You also have the option of obtaining a second marriage license and having another wedding ceremony. Contact your Town Clerk for details.

 

This is a sample renewal ceremony. I will work with couples to help them create a ceremony that is uniquely theirs. Couples can select from many of the wedding components on the website and we can modify them to express a renewal of vows.

 

We give thanks for this beautiful day and for the friends and family present to celebrate with __________and ____________ as they celebrate the renewal of the marital promises they made ___________year(s) ago.

 

(add a prayer if you like)

 

I would like to share with you a beautiful poem written by Wilferd Arlan Peterson, entitled The Art of a Good Marriage.

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an
angel.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.

 

Today ___________ and ____________ are expressing their re-commitment to each other to be that right partner. To always remember that for a marriage to be successful they must be equally independent, to give each other space, yet share space and support each other when needed. To remember to laugh and bring each other joy, not only in the happy times, but also when times seem tough. Part of being the right partner is to keep their shared commitment in the forefront, to keep the lines of communication open and to continue to cultivate their love so it continues to grow.

___________ and ____________ With all this in mind, are you committed from this day forward to continue to be the Right Partner?

 

Answer together- We are

 

Please share your promises for each other now.

( I read and then you repeat-or you read off of cards-samples shown-can be modified).

 

Sample 1: __________, _______ year(s) ago I made a promise to take you as my husband/wife. Today I recommit to those promises.I love sharing my life with you, standing by your side, sleeping in your arms, welcoming you home and kissing you good night. I love the simple pleasures we share, those routine everyday tasks, those glances over coffee, the way we talk to mutually solve problems. You are joy to my heart and food to my soul. I want to continue to work as partners and to grow old together. I vow to love, honor and respect you, to listen carefully and to speak the truth. Will you accept me and all that I am? I will."

 

 

Sample 2:__________, _______ year(s) ago I made a promise to take you as my husband/wife. Today I recommit to those promises. Our journey together has been filled with love, laughter, work and surprise. I want to continue for many more years. I love you! Will you commit to me again?

 

Sample 3: Any vows of your choosing

 

Marriage is a state in which two people come together and create a union that is greater than the mere sum of two individuals. It is difficult to express in words the profound relationship that is love-but you have lived it, together, in marriage. What emblems do you have of your love and regard for one another? [Rings are handed to officiant.] From time immemorial, the circlet of metal has been an emblem of the sincerity and permanence of a couple's love and regard for one another and their union. As the precious metal turns again upon itself, so does a good marriage turn upon itself for its refreshment and renewal. Take these rings and exchange them again in the spirit of love.

I read and they repeat

 

I give you this ring as a symbol of my recommitment to you, with all that I am and all that I have. I honor, cherish and love you.

 

Couples can select a UNITY ceremony from the website

 

____and _____________, we have witnessed today your recommitment

to each other.

May you live out your days in joy, may you live in one another's company in peace, and may your days be filled with rewards of your commitment and love for each other, May you endlessly delight one another and may you love and fulfill each other always.

You may kiss your spouse.