What a Vow Renewal in Lapland Is, and Is Not

A vow renewal is a ceremony where you say your promises again, for the same person, in a new place. It has no legal effect, because you are already married; it exists because you want it to. Couples renew their vows after five years, after twenty-five, after a difficult stretch, after a baby, or just because they are in Lapland and the place asks for it.

It is also the reverse of a wedding in one useful way: there is almost nothing you have to do. You do not apply for a certificate, you do not need an official, and you do not need a guest list unless you want one. You can do it as a pair, with your children, or with friends who have come with you on the trip.

Full disclosure: Rovaniemi Weddings is our own company. Alla founded it after planning her own wedding in 2024, and we plan everything from two guests to 200 and more across Lapland, Finland, Sweden and Norway. We have a soft spot for vow renewals, because the couples are relaxed and the ceremonies are often the most emotional of all.

Where We Would Hold It Near Rovaniemi

If you want the most romantic of all in winter, we would suggest the Ice Chapel. If you want privacy, Arcticmint Villa or a suite at Aurora Hill Resort is hard to beat. Our guide to the Ice Chapel wedding has the detail on what the venue is like.

Designing the Ceremony

Because the ceremony is yours alone, you can design it freely. These are the pieces we are most often asked to help with:

• The vows. Many couples write new ones, short and personal. A handful of sentences said to each other is often more moving than a long text. We can print them in a styled vow book with a pen, which we also use at elopements.
• The rings. Some exchange the same rings; some add a second ring or a new band. Keep them in an inside pocket, in the cold.
• The people. Just the two of you, with a photographer; or your children as witnesses; or a few friends and family. We can arrange a toast and a dinner for any size.
• The tradition. We can borrow from Lapland’s wedding traditions: sharing rye bread, a toast from a loved one, a sauna the evening before. See Lapland Wedding Traditions and Sauna Wedding in Lapland.
• The officiant. Not required for a symbolic ceremony. A friend, a child or one of you can lead, or we can recommend an officiant if you want one.

Styling It: Candles, Florals and Light

The style should say something about the years you have had. We build a small ceremony around an arch or a backdrop, candles, a bouquet or a few stems, and a few touches of your own: a photograph, a letter, the first card you wrote to each other. In winter we add fur throws, lanterns and a fire; in summer wildflowers and linen. We use high-quality artificial and preserved flowers suited to Nordic conditions, because fresh petals freeze at −30 °C and wilt in a heated room, and they stay perfect in every season.

If you already own a dress or a suit from your wedding, bring it; it looks very good against snow. If not, wear what feels right under a warm jacket. A winter ceremony outdoors is kept brief, about 15 to 20 minutes, with fire pits, blankets and warm drinks. The Ice Chapel is around −5 °C inside and ceremonies last about 20 to 30 minutes, with a heated space afterwards.

An Anniversary Surprise Instead of a Ceremony

Sometimes the better idea is not a ceremony but a surprise. If one of you is planning the trip, you can ask us to set up a second “yes” in a way that fits your story. A Thousand Petals (from €700) fills your room with a path of rose petals, a bouquet of 70 roses on the bed, 15 heart-shaped balloons and a bottle on ice; it is suited to an anniversary or a honeymoon, whether you are engaged or already married. Right Where You Are (from €650) brings a styled setting to your cabin, villa or hotel. For a bigger gesture, a private Dinner in the Glass Dome (from €1,450) at Invisible Forest Lodge is a classic anniversary dinner, and Yes Under the Aurora (from €1,500) can be a second proposal.

We communicate only with the person planning and never contact their partner. For more ideas for the days around the ceremony, see our guide to romantic things to do in Rovaniemi for couples and the honeymoon in Lapland guide, which works equally well for an anniversary.

What a Vow Renewal Costs

We give custom quotes, because a vow renewal can be as small as a styled setting and a photographer or as full as a weekend with guests. The published cost guide for Lapland weddings gives a sense of the components: elopement styling from around €800, a full styling package €1,500 to €5,000, a cabin or glass igloo venue for an intimate day €500 to €1,500, and photography €1,500 to €4,000 for full-day coverage, with videography an additional €1,500 to €3,500. An intimate elopement-sized day starts around €5,000 all in. A vow renewal for two with simple styling and a photographer sits below that, and one with a dozen guests and a dinner sits above it. See Lapland Wedding Cost for the ranges.

The cheapest way to do it is to pair a short styled ceremony with the trip you were already planning. Many couples choose a ceremony on the day of their anniversary and a quiet dinner after it.

Making a Weekend of It

Because the ceremony itself is short, the rest of the trip is where the anniversary lives. A plan that works for many couples: arrive on the day before, take a long sauna in the evening, renew your vows the next afternoon, and finish with a private dinner. On the following day, add something you would not do at home: a husky safari, a reindeer visit, a northern lights evening in season, or simply a slow morning in a glass-roofed suite. If you travel with children or friends, they can join the dinner and toasts while the ceremony itself stays a private moment, with a photographer capturing it from a distance.

We are also happy to coordinate with a hotel or resort you have already booked, so that the ceremony slots into your stay rather than shaping it. Tell us where you are staying and what dates you have, and we will propose a setting that fits.

Is Anything Legal Required?

A symbolic vow renewal is not a legal marriage, so there is no application and no certificate to arrange; you are already married. If you are unsure whether your situation needs anything, for example if your original marriage was not registered, we point you to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, which handles marriage formalities in Finland, and we can talk it through. If instead you would like to marry legally in Lapland, our guide to getting married in Finland as a foreigner explains the steps, and our Getting Married in Finland page has the checklist.

How to Plan It With Us

1. Tell us about your day. Your anniversary date, who is coming and what the years have meant. Use the Contact Rovaniemi Weddings page.
2. Consultation and estimate. A meeting in person or online, with a price estimate.
3. Agreement and deposit. A simple agreement and a deposit that secures your date.
4. Planning together. We source the venue, photographer and florals; you choose.
5. Your day. We install every detail and quietly solve the small things.

We reply within one business day. For winter dates, write several months ahead; our guide to how far ahead to book has the timeline.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

A vow renewal is the gentlest thing we plan, and the one with the least pressure. There is nothing to prove and nobody to impress; there is only a promise that is made again because it has been kept. We are biased, because this is our own business, but if you have been thinking about it, Lapland is a very good place to say it again.

Look at the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos for winter, Arcticmint Villa for privacy, or A Thousand Petals for a quiet surprise, and tell us your date on the Contact Rovaniemi Weddings page.

Rovaniemi Weddings · by Joona & Alla

Settings and surprises for an anniversary

Every option is planned, set up and quietly packed down by our own team, and nearly every proposal includes a photographer. Tell us your story and we reply within one business day.

VenueArctic SnowHotel & Glass IgloosSinettä, Rovaniemi — on the shore of Lake Lehtojärvi, around 30 minutes from RovaniemiSee more →VenueArcticmint VillaLake Norvajärvi, Rovaniemi — about 20 minutes from Rovaniemi city centre, 15 minutes from Rovaniemi Airport and Santa Claus VillageSee more →Signature proposalA Thousand PetalsFrom €700 · year-roundDiscover this proposal →WeddingsHoneymoon in LaplandRovaniemi WeddingsSee more →

Rovaniemi Weddings is our own wedding planning and proposal design company — Joona & Alla, based in Rovaniemi. We plan, style and coordinate proposals and weddings across Lapland, Finland, Sweden and Norway.