7 Creative Ways to Renew Your Vows

To make things extra special, try getting your kids involved with costumes, family vows or even have your children officiate. “Since it’s a vow renewal, there are no legal requirements to the ceremony itself,” says Willis-Williams.

The cost of having an impersonator can vary (packages at Wed Famously Chapels run anywhere from $300 to over $1,000, depending on what you want), as can renting your own costume. On a tight budget? See what you can make with what you have around the house.

3. Guess what! It's a vow renewal!

Surprise vows are definitely something that Jean Rivers, owner and lead event planner with the event-planning company Blue Llama Events, has seen couples have fun with. “One spouse can surprise the other with a vow renewal arranged in secret—perhaps at a dinner party, during a family reunion or on a special vacation,” she says.

April Hubbard’s husband, Reginald, planned a vow renewal to go along with April’s 60th birthday. Reginald, also 60, added some sweet nostalgia to the celebration by including the pastor who had married them 34 years prior and the same DJ who had emceed their wedding reception. “I was totally surprised. It was so heartfelt and beautiful,” says April. 

Steve Turner, a 74-year-old resident of Chesterfield, Missouri, was beyond surprised when his wife, Shelly Solomon, 80, tacked on a vow renewal to their Hawaiian vacation.

Surprise! It's a vow renewal! Shelly Soloman added a surprise vow renewal to a romantic vacation in Hawaii with her husband Steve.

Courtesy The Turners

Turner and his wife had gone to visit a friend. He was told that their local friend would be taking the couple to dinner to celebrate their 25th anniversary. “Little did I know they had a master plan put together with the vow renewal on the beach complete with the justice of the peace and photographer,” says Turner. “My wife kept it all secret, even from our grown sons.”  The cost for a surprise vow renewal can be as low (keep it an at-home affair) or as high (Hawaii anyone?) as you want to go — something for every budget.

4. Create a little comedy

Maybe your first wedding was oh-so-serious. So why not have a little fun this time around?

Alan Katz, a presiding officiant with Great Officiants, a Long Beach, California-based company that provides wedding officiant services and marriage licenses, recalls a particularly funny vow renewal at a restaurant in front of a couple and their friends where he came prepared for both partners’ reactions.

"I came in dressed like a Hasidic rabbi with a beard and hat and began doing a Jewish ceremony when the bride says, ‘Wait, I’m not Jewish!’ So I take off the beard and hat. Next, I wore a priest collar and started doing a Catholic-style ceremony, to which the groom yelled, ‘What are you doing? I’m not Catholic!’” Katz then took off his shirt and pants to reveal an Elvis suit, put on the wig and glasses and performed the ceremony as Elvis. “I sang some songs and did funny vows, and it was a blast,” he says. Prices can vary, but Great Officiants packages run from around $450 and up.

5. Don’t go it alone

Renewing your vows with just the two of you can be sweet, but what about a mass vow renewal?

Every Valentine’s Day, Loveland Ski Area, near Denver, Colorado, hosts a mountaintop ceremony for couples to get married or renew their vows. “It’s a big, fun, celebratory event with wedding dresses, tuxes, fun outfits and great vibes,” says Loryn Roberson, director of marketing and PR for the resort. This year, more than 130 couples participated, including an older couple who renewed their vows after 40 years of marriage. Cost: $25 for the renewal package + the cost of lift tickets ($75-$149).

6. Do it somewhere unexpected

If you went with the traditional religious venue or garden setting the first time around, get a little more creative this time.

“When you renew your vows, you want it to be different and to reflect your personalities, so somewhere like a pickleball court or a ski hill is perfect to reflect the ups and downs of married life in a fun way and to make it something everyone will remember and feel a part of,” says Amanda Wheal, owner of Amanda's Beautiful Ceremonies.

For example, if you love pickleball, the Pickle Lodge in Cincinnati offers themed wedding and vow renewal ceremonies right on the courts! If you’re on a budget, check with your town to see if you can rent your local pickleball court for the occasion.

“Between the great photos,  good memories and fun, love and laughter with friends, what's not to like?” says Wheal.

7. Make your memories magic

Adding a little nostalgia to your vow renewal can be a nice, budget-friendly way to make the day special. Debra and Howard Schildhouse decorated their cake table with their original cake topper, had their original matchbooks and napkin design, as well as a copy of their original invitation, which they had kept tucked away for 50 years.

Howard and Debra Schildhouse were all about blasts from the past during their vow renewal. They used the same cake topper from their first wedding and had a copy of their original invitation on display.

Courtesy The Schildhouse

“It brought back many sweet memories,” says Debra.

You can also tailor your bouquet and boutonniere to be a throwback or re-creation of your wedding flowers, says Rivers.

A photo montage is also a great way to bring nostalgia into your big day. “It allows you to reflect on your love story while sharing cherished memories with family and friends,” says Rivers. Set up a photo gallery that takes guests on a walk through your life together, including milestones like buying your first home, having children and any recent moments leading up to the renewal.

Rivers and her team once put together “A Love Letter Exchange & Time Capsule” vow renewal event. “Instead of traditional vows, the couple write letters to each other reflecting on their years together and read them aloud,” she says. “Then, they created a time capsule with letters, photos and keepsakes to open on a future anniversary.”