Your Quick Guide to Planning a Vow Renewal
Need quick inspiration for a vow renewal? You’ve found it.
Vow renewals are no longer just for golden anniversaries. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone, honouring challenges you’ve overcome, or simply creating the wedding you wish you’d had, a vow renewal is a beautiful way to reaffirm your love.
Why renew your vows?
Mark a milestone – anniversary, big birthday, or shared achievement
Celebrate after challenges – illness, time apart, or other trials
Surprise your partner
Share with family – especially children or grandchildren
Enjoy your dream setting – which may be very different from your wedding day
Vow renewals are no longer just for golden anniversaries. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone, honouring challenges you’ve overcome, or simply creating the wedding you wish you’d had, a vow renewal is a beautiful way to reaffirm your love.
Basic outline of a vow renewal ceremony
Welcome statement – Set the tone. This could be a warm greeting, a favourite poem, or a few lines from a meaningful song.
Personal vows – These can be traditional, adapted from your original vows, or entirely new.
Ring exchange or blessing – You can reuse your existing wedding rings or add new ones.
Symbolic ritual (optional) – Ring warming, unity candles, handfasting, or even planting a tree together.
Closing words and pronouncement – A heartfelt affirmation of your continued partnership, sealed with a kiss.
Sample short vows
Celebrant: Do you, [Name], retake [Name] to be your [wife/husband], to cherish in love and in friendship from this day forward, in strength and in weakness, in success and struggles, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both live?
Partner: I do.
Our dedicated celebrant Pamela Woodford encourages couples to adapt the language to reflect their real life together, referencing the highs—and yes, the lows—that have shaped their marriage. Keep it relevant and real.
Check out our other articles on this topic with ideas for longer renewals.
Symbolic Ritual Ideas
Ring Warming – guests pass and “bless” your rings before the vows
Unity Candle – two flames become one
Handfasting – the original “tying the knot”
Tree Planting – grow something together
Sand Ceremony – coloured sands blended forever
Quaich Cup – share a drink to symbolise shared life
Memory Capsule – seal letters and keepsakes to open on a future date
Your Quick Checklist
Decide your “why” – milestone, surprise, dream location, or personal meaning
Choose your style – formal, intimate, or rustic countryside charm
Pick your location – garden, by the fire, under the thatched porch, or an Exmoor backdrop
Plan the flow – welcome, vows, rings, ritual, close
Add personal touches – music, readings, family involvement
Capture the day – photographer, keepsakes, signed vows
Why Exmoor Is Perfect
At My Tiny Exmoor Wedding, your renewal unfolds in our 17th-century thatched cottage, Pilgrim Corner. With the use of three cottages side-by-side, there are cosy fires, private gardens, and the wild beauty of Exmoor, it’s the ideal setting for an intimate, heartfelt celebration.
A final thought from celebrant Pamela Woodford:
“Marriage is the most excellent—and sometimes most challenging—adventure. A vow renewal is a moment to pause, reflect, and say: yes, I still choose you.”
Ready to start planning your own vow renewal?
Whether it’s just the two of you or a gathering of your nearest and dearest, we’ll help you create a day that reflects your love story perfectly. Explore our packages and picture your vows against the timeless backdrop of Exmoor.
Pamela officiates as Deb and Ian renew their vows at Pilgrim Corner with their dog Nora, September 2025