Vow Renewals and Ebenezers

For several years, J and I jokingly have said we wanted to celebrate our ten year anniversary with a vow renewal.  As we got closer to ten years of marriage, we realized how much we wanted to celebrate all the crazy adventures we have been through in this thing we call life.  We wanted images that told a story and captured who we are, that were a celebration of the blessings God had poured out on us after a really rough year.  To me photographs can often act as an Ebenezer, raised and hung on our wall as a reminder of His ever present help and faithfulness.  The image shown above is the perfect reminder of our journey walking through that valley to a place we are at now.  We also wanted our children to participate in this vow renewal and to have an active memory of the value we place on our marriage and the vows we repeated for a second time.  We are so grateful to have had Katelyn and Michael to capture these images for us that we will truly treasure for years to come.

Joy and Fire Pits

Our vow renewal couldn’t have been more perfect.  The ceremony itself was filled with joy and if you know anything about me, tears.  We wanted our vow renewal to be something we could savor and enjoy without feeling rushed to leave at a certain time.  Seven Springs Farm was just perfect for that, because after dinner we changed into comfy sweaters and lit a fire in the fire pit and just chatted late into the evening.  We slept in the next day and got up and cooked homemade biscuits for all our friends and family that stayed the night.  Before leaving, we walked down and watched the sheep coming running up over the hill.  For us that was the exact experience and memory making we had desired for us and our kids.

What I Learned Being a Bride Again

As a wedding photographer and someone who already had a wedding, I thought there was no way I would be stressed and that everything would be planned months ahead of time.  That was totally not the case! Here are a few things I learned or that was just simply a reaffirmation:

• Hire a wedding planner or at least a day of coordinator.  Kari made sure everything went extremely smooth despite HWY 64 attempting to mess with our timeline.  I didn’t have a wedding planner ten years ago and having her there made all the world of difference!
• Invest in a photographer who not only is consistent in their work but also a center of calm and joy.  I can’t emphasize this point enough.  While the memories of the day are amazing, those canvases on my wall are a constant reminder and anchor back to how amazing everything was.  Having a photographer there who was joyful and calm can actually direct and set the tone for the day!
• In the end, plan your wedding day around what you value and you won’t go wrong.  We knew we wanted to savor our vow renewal and not be rushed so we picked a location that allowed us that with the added bonus of being historic.

A Thank You

I can’t say thank you enough to all the sweet friends, family, and wedding vendors that made our vow renewal so precious.  Our kids are still talking about it almost a month later and we will forever hold those memories and images in our hearts and on our walls.

Photography: Katelyn James Photography

Venue: Seven Springs Farm

Floral Design: Aleen Floral Design

Wedding Planner: Two River Events

Hair and Makeup: Transformation Artistry

Personal Chef: The Green Kitchen

Cake: Bella Cakes

Invitations: S Squared Designs