Marriage is a beautiful act of union between two individuals; an act of love that is set to stand the test of time. But, unfortunately, not all couples stand the test of time. It is not something that many people like to talk about, because they do not want to consider the thought of failure. But in its own way, that is the reason why a successful marriage is that much more beautiful. A renewal of vows can be a beautiful way to re-commemorate both publicly and to your spouse the essence of your love.
Understanding the Renewal of Vows
First before I can write any further about renewing vows, I should probably clarify what it is. The renewal of vows is a ceremonial celebration of a long and successful marriage, whether it is ten years down the line or multiple decades later. The intent behind the ceremony is to reaffirm your love and loyalty to one another publicly. Historically, the renewal of vows has been a celebration since the 1950s, namely celebrated in Italy and the United States. However, it become much more popularized in the 1970s. Occasionally, the event is hosted by a larger entity, such as the case of Pennsylvania, where the city of Pittsburgh commemorated the renewal of vows ceremony for 1,000 couples to celebrate the city’s 250th anniversary celebration. Obviously, that is not the standard, but it was something I found interesting while researching the topic. There is a key difference between a marriage celebration and a renewal of vows, namely the fact that a renewal of vows has no legal binding power, which means less hoops to jump through to re-commemorate the event.
Reasons for Renewing Vows
Like I mentioned previously, the main principle behind a renewal of vows is to reflect on the journey of your marriage, however long you have been together. By this point, you would have a lot more mileage in your journey together than you would have when you initially married. A lot of good times, but also, more than likely, a lot of hard times. This celebration would signify that you have overcome so much and will continue to build your life together as one unit. Whether you are celebrating five years together or 50 years, these milestones and anniversaries are an important part of your love story. A renewal of vows is versatile enough to signify a fresh start, like a new layer of snow.
Capturing the Beauty of Success
Now, in relation to a photographer’s job, if you choose to bring one into the fold, is to capture the essence of your successful marriage, however long it has been, in only a few short hours. Perhaps one of the best ways to do this would be to recreate memorable moments of your past together and bring them together with a new image synonymous with the current era of your life. Sometimes that means going to meaningful locations to recreate these photos, sometimes that means personalizing the vows compared to their original intent. Occasionally, couples will incorporate symbolic rituals into the ceremony, such as the washing of feet and vows to their children. These are both great ways to make the renewal of vows stand on its own, while capturing the love you have for one another in a new way.
The renewal of vows is a beautiful ceremony that serves to strengthen your marriage between you and your spouse, your family, and the community you are a part of. The beauty of your marriage has culminated into this event, which will be remembered by everyone there, most importantly you and your spouse. I wanted to bring attention to this topic, because it seems to be glanced over by my field. I believe it brings a great level of value to the wider culture to see couples who have been through so much together and still stand strong, inspiring generations to come. I hope you have found something of interest in this article and that maybe I have added something to your day.
Warmest regards,
Logan Clark