When you got married, the chances are that you didn’t have children yet. Instead, you were able to concentrate on each other and begin your married life just the two of you. Now, though, you’ve expanded your family, and, when your kids look at pictures of your special day, they may wonder why they weren’t a part of it.
This, and the fact that you likely have a stronger relationship since becoming parents, might lead to you to renew your vows in a brand new ceremony that the kids can attend. This will create some fantastic family memories, as well as providing a fantastic opportunity to recommit to one another.
However, considering you didn’t have kids to navigate when you were planning your initial wedding, you might not be fully aware of what role your children could play in your vow renewal. Luckily, we’ve put together some top ideas here.
# 1 – Give Your Children a Role
There are plenty of roles for kids during a vow renewal, and these are fully adaptable depending on your child’s age and confidence. Older children may be suitable ring bearers, and you could involve them in everything from choosing a wedding ring with companies like Rare Carat Diamonds, to the moment when you finally exchange rings on the big day. Older children could also serve as attendants and stand with you during the ceremony.
For younger children, roles like flower girls and ushers are fantastic for ensuring they play their part, without adding undue responsibility. More confident children may also simply prefer to perform a reading or something similar after the ceremony itself.
# 2 – Mention Your Children in Your Vows
When you first got married, your vows were all about the commitments you made to one another, but your vow renewal is very different. While it’s still important that you spare plenty of attention to your love for your spouse, you should also take this opportunity to include your children.
By mentioning your children in your vows and including them in these commitments, you can show them how much they mean to you, separate from the fun of the day. This can be incredibly reassuring to even young children and means that, whenever they think back or rewatch your vow renewal, they’ll see first-hand how much they mean to both of you.
# 3 – Sign a Family Certificate
There’s no need for a marriage certificate after a vow renewal ceremony, but you could either print or request a certificate that you could all sign as a family. At the very least, this will be a great photo opportunity that ensures you’ll always remember your children’s special role during the day. Framing that certificate can also be a great and ongoing family reminder of the love you all share and the commitments you’ve made.
Vow renewals can be a great way to reaffirm your love, and can be especially effective if you get the whole family involved in these key ways.
