How to Renew Your Wedding Vows: Everything You Need to Know

It’s likely you’ll have many cherished memories from your wedding day, so taking time to renew your vows is not only a meaningful way for you and your partner to reaffirm your love for each other, but it also gives you the chance to relive that happy occasion all over again – or perhaps even do things a little differently this time around.

If you’re not sure quite how to renew your wedding vows, or what a second ceremony entails, we’ve got everything you need to know below in our complete guide to renewing your wedding vows, with tips and advice from professional celebrant Steph Wilson.

Why Should I Renew My Wedding Vows?

There are lots of reasons why a couple might consider a vow renewal ceremony, but simply put, a vow renewal is a lovely way of celebrating your wedding all over again.

“Vow renewals are an opportunity for couples to reaffirm their love and commitment to each other, reflect on the journey they’ve taken so far and how they have evolved, both as individuals and together,” says Steph. “They might also be looking to make a fresh start after overcoming a particularly difficult or challenging time.”

Significant milestones, such as a wedding anniversary, are a great time for renewing vows. There are also many other personal reasons, too. For example, you and your partner may have had children since your wedding and love the idea of including them in your second ceremony.

“Vow renewal ceremonies allow you to include family or friends who weren’t in your lives at the time of your wedding day, so it’s also an opportunity for you to celebrate with those who are important to you now, as well as when you met,” agrees Steph.

How Do We Renew Our Vows?

Although you don’t have to follow the same rules or traditions that were carried out at your wedding, you can still choose to plan your vow renewal as if you were getting married again. For example, you could ask your loved ones to be bridesmaids again or appoint someone as your best man or woman – the choice is yours.

Your second ceremony may end up closely resembling your wedding ceremony – particularly if you’ve invited most of the same guests and are choosing to repeat the same vows.

How Soon Can You Renew Your Wedding Vows?

A vow renewal can take place anytime after your wedding – from the following day to 50 years later! Some couples don’t want to do it too quickly after the main event, while others will renew their vows every year on their anniversary. Yes – really! 

How Much Does it Cost to Renew Your Wedding Vows?

You may or may not be surprised to hear that the average cost of a wedding in the UK is now £20,700 – and though vow renewal celebrations on average don’t cost quite that much, there’s still things to fork out for, depending on the size and date of your celebration.  

If you’re wondering, how much does it cost to renew your wedding vows in the UK, a classic vow renewal ceremony in a registry office typically costs around £300, though if this is the route you’d like to go down, it’s worth checking the cost through your individual council’s website.

If you’d like to renew your vows in a Church of England church, there’s no statutory legal fee for this kind of service, but the vicar may charge for the service itself to cover use of the building. And, of course, if you’d like extras such as an organist or flowers, then these will also incur some costs.

If you’d like more of a bespoke option with updated and personalised vows, wedding celebrants will have their own prices and packages, though you can generally look to pay anything from £600 to £1,000 and this will include planning meetings, the creation of a personalised script for the ceremony, help with your vow renewal vows, and additional help with things such as ceremony seating, music and the running order.

Elsewhere, the cost of a wedding vow renewal will very much depend on your choice of venue, date, celebrant and other factors, such as whether or not you choose to buy new rings or host an after party.

You may also find that many venues – including those in popular elopement destinations like Gretna Green – will offer wedding vow renewal packages. Search ‘wedding vow renewal packages near me’ to find out more.

What Happens in Vow Renewal Ceremony?

One thing a vow renewal does not involve is legalities, so you can pretty much celebrate the occasion however you wish. The ceremony can be religious or non-religious, held indoors or outdoors – there are no real limitations as long as you have permission from the venue.

“A vow renewal ceremony should be as unique as the couple,” says Steph. “The best vow renewals are where the couples do most of the storytelling, rather than the celebrant – they might regale the guests with funny stories or talk about how they overcame hurdles and became stronger for it.

“Couples are usually more confident at their vow renewal than they are on their wedding day to speak about their love and the highs and lows of their lives together,” she adds.

If you think you might need help writing your vow renewal vows, our guide to writing your own wedding vows might come in useful. Remember, they don’t need to be as serious the second time, so throw in a few realistic wedding vows in there too. “I vow to bring you treats on a bad day” is something we can all get on board with!

“I also love vow renewals where all the family get involved, with a circular ceremony space, lots of interaction from the guests and plenty of fun and music from across the genres of the marriage years,” says Steph.

The ceremony could also include the re-dedication of rings if you so wish. Perhaps you’d like to get a new engraving on your wedding band – or get brand new ones especially for the occasion.

Overall, renewing your wedding vows in a chance to create the celebration you and your partner have always desired, without the unwanted pressure or need to please anyone but yourselves.

Where Can You Hold a Vow Renewal Ceremony?

The good news is, as a vow renewal is not a legally binding ceremony, you can hold your UK vow renewal pretty much anywhere you like. Most couples choose to hire a wedding venue to host their celebration – particularly if they’re planning an after party or to have large numbers – but you can also renew your vows in a spot that has significance to you and your partner.

“Couples could choose a local park, a mountain top, a favourite pub, their own back garden – there are no restrictions as long as they get permission from the property or land owner,” confirms Steph. You may also want to check for any rules about things such as noise or alcohol consumption.

If you want to host a reception after your vow renewal ceremony, then you totally should! This could be anything from an intimate barbecue in your family home to a dinner as large and indulgent as a traditional wedding breakfast.

There can be dancing, food, drinks… you could even hire a photographer to capture the event. We love the idea of displaying your original wedding photos at your reception to take your guests on a trip down memory lane.

Who Should You Invite to Your Vow Renewal?

When you first get married, there is likely to be a random mix of people on the guest list from both sides – including people you felt compelled to invite to please parents, perhaps – but the beauty of a vow renewal ceremony is that there is less pressure, and you’re free to invite only your nearest and dearest if that’s what you want. In fact, lots of couples don’t invite anyone if they’re planning a romantic elopement.

“A vow renewal is often a much more intimate event than the couple’s first wedding, so they often only choose to invite those friends, mentors and supporters who have played an important role in their relationship,” says Steph.

This should come as a sweet relief to couples who still have flashbacks to the sleepless nights spent organising the wedding table plan, that drunken distant relative who knocked over the trio of hired vases or the second cousin who broke the mother of all wedding guest rules and wore white (nope, you STILL haven’t forgiven them).

“Inclusivity is important too, and we often see blended families enjoying the renewal of vows of their previous partners – though this approach should always be judged carefully to avoid any awkward moments!” adds Steph.

What to Wear to a Vow Renewal Ceremony?

Much like everything else associated with renewing your wedding vows, there’s absolutely no set dress code for a vow renewal ceremony. The whole occasion is yours to personalise as you wish, and this extends to what you wear (though it might be wise to opt for something semi-modest if you’re planning to renew your vows in a formal or religious setting).

If you wore a traditional bridal gown on your wedding day, you might want to switch it up in a short wedding dress this time. Or perhaps it was the other way around and a budget wedding meant you couldn’t wear the princess dress of your dreams, and now you can.

You might even choose to wear what you originally wore on your wedding day or forgo white altogether – the choice is yours. Just make sure to mention any dress code expectations in your invites.

Need more inspiration for your second set of vows? Take a look at some of our favourite romantic quotes.