There’s something pretty special about choosing to say your vows again.
A wedding is full of excitement and anticipation for everything that lies ahead. A vow renewal is different. You’re standing beside someone you’ve actually built a life with. You’ve got stories together. You’ve probably been through some incredible seasons and some difficult ones too.
And after all of that, you’re choosing each other again.
If you’re thinking about renewing your vows in Whistler, here’s what you need to know.
First: There Are No Rules
This might be our favourite thing about vow renewals.
Unlike a wedding, there are no legal requirements, no marriage licence and no paperwork to sign. You’re already married.
That means your vow renewal can be whatever you want it to be.
You can invite your kids, your closest friends and your entire family. Or you can disappear into the mountains together and make it just the two of you.
You can dress up. You can wear hiking boots. You can bring flowers and champagne or keep the whole thing incredibly simple.
There really is no right way to do it.
Choose What Kind of Experience You Want
Before you start worrying about locations, photographers or what you're going to wear, think about how you want the day to feel.
Do you picture standing beside an alpine lake?
Would you rather find a quiet spot in the forest?
Maybe you want to take a helicopter into the mountains, or perhaps you'd rather keep things simple and celebrate somewhere beautiful right here in the Whistler Valley.
Whistler gives you a lot of options, and the experience doesn't have to be complicated to be meaningful.
Start with the experience you want and build everything else around that.
Decide Who You Want There
For some couples, renewing their vows is something they want to share with their children and family.
For others, the whole point is getting away together.
Both are great.
We've seen some incredibly meaningful moments when children get to watch their parents renew their vows. There’s something powerful about your kids hearing you talk about your marriage, the life you've created together and why you're still choosing each other.
But there’s also something pretty amazing about standing alone together in the mountains without an audience.
Think about what feels right for the two of you.
Pick the Right Whistler Location
You definitely don't need a traditional wedding venue for a vow renewal.
Some of the best locations are simply beautiful places outdoors.
Depending on the experience you're looking for, that could mean a mountain viewpoint, a lakeside location, a quiet forest, a hiking destination or somewhere high in the alpine.
The time of year matters too.
Summer gives you long days, alpine access and incredible mountain scenery. Fall brings cooler temperatures, changing colours and quieter trails. Winter completely changes the landscape and gives you the chance to celebrate surrounded by snow.
Whistler is beautiful year-round. You just need to choose the version of it that feels most like you.
Make the Ceremony Personal
This is where a vow renewal can become something much more meaningful than simply repeating the words you said at your wedding.
You've lived some life together now.
Talk about it.
Talk about what you remember from your wedding day. Talk about the adventures you've had since then. Talk about your family, the challenges you've faced, the things that make you laugh and what you love about the person standing across from you today.
Your vows don't need to be perfect.
They just need to be yours.
You can write completely new vows, revisit parts of your original wedding vows or simply tell each other what your marriage means to you now.
Add the Things That Matter to You
Once you have the ceremony figured out, you can make the rest of the experience as simple or elaborate as you want.
Maybe you want professional photography so you actually have beautiful photos together from this chapter of your marriage.
Maybe you want flowers.
Maybe you want to celebrate afterward with dinner at one of your favourite Whistler restaurants, spend the afternoon at the spa or turn the whole thing into a weekend away.
The best vow renewals aren't necessarily the biggest ones.
They're the ones that feel like the couple.
What Does a Whistler Vow Renewal Cost?
That depends entirely on what you want to create.
A simple ceremony in the Whistler Valley can be surprisingly easy to organize, while adding professional photography, flowers, adventure or a more elaborate mountain experience will obviously change the cost.
Our Whistler vow renewal packages start at $699, and we can build from there depending on what you have in mind.
We can help with the ceremony itself or put together a more complete experience with photography, flowers and other details taken care of for you.
Make a Trip Out of It
One of the best things about renewing your vows in Whistler is that the ceremony doesn't have to be the entire reason for the trip.
Come for a few days.
Go for a hike. Ride the gondola. Book a great dinner. Spend an afternoon at the spa. Sit by the lake. Ski together. Explore somewhere you've never been.
Then, somewhere in the middle of all of that, take an hour and remind each other why you're here together in the first place.
Ready to Renew Your Vows in Whistler?
Whether you're celebrating five years, twenty-five years or simply a chapter of your marriage that deserves to be marked, we'd love to help you create something meaningful here in Whistler.
It can be simple. It can be adventurous. It can include your whole family or nobody but the two of you.
Most importantly, it should feel like you.
Explore our Whistler Vow Renewal Packages and start planning your day.