Writing Your Vows for a Renewal of Wedding Vows 💍💛
by Steve Pritchard-Jones
When couples sit down with me to plan their vow renewal, there’s one question that always pops up…
“What on earth do we say in our vows this time?” 😅
And honestly? I get it.
Because this time, you’re not making hopeful promises about a future you can’t yet imagine…
You’re standing there having lived it.
You’ve got history. Stories. Proof. A whole life built side by side. 🥰
I’m Steve from Top Note Ceremonies, and I work with couples across Shropshire, Telford, Staffordshire, Cheshire and North Wales to create personalised ceremonies that feel relaxed genuinely meaningful — and helping you shape your vows is one of my absolute favourite parts. ❤️
Renewal vows are different — and that’s the magic ✨
On your wedding day, vows are based on hope.
At a renewal, vows are based on experience.
You’re not promising to stand by each other through difficult times — you already have.
Through the ordinary days.
The extraordinary ones.
The flat-pack furniture arguments. 🛠️😆
The holidays that didn’t quite go to plan. ✈️🙈
And the thousands of little moments that quietly made up your life together.
That’s what makes renewal vows so powerful.
They’re real.
My first piece of advice: don’t try to be poetic ✍️
The best vows I hear aren’t fancy.
They’re honest.
Start by thinking about:
• what you’ve been through together
• what still makes you laugh
• what you admire about them now
• the little things they do that you’d secretly miss if they stopped
That’s where the gold is. 🏆
Lines like:
“I promise to keep ignoring how you load the dishwasher.” 😄
“You are still my favourite person to do absolutely nothing with.”
“After all these years, I still choose you.”
Those are the ones people remember — because they sound like you.
A simple structure that works every time 📝
Staring at a blank page? Try this:
1️⃣ Look back – where your journey began
2️⃣ Look at now – what you love about them today
3️⃣ Look ahead – a promise for the future
It doesn’t need to be long. Just sincere. 💛
What you can forget about 🙌
You don’t need to be formal.
You don’t need to impress your guests.
You don’t need to sound romantic if that’s not who you are.
This moment is for the two of you. Everyone else is just lucky to witness it. ✨
And I’ll be there to help shape the words so they feel comfortable, natural and completely personal.
The line that usually means the most 💭
It’s rarely the clever or funny line that gets people reaching for tissues.
It’s the simple one.
“After everything, I still choose you.” 💞
And that’s what renewal vows are really about.
A final thought 💬
A renewal of vows isn’t about recreating your wedding day.
It’s about standing together and saying:
“We’ve done this life side by side… and I’d do it all again. With you.”
If you’re planning a renewal of vows anywhere across Shropshire, Telford, Staffordshire, Cheshire or North Wales, I’d love to help you create a ceremony — and vows — that truly reflect your story.
👉 Contact me via the contact page on my website
👉 Visit www.pjtopnote.co.uk/blog for much more information about all things ceremonies
👉 You can also find me on YouTube @TopNoteCeremonies and TikTok @StevePJTopNote
Steve Pritchard-Jones
Celebrant – Top Note Ceremonies
