Anybody out there?
Why have you chosen to renew your vows? How long have you been married? (Or how long will you have been married when you renew?)
Our purpose is to celebrate 10 years of marriage. I more prefer the term "reaffirmation ceremony" but obviously vow renewal is more commonly used. I feel that there's something to be said for the idea of wanting to reaffirm your commitment even knowing things that you didn't know or truly understand on your wedding day. Planning our ceremony has made me very reflective and newly motivated which is a very good thing.
For us, the typical stresses of parenting, supporting each other through career changes, loss, and the journey of my husband donating a kidney to his mom have been challenging but have brought us closer than ever before. We've had many happy times and that's one aspect to celebrate. But, also it's the concept of reminding yourself of your promises with the wisdom that marriage has give you. Basically saying "So, it turns out this is REALLY hard. But I would still choose you again and I am committed to our marriage and happily look forward to the upcoming years with you with no hesitations."
All of that said, I know that everyone has their own reason(s). An article on TK lists the most common: Celebrating an anniversary, "formalizing" an elopement or marking the end of a difficult time.
What's yours?