Wedding Invitations and Vow Renewal Invitations
The renewal of your wedding vows in a reaffirmation ceremony is a great way to show your partner how strongly you feel about them, officially and in front of your family and friends.
As you are already married, your parents won't host this ceremony. You will either host it yourselves or your children may host it for you as a gift. You can have the ceremony any place that is special to you - the church you were first married in, a garden, on the beach or at your home.
Since you have already taken your vows, the ceremony for a reaffirmation is not legally binding. Therefore anyone you want to can officiate the ceremony, be it a minister, your children or a close friend of relative, for example your original best man and chief bridesmaid.
When writing your guest list consider people who are special to both you and your partner and people who you think will understand the significance of the ceremony and come to offer you love and support. It also depends on the style of ceremony you are having who you invite, it may be an intimate event with just family or it may be everyone you invited to your first wedding.
The invitations are similar to a traditional wedding invitation, without the names of the hosts. For example 'The honour of your presence is requested at the renewal of the vows of Joanne and Joseph Smith on�' or if your children are hosting, 'The children of Joanne and Joseph Smith request the honour of your company at reaffirmation ceremony of their parents on�'. For an even more personal touch, you may want to include your first wedding portrait on the cover of your invitations, or a picture your children drew of your family.
However you choose to renew your vows, remember the day is about sharing your love with the people closest to you and showing your partner you mean the words of your vows as much now as you did when you first took them together.
