Vow Renewal Ideas Keeping Budget in Mind

JULY 4, 2022

Wedding vows are something that stays with a couple throughout the existence of their relationship. These are precious promises that couples make to each other on their wedding day. A lifelong commitment, a bond of trust, loyalty and promises to be kept and cherished forever. These wedding ceremony memories are very special and dear to every couple. These are some of those memories that one holds on to. Wedding vows give both individuals a sense of responsibility and duty to fulfill these vows and make sure not to do anything that might hurt the sentiments of the partner. Vows tend to show how the couple will navigate their relationship further in life. Wedding vows give uttermost significance and importance to a marriage, for which this is indeed the most crucial part of a wedding ceremony. 

 

These vows can vary from person to person. Some stick to the traditional ones, while some people add their own kick to it. They add fancy, funny, or relatable elements to their wedding vows. This shows a relationship that is not just bonded by love but also a deep-rooted friendship. Nevertheless, wedding vows are uniquely meaningful and show that no matter what, they will be there for each other in the highs and lows. A wedding ceremony is a symbol of trust and commitment. It is the underlying foundation of love and intimacy with your partner. This is a constant journey of learning things about each other about all these flaws, the good and the bad. A marriage ceremony is hence extremely important as it binds two people in a lifetime commitment.

 

Speaking of vows and their importance, we now come to a new and interesting thing called the vow renewal ceremony. A vow renewal ceremony is where vows are exchanged and this time it shows how the couple reflects on their relationship up to this point in time. Here, either the couple can choose to exchange the same wedding vows as they did on their wedding day or they can prepare new vows or modify them here and there. The main motive is to cherish and relive those wedding memories, appreciate that they have come so far, and show gratitude for making it so far through all the ups and downs. Some couples decide to conduct these vow renewal ceremonies at intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, or 50 years while some renew their vows after they have had children. Some couples even conduct this ceremony after they have had a difficult period in the relationship or after an important milestone.

 

Though wedding vows renewal is something very precious and special for couples, it can be a little heavy on your wallet if not planned well under a budget. Once you have spent thousands of dollars on a wedding, you kind of step back to organize another event which is as important as a wedding. But, planning it systematically can save you a lot of money and also does not make your wedding vow ceremony look incomplete or under-done. Keep reading to know some vow renewal ideas under a budget.

 

Here are the things to keep in mind while planning a vow renewal ceremony:

 

1. Do not go overboard like a wedding: Yes, you must be wondering, “Will being on a budget restraint make it look or feel less memorable or special?” The answer to this question is: Absolutely not! Your vows are special and important, no matter how big or small the celebration is. The commitments and promises you make to each other, be it on the wedding day or on the vow renewal day, are just restricted to both of you and are special and intimate to only the two of you. One should care less about how it is going to look or turn out. Wedding vows are more emotionally connected and bring out the inner beauty than how people will react to it. You should pay very little attention to the materialistic aspect of it. Enjoy the celebration but do not treat it like a wedding.

 

1. Make a selective and limited invite list: As mentioned earlier, it is not an extravagant wedding. A wedding vow renewal ceremony is indeed an intimate and special event that should be celebrated amongst the near and dear people. Hence, try to avoid a long list of people. Be more focused on inviting first family members, closest friends and try to keep it a small gathering as possible. Let us be honest, not everyone who you invited to your wedding paid attention to your vows and shed a tear or two. Hence, treating this as a big party does not make much sense. Keep it small, short, and sweet, and focus on cherishing these memories with close friends and family only.

 

1. Decide on a small menu or make it a potluck: This might sound a little different to you but having a potluck can be a fun thing to do at your vow renewal ceremony. If you are deciding to keep a wedding menu, consider keeping it short and simple. Two starters or appetizers, two to three main course dishes, and a dessert with complimentary drinks can be a go-to budget-friendly food menu. Yet again, do not go overboard with the menu trying to put out an impression. Treat this like a more close family party and if you want, you can cook it all by yourself! The other suggestion for food recommendations would be a potluck. All your guests bring something they have made, maybe some pasta or a pie! This will not only help you to engage and get closer with your guests but also make this a fun, social gathering for everyone to equally enjoy.

 

1. Do not spend too much on the venue: When you recall your wedding day, you must have noticed how much you had spent on the wedding venue, right? The decor, setting up the ambiance, the extra lighting, and so on. Now that you are preparing for a wedding vow ceremony, do you think you should be spending hundreds of dollars on just the venue and accommodation for people? Well, the answer is no. To avoid hassle and extra expenses on the venue, choose a very simple and low-key venue. For instance, a farmhouse, a local resort, or even a beach seems to be fun. You can even host this wedding vow ceremony at your own house or backyard. As per the decor and ambiance is concerned, the world is going eco-friendly, sustainable, and DIY. You can create beautiful decor items using paper, flowers, and knick knacks available at home or saved from your wedding day. You will have fun doing this little craft activity too! If you are choosing an outdoor wedding venue and want to avoid accommodation for your guests, choose a location that is not too far away from the city and is convenient for traveling. This will cut out on the wedding venue expenses, saving quite some bucks for anything else if you have planned.

 

1. Keep it short and sweet: As mentioned before, this ceremony should not be organized or conducted as extravagant as a wedding. Spending less money or being on a budget does not reduce the specialness or importance of this wedding vow renewal ceremony. Weddings can be long and tedious. Starting from hectic preparations in the morning to the after-party at the end. It not just exhausts you physically but also exhausts your wallet too. Hence, with respect to this ceremony, try to keep it short and simple, that is under a time boundary. You do not want it to push it till night, which also extends your menu for even dinner time. Therefore to avoid such chaos, keep it short, maybe get it done by post-lunch and then chill, talk and play some games. You can organize a movie too if you want to spend more time with your guests. When you are not spending extra money on other things such as venue and accommodation or as a matter of fact, food, it gives you a bonus extra money which you can spend on someone’s individual needs. Since your guest list is small, and you share a close relationship with them, you can do things that they like and is convenient for them as an activity to pass time. Karaoke, movies, dancing, some disco lights, board games, card games, etc. are fun things to try out!

 

1. Do not spend again on the outfit: You might recall from your wedding day how much money you spent on your wedding dress. Keeping the monetary value aside, the emotions and sentiments related to that white dress is something that is hard to explain. Maybe, after your wedding day, you could not wear that dress ever again. Now is the time! What is a better occasion than your own wedding vow renewal ceremony to relive that auspicious and special wedding day of yours? It is not a problem if you have put on or lost some weight and have a fear you might not fit into that dress again. Hire a local seamstress and you can alter that dress and yet again, you will be able to wear that beautiful outfit of yours. Do your hair and makeup like you did on your wedding day for the full effect, and feel all the emotions flooding right back! Wedding ceremonies, wedding dresses, and wedding vows, all of these things can make someone really emotional when it is done again. No other outfit will give you more joy than wearing that same wedding dress again on your wedding vow renewal ceremony day. So, here again, you are saving a lot of money on your outfit! However if you want to buy a new dress, you can also opt for preloved wedding dresses!

 

1. Wedding rings: It is not necessary to buy another ring just for this occasion. The feeling and sentiment that is attached to your original wedding ring cannot be replaced by any other ring. You can get your ring cleaned, adjusted, a little modified and polished, and into those small boxes again, for a better experience, but spending thousands of dollars on a ring again does not make sense. However, this is a completely personal choice to be made. If you want to give something to your partner instead of a ring, you can give them something useful or something which they have been wanting for a long time. You have known your partner for quite some time now. You know their likes, dislikes, needs, etc. and this just makes the job of buying a gift for them much easier. It is not the materialistic things that matter, what matters is the emotion and feeling behind it. Even a flower or even a diary can be a thoughtful yet special gift to give your significant other.

 

1. No-gift policy and do not spend extra money on a photographer: Since this is not your wedding and you are keeping it lowkey and intimate, you can write a no-gift policy on your wedding invitations. It is a wedding vow renewal ceremony and since you have made efforts to keep it small and simple, receiving gifts or giving gifts does not seem so apt for this event. This is more of a big deal for the couple than the guests and the simpler, the better. To be honest, it is the people’s presence, appreciation, and well-wishes that make a gathering happy and cheerful. As said earlier, inner joy and happiness are much more valuable than materialistic happiness. You might lose or misplace the gift someday, or it might go unused for months and years, but when you look back to the photographs, it is when you realize where true joy lies. Wedding photographs are just something which you keep forever with you just like your wedding rings. Some moments and memories cannot be recreated and they stay in those photographs forever. Instead of buying gifts for your guests, you can buy a polaroid camera and film, to click photos and keep them in an album. A polaroid camera can be used later on too! And obviously, who does not have a smartphone nowadays? Clicking photos and printing them out later can also help you save some bucks!

 

In the end, it is your wedding vow renewal day, and let it depict the mood, the colors, the style and the feeling that you want it to! Wear a shorter wedding dress if you want to, or celebrate by the beach! Make sure to enjoy to the fullest, shed some happy tears, make those vows a little funny and interesting, and lastly, be proud and grateful to your relationship and your partner for being throughout this journey and have an amazing time reliving those VOW! memories.