I studied vow renewal ceremonies by interviewing couples who held or were planning this ritual, often at landmark anniversaries such as 25, 40, or 50 years. Most couples were white, and a handful ...

"For a lot of couples, the vow-renewal ceremony has become a chance to get what they didn't get on the first go-around," says Alison McGill, editor in chief at Wedding Bells magazine.

At the vow renewal ceremony, Bonita surprised Dex with an image of an eagle to remind him of the one that landed on his windowsill at the Ottawa Heart Institute, and gave him hope.

For our 30th wedding anniversary, we renewed our vows in Hawaii. We stayed at a hotel that offers guests a free vow-renewal ceremony on the beach. It was a romantic experience that I highly recommend.