VT Vows

I Tried 6 Vow Renewal Ideas. Here’s What Felt Real (And What Flopped)

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Quick outline

  • Why we renewed
  • Six real vow ideas we did
  • Gear we used and liked
  • What I’d repeat, and what I’d skip
  • Simple planning tips

I’ve renewed my vows with my husband three times in small ways, and helped two friends with theirs. Sounds extra. Maybe it is. But it gave us a reset we needed. We kept the plans chill, cheap, and warm. Think real life, not a movie. I’ll share what we did, what worked, and the little things I wish I knew.
When we needed quick inspiration for wording and timeline, a scroll through Vermont Vows sparked more than a few ideas. In fact, their candid breakdown of six different ways to renew (I tried 6 vow renewal ideas—here’s what felt real and what flopped) nudged us to keep things simple. Another sanity-check came from Brides’ straightforward vow renewal guide—a quick skim that settled a few etiquette debates.

1) Sunrise Beach, Bare Feet, Donut Tower

We met at 6:15 a.m. at our local beach. Twelve people. Coffee in thermoses. Hoodies and sand. A friend read two lines. We read short vows from little books. We stacked donuts into a wobbly “cake.” It wasn’t fancy. It felt honest.

  • What I used:

    • Vow books from Etsy (thick paper; my gel pen didn’t bleed).
    • JBL Clip 4 speaker for one song. Clear sound for its size.
    • Kodak FunSaver disposables. Grainy, but charming.

  • Good: The light was soft, and so were we. No one stared. Parking was free. Donuts were gone in ten minutes. Laughs kept us warm.

  • Not so good: Wind ate the first line of my vow. I had to speak up. Sand got on the donuts. Our kid dropped a hole right into the water, then cried. We hugged a lot.

Would I do it again? Yep. I’d bring binder clips for pages. And a blanket for laps.

2) Backyard Potluck Vow Night

We strung café lights. We set a taco bar on folding tables. Everyone brought one dish. At dusk, we read our vows again, but longer this time. We added three “we will” lines. I stole one tear-jerking line straight from this collection of emotional wedding vow examples that actually made couples cry, and it landed. Then we did bad karaoke.

  • What I used:

    • Ruggable runner down the grass path so heels didn’t sink.
    • $20 stand mic and a tiny mixer. It hummed sometimes, but it helped.
    • Citronella candles. They helped a little. Bug spray worked better.

  • Good: Zero venue stress. Kids ran around with glow sticks. My friend took video on an iPhone 14 and used the Voice Memos app for sound. It turned out clean enough.

  • Not so good: Guac went brown fast. A storm teased us; we moved the desserts inside. My white dress found tomato salsa, of course.

Would I do it again? Yes, but I’d set a short “run of show.” Ours was 45 minutes: welcome, vows, song, toast, cut churro cake. A tiny plan helps.

3) Tiny Hotel Rooftop Hour

We booked a downtown hotel with a small rooftop. One hour slot. Just us and a friend with a camera. City lights. Quick vows. Then burgers and milkshakes down the street. Like prom, but less cringe.

  • What I used:

    • Silk bouquet from Michaels. Looked real in photos.
    • A white slip dress I already owned and a blazer. Done.

  • Good: No wind. No sand. Photos felt modern. The quiet was nice. We ate fries in our wedding shoes. It felt silly and sweet. I almost slipped in a joke from these funny wedding vow lines, but city noise was comic enough.

  • Not so good: A rooftop fan hummed in video. Security asked for our room key twice. Also, parking cost more than the bouquet.

Would I do it again? For a date-night vibe, yes. Keep it short. Bring bobby pins. City air does weird things to hair.

4) Trailhead Mini-Hike, Thermos and Fog

We met two friends at a trailhead at 7 a.m. Short hike. We stopped at a lookout. We read two-line vows. Mine borrowed a phrase from these refreshingly real wedding vows for her. We poured coffee. The world felt quiet.

  • What I used:

    • Danner boots. Good grip on wet rock.
    • A small plaid blanket. Sat on it, no wet butt. Worth it.
    • Instax Mini 11. Prints right away. The kids loved it.

  • Good: No crowd. The fog rolled in and made it soft. Our friend shot wide shots on a Sony a6400. The trees looked huge.

  • Not so good: My nose ran. The clip for my hair fell down the slope. Also, my vow paper got damp and wrinkled. Still cute, but wrinkled.

Would I do it again? Yes. Pack tissues. And a trash bag for wet stuff. Simple win.

5) Church Hall Blessing With Tea

My grandma asked for “a proper blessing.” So we booked the church hall for one hour. Short reading. Our pastor prayed. We loosely leaned on these Christian wedding vow examples for wording that felt familiar but still ours. We bowed to the elders and poured tea. My aunt cried, then laughed, then cried again.

  • What I used:

    • Red envelopes for grandparents. They smiled so big.
    • A simple sheet cake from Costco. I wrote “Again, always.”

  • Good: It honored them. The photos mean a lot now. We felt rooted, not just cute.

  • Not so good: Hall lighting is rough. We stood near a window. Also, the mic popped. The pastor just spoke without it.

Would I do it again? Yes. It was less “Pinterest,” more heart.

6) A Tiny Travel Vow in New Orleans

We went to New Orleans for a long weekend. We didn’t hire a band. We kept it light. In Jackson Square, at sunset, we read one line each. Then we ate beignets with powdered sugar all over our faces. A street sax played near us, which felt like a gift.

  • What I used:

    • Bose SoundLink Micro for our slow song in the hotel room later.
    • Black vow books this time. Easier to keep clean.

  • Good: It felt like a secret. We still talk about the sugar snow on our clothes.

  • Not so good: Crowds. We waited for a quiet pocket. We didn’t get perfect quiet, but it was fine. Life is noisy.

Would I do it again? Yup. Keep it light. Don’t stage too much. Let the city do its thing.

Gear I Liked (And One Miss)

  • Vow books from Etsy: Thick pages, no pen bleed, and they look nice on a shelf. We used them three times.
  • JBL Clip 4 speaker: Loud enough for 15 people outdoors. Clips to a chair or bag. Battery lasted all morning.
  • Instax Mini 11: Prints fast. Kids got involved. Not pro quality, but joy is joy.
  • Shure MV88 mic with iPhone: Clean sound for backyard vows. Small and easy. This one felt pro but simple.
  • Candles as bug fix: Weak. Use real bug spray too. Trust me.

Money Notes

  • Beach morning: About $60 (donuts, coffee, film).
  • Backyard night: About $250 (food, lights, paper goods).
  • Rooftop hour: About $120 (bouquet, parking, milkshakes).
  • Trail hike: About $20 (film, snacks).
  • Church hall: $0 hall fee for members; $40 cake.
  • New Orleans moment: Just the trip cost; the vow itself was free.

You can keep it small and still make it rich.

If you’re still brainstorming fresh angles, I found a treasure trove of low-stress inspiration in AARP’s list of creative ways to renew your vows. Their ideas span backyard brunches to destination do-overs and pair nicely with a keep-it-real mindset.

What Landed vs. What Flopped

  • Landed
    • Morning light. It calms nerves.
    • Short vows plus one shared promise. Clean and strong.
    • One song on a tiny speaker. Not five. One.
    • A friend with a shot list. Close-ups. Hands. Tears. Done.
    • Reading through this no-fluff roundup of [the best

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