Whether you’re looking to celebrate a wedding anniversary or reflect on the life you’ve shared with your partner, renewing your vows is a beautiful way to honour your time together. This process is a little different to standard wedding ceremonies, and in this blog we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to renew wedding vows, including heading abroad for destination vow renewal.
Looking for the perfect place to refresh your vows? At The Wedding Travel Company we have a range of stunning destination wedding renewal packages in fabulous locations all across the globe.
The first step when learning how to renew your vows is to decide the scale of your celebration. Are you looking to enjoy an intimate wedding vow renewal just between you and your partner? Maybe you want a more formal vow renewal with a reception and guests. Deciding the size, scale and tone of your celebration will help you arrange the planning process.
Once you know what you’re looking for in your vow renewal, you’ll be able to set a budget and identify the venue size, and any additional costs like caterers, reception hire, etc.
If you had a wedding in the UK, you might be interested in jetting off to an exotic location to renew your vows. This has become a popular option for couples who missed the opportunity to travel for their wedding because of things like the pandemic.
There are so many fabulous locations across the globe that offer destination weddings and renewals from Europe to the Middle East. In order to narrow down the location, you need to identify what you want from your big day.
If you’re dreaming of renewing your love with a beach wedding renewal ceremony, then you may want to consider tropical climates and crystal clear waters in places like Turkey, Cyprus, or Greece.
Greece is home to several of the best beaches in the world for 2025, making it a fabulous destination for any couple to recommit to their partner.
If you fancy relaxing with a spacious villa wedding renewal, Italy has a range of beautiful villas with a mixture of rural and stunning city views.
When you opt to renew your wedding vows abroad, you have the freedom to plan without worrying about local marriage laws. Since this is a symbolic event, you’re not constrained by any legal restrictions or requirements, so you’re free to have any ceremony you’d like.
Before you set off, there are a few things you need to prepare for:
At The Wedding Travel Company, we can create a bespoke package for your destination vow renewal that takes all the stress out of planning and includes everything you need for your big day.
Once you know where you want to hold your ceremony, it’s time to choose your dream venue and the right time to renew your vows. You can choose a wide range of venues from outdoor areas like botanical gardens and beaches to traditional settings like cathedrals or churches.
There are a few things to consider, including:
Remember that when you hire a wedding planner, they’ll be able to take care of all the planning regarding capacity and budget and help locate the right venue that suits your needs.
Unlike a standard wedding, the most important part of a vow renewal ceremony is, of course, the vows. These are the heart of the ceremony, so it’s important to make sure they reflect how you and your partner feel in the present moment.
Revisit your original vows and see if they still reflect where you and your partner are now. You can rewrite your vows completely with a focus on how you’ve grown and changed since your wedding, or use traditional wedding vows and add a personal touch. You can also use other couples’ examples for inspiration on how to write your own wedding vows.
You don’t have to plan or write anything either, you can just be open and speak from the heart on the day, whatever feels right in your relationship.
Unlike a wedding, you don’t need a licensed official to renew your vows as you’re already legally married. This means you have the freedom to choose whoever you want to officiate your vows. This could be:
Before you send out your invitations, there are a few final things to sort out.
Theme: Vow renewals are the perfect opportunity to do things differently from classic weddings. Have you got a theme, like a favourite film, location or anniversary you want to use to guide your day?
Dress Code: As this is a more informal occasion, you don’t need to stick to suits and dresses if you’d prefer a different dress code. You can pick a certain colour or style for guests to follow, or keep the whole thing low-key with casual dress, the choice is yours.
Reception: Do you want to have a reception after your ceremony? You could have a more formal party with a dinner, or simply invite friends and family for a few drinks.
Renewing your wedding vows is an amazing way to honour your partner and the life you’ve made together and can be a brilliant opportunity to celebrate anniversaries and milestones. Now you know how to renew your wedding vows, all that's left is to find the right time and place to make your big day complete.
Ready to plan your destination vow renewal? Get in touch with our team at The Wedding Travel Company and we’ll help you craft the perfect package in your dream location abroad.
Discover more about renewals and destination weddings in our blogs below:
The Best 2025 Destination Wedding Locations
