- Wedding, engagement, bachelor and bachelorette parties should not be hosted in connection with repeating wedding vows. Those parties are traditionally held for couples who are not yet married, especially bachelor and bachelorette parties, which symbolize an individual's last night as a single, unmarried person. Since you are already married, these types are parties are not appropriate for a vow renewal.
- Your original wedding band and engagement ring should not be discarded for this ceremony; they were a symbol of love and commitment at the time of the original wedding and should remain as such. However, couples celebrating a milestone anniversary may add an anniversary ring to celebrate their years together and their continued commitment.
- If you are renewing your wedding vows, chances are you have already registered once and have received wedding gifts. Wedding gifts are to shower the new couples with necessities that they do not already have to make their home together comfortable; these gifts are not appropriate for the already married couple. You can request in the invitation that no gifts be brought, or you can simple leave out registry information. Some guests will likely give gifts anyway, even if you request the opposite; always remember to send a kind thank-you note in a timely manner.
- Vow renewal ceremonies, while similar to weddings, should not include wearing a traditional wedding dress, since the wedding dress is a symbol of purity or new marriage. It is appropriate to wear a formal gown or even a casual dress, as long as you inform guests of the nature of the event so that they can dress for the occasion. Husbands can wear suits or casual wear, depending on the formality of the event.
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