So I been thinking about vow renewals lately, me and the wife hit 15 years last month. Felt like maybe we should do something fancy? But honestly had zero clue when people actually do these things. Like do you wait for 25 years? Or just whenever you feel like it? Total head-scratcher.
First Step: Google Rabbit Hole
Started googling like crazy last Tuesday night. Typed “when to renew vows” while eating cold pizza. Found about fifty different opinions – some folks said 10 years, others said “after overcoming a big struggle”. Felt more confused than before. Shut the laptop and went to bed annoyed.
Next Morning Coffee Thoughts
Sipping coffee, remembered our basement flood disaster two years back. How we survived moldy drywall and insurance nightmares together. Realized maybe tough times matter more than calendar years. Made a list of possible “reasons” while the coffee got cold:
- Major disaster survived (hello basement flood)
- Big anniversary (but 15 ain’t 25)
- Feeling disconnected lately (we’re good though)
- Kids moved out (still got teens hogging the bathroom)
The Meltdown Test
Called my sister Thursday – she renewed vows twice! Asked her straight up: “When did you know?” She laughed and said: “When you stop arguing about stupid stuff and start wanting to celebrate surviving stupid stuff.” Hung up and stared at my wedding photo. Realized we still fight about toilet seat positions. Decided not yet.
Final Checklist Time
Saturday morning sat down with actual paper. Wrote two questions at the top:
- Are we celebrating survival? (YES – basement flood counts!)
- Are we fixing something? (NO – we’re good)
Looked at our bank account next. Saw the vacation fund. Immediately knew – vow renewal beats Disneyland. Called the wife: “Honey… how about backyard party instead of Paris?” Her scream nearly blew my eardrum. That’s how I knew it was time.
So yeah. Guidelines? Forget the numbers. Ask yourself:
- Got war stories worth celebrating? (YES)
- Just want fancy photos? (NO – well… maybe a little)
- Ready to pay for open bar? (DEAR GOD YES)
Booking the taco truck tomorrow. Pro tip: Margaritas make any vow renewal better.
