At the end of March this year, my husband and I took a trip to Hawaii to renew our wedding vows for our 10th Wedding Anniversary.
For our wedding, nearly 11 years ago, we wrote one set of vows together that we both said to each other. This time we wanted to write our own vows separately. I looked online for resources, and found a few for vow renewals. Most of them had to do with renewing vows after infidelity, extreme illness, extended absence, separations or serious accidents. Ours wasn’t really any of those situations. We just wanted to renew our vows to remind ourselves about what this ‘marriage’ thing means to us, recommit to each other, and celebrate 10 wonderful years together.
Since we kind of had to come up with our own ideas for the ‘new’ vows, I know there might be other people out there who would like some kind of example to draw from. Here are our vows for our own vow renewal ceremony on the beach in Hawaii:
Mine (to my sweetie)-
Over 10 years ago, as we stood before the Lord and our families, we committed our love and our lives to one another, together, in holy matrimony. It was the beginning of a beautiful adventure.
Our adventure has not been an easy one, and we have walked together through many hard times. The trials we have faced have drawn us closer and strengthened our love in unimaginable ways. Our shared life has truly been an adventure in the best sense of the word – fun, new things, travels, suspense, surprises, stepping out in faith, and clinging to one another and to the Lord. We have had a healthy share of blessings a long the way as well, too many to mention. I am so glad to have had you buy my side the whole way. You have been and you ARE my rock, my encourager, my lover, my best friend. You have taught me so much and you have love me, even when I felt unlovable.
[Sweetie], today I renew my commitment to you, to love, honor and cherish you, choosing you above all others, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, through the good times that will brighten our ways and the sadness that may darken our days.
Where you go I will go. Where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die and there I will be buried. may the Lord deal with me ever so severely if anything but death should come between you and me. I love you, always and forever.
My Sweetie’s (to me) –
[Sweetie], over 10 years ago we stood before God and witnesses and promised to love one another with the love described in the Bible. We knew there would be tests and challenges to this commitment and they have come. In each of these challenges, we have grown closer and stronger in our love. We knew there would also be many celebrations and joys. These too have come and fill most of my memories of these years of our relationship. They have also produced a deeper love between us.
A verse we picked early on in our dating has become a daily offering in my heart, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” I am so thankful that God chose someone so beautiful, not only so pleasing to the eye, also pleasing to my soul. I am forever amazed at the depth of Love that we share and how it continues to grow daily. Though I know God’s love for us is greater than the love we share, I can imagine no greater love.
[Sweetie], I love you in the most completeness that I can, as described in God’s word. As He has made our love grow to this stage today, I know that this love will continue to grow deeper. Thought it is hard to fathom any greater love, I am looking forward to and excited to experience the depths to which our love will grow in the years to come. I affirm my commitment to you and you alone to love and cherish, no matter what may come until death and death alone shall part us.
[Sweetie], I love you, I will love you Forever and I will love you Always.
