Is It Tacky to Wear a Wedding Dress for a Vow Renewal?
Q: Is it tacky for me to wear a wedding dress at my 30th anniversary vow renewal, especially since we didn’t have a formal wedding? – Melissa A: Absolutely not! [...]
Q: Is it tacky for me to wear a wedding dress at my 30th anniversary vow renewal, especially since we didn’t have a formal wedding? – Melissa
A: Absolutely not!
One of the wonderful things about vow renewals is the freedom to celebrate your love the way you want, without the constraints of traditional wedding rules. If you didn’t have a formal wedding the first time, wearing a wedding dress for your vow renewal is a beautiful way to make the day feel extra special.
Why You Can (and Should!) Wear a Wedding Dress for Your Vow Renewal:
- There Are No Set Rules for Vow Renewals
Unlike weddings, where certain traditions and etiquette may apply, vow renewals are entirely about celebrating your journey as a couple. Whether it’s your 10th or 30th anniversary, the dress you choose should make you feel beautiful and reflect your personality. If that means wearing a wedding dress, go for it! - Wedding Dresses Aren’t Just for First-Time Brides
The notion that wedding dresses are only for first-time brides or young brides has evolved. Today, brides wear gowns of all colors and styles, no matter their age or relationship history. The same applies to vow renewals—whether you want a white gown, a bold red dress, or something non-traditional, the focus should be on what makes you feel amazing. - Celebrate Your Journey with a Gown That Feels Right
Perhaps you didn’t get to wear the dress of your dreams the first time around. A vow renewal gives you the chance to have the ceremony you always wanted, complete with the dress that makes you feel your best. Your vow renewal is a unique opportunity to express your love and celebrate how far you’ve come as a couple, so wear what makes you feel beautiful and confident.
Wedding Dress Ideas for Your Vow Renewal
- Traditional Bridal Gown: If you’ve always dreamed of walking down the aisle in a flowing white or ivory gown, now is the perfect time. Many couples who had simpler first weddings choose to go all-out for their vow renewals.
- Colorful or Non-Traditional Dresses: If you want to switch things up, consider a dress in your favorite color. Soft blush tones, deep reds, or even jewel tones like emerald green can add a modern and personal touch to your look.
- Vintage-Inspired Gowns: Love the classic look? A vintage or retro-inspired gown can give your vow renewal a timeless elegance. It can also be a nod to the era when you first got married.
- Simple and Elegant Attire: Not all vow renewals call for a big, dramatic gown. If you prefer something more understated, a sleek, minimalist dress or even a chic jumpsuit might be your style. It’s all about feeling comfortable and true to yourself.
Real Inspiration from Couples
Many couples opt to wear something significant to them, whether it’s a traditional gown, a more casual dress, or even cultural attire. To help inspire your decision, check out these stunning examples of couples who embraced their unique styles for their vow renewals, showing there’s no such thing as “tacky” when it comes to dressing for your special day.
You might also find these articles and questions helpful as you plan on what to wear to your vow renewal:
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Hi Karie! What if I wanted to wear my original wedding dress—would that be “tacky”? Thanks in advance!
I think it’s absolutely wonderful to wear your original wedding dress for a vow renewal! In fact it’s very romantic. You can wear it exactly as you did the first time or give it a bit of an update.
Depending on the style and how many years it’s been since you wore it, you might update it a little with new accessories, a bit of color, or even have it shortened. For example, if your original dress was fairly plain, you might add some beading, flowers, or lace to it.
Adding color with silk flowers, big or small, can make a great statement. They can be sewn at the bust line, waist, or on the skirt of the dress. Or you might consider adding a sash in your favorite color.
For a sheath or mermaid style dress, it works wonderfully to have it shortened to cocktail length in many cases. Or perhaps adding a little lace jacket is more your style now? You can also add a little new personal flair to it with a new necklace, shoes, earring, etc.
Whether you opt to keep it just like it was on your wedding day or make some updates to it, wearing your original dress is a wonderful idea!
I’m renting our vows also I’m over 60 been married 46 years this year and I’m wondering what type of wedding dress I could wear I’m 4-11 inches and I want to hide my legs and would like a small train help please
Most bridal shops will be able to offer you several options. I would suggest looking in the mother of the bride section for a dress of this style. Some examples can be seen at https://www.davidsbridal.com/SearchDisplay?catalogId=10051&facets=productColorToFamily%253A%2522Ivory_Ash%2522%2CproductColorToFamily%253A%2522Ivory_Ivory%2522%2CproductColorToFamily%253A%2522Ivory_Ivory%252FChampagne%2522%2CproductColorToFamily%253A%2522Ivory_Ivory%2BTaupe%2522%2CproductColorToFamily%253A%2522Ivory_Champagne%2522&langId=-1&resultType=products&productSize=large&pageSize=30&storeId=10052&pageNumber=1&pageView=grid&categoryId=3002802
My husband and I are renewing our vows next year for our 10 year anniversary. I know it seems too soon for a renewal, but we both want to have one. To honor how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown since we’ve first gotten married. And my personal reasons that I’d like to renew is that I didn’t like how I looked (gained 30 pounds since our engagement and had to go up a dress size), I didn’t like my hair hairstylist didn’t do what I asked but it was too late), and our wedding photographer never gave us edited photos, so we, to this day don’t have good photos of our wedding (family friend who was a “professional” took them). We don’t have a wedding album or anything. And most importantly, we had some family that didn’t believe in us, and didn’t believe we could make it. Now, two daughters later (one with Autism) and more in love than ever, we want to show how in love we truly are. We want beautiful photos (hiring a professional this time), and I am at my lowest weight and feel happy and confident. My desire is to have a mermaid style dress with lace sleeves (being that it will be in December), in ivory or champagne. When I kept reading articles saying not to wear a wedding dress, my heart sunk. Why do articles say it’s not allowed?
PS The people who didn’t believe in us will be at this renewal. They were his parents. This will be interesting.
Some people have old-fashioned ideas about color! You should feel free to wear whatever you want in any color you want!