Ideas for a DIY Recommitment Ceremony!

Congratulations! How wonderful! Here's to many more years!

-little white lights make any venue sparkle & look festive
-you can always do a white arch wood arbor to stand under to mark the
space where you will stand & make re-commitment vows (Home Depot
has one)
-look up vows online or write your own
-involve your kids by giving them a part in the ceremony
-in lieu of a unity candle, you can either do a clear vase w/2 colors of sand
poured in together
-rent some white chairs to make it festive
-pick up some of your favorite flowers to place in vases around the house
or backyard
-pick out a new dress to wear (it doesn't have to be white)
-have your husb pick out what he wants to wear wether it be a khakis w/a
white shirt, suit or what-have-you
-cater your favorite foods for the ceremony or just have your favorite
restaurant deliver
-you can rent some white chairs to make it look ceremonious
-use some of those favorite flowers you chose & make your own small
bouquet
-a few hurricane candles
-set up an ipod to speakers w/your favorite play lists or get a DJ
-you can have a platter type of plate that everyone signs that you have "fired" later & keep for a serving dish. Makes for a nice memory
-have a friend take photos w/a nice camera for posterity sake

Congrats, these days 10 years is a milestone : )

Google "Weddings on a budget" for ideas, they'll adapt for a recommitting ceremony.
Make you own cake, or cupcakes on a tiered pedestal to look like a wedding cake.
Make your own veil (yes, I know you're not wearing a gown but it will add to the festivities.) I made mine for my wedding, it was easy and beautiful, I found what I needed at Joann's and Michaels.
Make a banner for the back yard, accent with balloons.
Use your children as "attendants."
Since you're good at parties just use the ideas you would normally use, tailored to a wedding.
Have fun!!

http://voices.yahoo.com/planning-vow-renewal-ceremony-bud...
http://weddings.about.com/od/yourweddingceremony/a/VowRen...

I perform wedding and commitment ceremonies. I have done a couple of weddings that were second marriages for each party and both had kids from their previous marriages. One thing that solidifies the union of both families is to do a Unity Sand ceremony. You get small bags of colored sand from a craft store, one color for each person, then layer the colors into a large jar or bottle, with a cover. The last one I did the bride was the base color and the kids all added their colors from youngest to oldest and the groom on top. It always turns out really cool. Some add all of their sand others only a little, some go in even others have a slant, so it kinda reflects the personality of each family member.
You then place your Unity Sand in a prominent place in your home to remind each of you that you are all in this together and forever united.

**Just thought about it being in November...so my ideas may not work!!**

Do an outdoorsy/picnic style but with class! Get mason jars from garage sales/2nd hand shops and fill them with sand and tealights or even various snacks, foods, decor (leaves, beads, etc) and put them on tables to keep the checkered clothes pinned down (or use clothes pins on tables to keep them down).

If you are doing an evening/dusk ceremony, do paper bag luminaries.

Make paper mache / crepe paper 'balls' that you can hang from trees. Super inexpensive!

Buy blank canvas and let your kids decorate it in whatever colors you will use for your decorations.

Make a big 'candy' table - I love this idea!! Different sized jars/bowls/etc and provide bags so the friends/family can take some home with them.

This sounds very fun to plan!!!

I can't believe anyone would think 10 years isn't "long" enough....heck yes it is! You can recommitt as many times as you want IMO. Especially these days when marriages don't seem to last.... ANYWAYS lol

I think you should at least get some sort of "fancy" dress, or one that's cream or white w/ a little glitz or romance.
You should put together a scrapbook of your 10 years together, get a picture of the two of you that's matted w/ a large area for guests to write on. Ask them maybe to write a favorite memory of the two of you, or advice to reach your 50 year anniversary....
Write new vows to each other if you didn't the first time. Reflect on happy memories.
I'd have a "makeshift" aisle, and have your kids escort you down. Pic some wildflowers for a small boquet.
Congrats on 10 years! And have a great time :)

pinterest! :)

there are a ton of great ideas on there.

also, it's totally unique to the two of you so whatever YOU decide is going to be great!

i think it's wonderful :) however, my hubby and i were talking about this too and someone (on here, regarding another question) voiced the opinion that 10 years isn't long enough lol. and i kinda thought they were right! it doesn't matter because we are planning to build a house right around the 10 year mark so it probably won't happen till later anyway....lol.

i have not decided whether i want to go to florida (have family there) and do it on the beach, or do it out in the meadow on the back 40 :) i think since we're building out in the country that the meadow will probably be more appropriate (although we did meet and start our lives together in florida). in IL you probably have some really pretty fields/meadows. my brother and SIL had a fall wedding outside up on a hill overlooking the countryside...really gorgeous!

No specific ideas from me - I just wanted to chime in and tell you that I think it's a GREAT idea. We celebrated our 10th anniv last Oct. Like you we were married in a courthouse and bought a house instead of a honeymoon! We did have a small reception one month after the wedding though. I love the backyard party ceremony idea! It seems that too many people think that it has to be fancy or expensive to be fun and memorable and that's just not true! I really like lots of McMama's ideas. You could do a garden arch (buy and plant extra flowers NOW for it). If you wanted to make a simple isle to walk down, you could sew together complementing sheets or pieces of fabric picked up from garage sales etc. Also look for vases and serving dishes at garage sales!
And you should wear some sort of sundress and a flower crown! Must! ;)