a traditional wedding to celebrate or they have may have deposits down with a postponed date that is yet to occur. Whichever the case, a vow renewal can kick off a party for your nuptials years from your original legal wedding. Although vow renewals used to be for bigger milestones like 10, 15, or 25 years, we’re seeing them pop up now after the wedding postponement season that Covid unexpectedly brought. And, hey, your relationship endured a pandemic so it’s about time you have a mahoosive celebration.

Covid vow renewals can consist of a quick, informal ceremony or a more lengthy ceremony including the words of music, readings and symbolic elements, followed by drinks, dinner, and dancing. Despite already being legally married, some Covid wedding couples want to share a full wedding ceremony feeling with their guests before the reception begins: this might involve re-reading their original vows or sharing new ones that celebrate the new chapter of their relationship since their legal marriage began.

Due to many couples having had to postpone their wedding due to wildly limited guest numbers permitted to attend, they often didn’t have more than 5 people there to witness their vows. So with a vow renewal, you could potentially invite your original guest list and as many more as you wish. Anyone important to you can now join in your vow renewal and all the celebrations surrounding it.

Although you’re now legally married, your vow renewal can really feel and look like a normal wedding. But you have complete freedom with how you want to personalise it and make it all about your relationship as it is now. It’s down to you how this ceremony will go, and I can support and guide you based on what matters to you and your story together.

Some individual elements to consider:

Many vow renewal ceremonies include the re-dedication of wedding rings. Some couples may use their vow renewal celebration as an opportunity to upgrade their original ring with a new engraving or purchase a new ring entirely, or they may share their rings around their guests for a ring warming ritual to plant little wishes for the future in.

You may now have children that you would like to involve in your ceremony – a symbolic element of sand blending can be a great way. Handfasting might be another way to involve wider family or friends or to celebrate memories you have created together in combining some coloured ribbons to unite your hands in a symbolic fashion with some meaningful words.

No restrictions

Don’t forget that unlike the initial wedding, there are no real restrictions when it comes to the venue or ceremony (religious or not!), which can include speeches, music, readings, poetry, speeches, symbolic rituals or the exchange of gifts or something personal to your relationship. You might even share some love notes from when you first met!

And don’t forget your marriage has been legally signed, sealed and delivered, so you don’t need a council registrar to be involved at all. Some people struggle when choosing between a registrar and a celebrant on their wedding day as they may prefer to cover all the legalities on the day at their venue. Hopefully in the future with the reform of Marriage Laws, Celebrants will be able to legally officiate a wedding. However, the beauty of a vow renewal is that it is not a legal ceremony so a celebrant can make it completely personal for your wishes and needs by really getting to know you.

There are celebrities who are renewing their vows too – Vernon Kay and Tess Daly and Matt and Emma Willis have planned and enjoyed a vow renewal ceremony with their loved ones.

Vow renewal ceremonies can be so perfectly personal and do not come with a lot of the restrictions that weddings can have, so the couple can have total creative freedom to do exactly what they wish for on their special day.

If you would like to learn more about planning a Vow Renewal Ceremony, please get in touch with me for a Connection Call! Whether you got married during the Pandemic, or before or after it, I would love to support you to renew your vows! I love to celebrate love!