Jackie and Miguel’s Admirable Vow Renewal Ceremony by 52forty

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There is something so wildly rejuvenating and romantic about this renewal ceremony, it could be Jackie’s vintage ensemble, the small DIY details that I LOVE so much, or the fact that this sweet couple has been together for more than a decade! I simply admire couples who show their willingness to care for one another effortlessly and let their love evolve and grow organically. It’s those real impartial moments that we usually don’t get to capture, but sometimes we get lucky enough to capture them mentally & digitally. 52forty did a splendid job capturing Jackie and Miguel’s vow renewal ceremony, and these photos just go to show that sometimes things are greater the second time around!

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From The Bride:

We met at the age 18 on February 20th 1999 at a fundraiser event for one of the biggest storms Hurricane Mitch that hit my mothers country, Honduras. He knew my friend from a youth group, she invited him & wanted us to meet. The funny thing is that my mom went with a friend & was watching me with Miguel the whole time, it was awkward but we had a great time that night felt like a date because I forgot about everyone else, we talked so much & danced, I remember being so nervous that I stepped on him several times, thankfully he was so easygoing just such a well raised, respectful,  one of a kind guy. It’s just funny how love happens sometimes.

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(How was the first wedding experience?) Wow where do I begin, we were 19 & 5 months pregnant, it was not exactly the wedding of my dreams, but until this day our guest remember having a blast on the dance floor. It was a pretty big wedding we have a large family & everyone was there! But the things that didn’t go right are what I never got over. The wedding was planned in 3 months. I am sure the pregnancy had a lot to do with this but I hated my dress, my hairstyle, my pictures, my cake, my flowers nothing was right but I got over it because at the end of that day we were just so happy to start our new journey as one.

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(What was your experience putting together the vow renewal ceremony?) Last summer we visited the Winery and Brewery at Hershey and I remember telling Miguel if we ever renew our vows this is where I would love to have it. We decided to plan our 15 yr renewal because we felt that our history deserved this special event now more than ever. We grew up together which was hard at times but no matter what we never gave up on each other, that’s what made our relationship so strong & well worth celebrating for. We wanted a small event with close family & friends and have our 3 children come out in the renewal. Planning kept us pretty busy, everything was handmade by us, the decorations, favors, every piece from head to toe. This took up a lot of time but it just felt so exciting, our bonding was excellent, we were so occupied that I kept saying “What we going to do when this is over?”. The thyme we were aiming for was simple vintage & rustic, lots of lace, burlap, pearls, chalk board signage, lanterns, logs. For months sections of our home looked like an arts & craft store. We even had the kids help create things with us. We took several trips to Hershey to meet with the venders. The plan was to make this trip a mini vacation for our loved ones at this beautiful location, we just had no clue that the cold rain would take over our renewal in June.

It was beautiful, special & memorable, combining our renewal with our wedding is just what we were missing to make our wedding complete.

Just watching our three children wipe their tears & my husband cry as he read his breathtaking written vows to me was Priceless!, that moment alone will be in my heart for the rest of my life.

Regardless of the bad weather & two hour travel for most some traveled from Florida by plane, they all made it. I remember waiting at the winery house for the ceremony to begin at the barn & my husband calls me & tells me that he couldn’t believe it, everyone showed up, we felt over the top special & loved by them. We were surprised by my sister with these large poster mask of our faces all around the room by the guest taking pics they really were a hit for entertainment.

I went above and beyond wanting my renewal to be extra perfect knowing that perfect does not exist. I didn’t want a repeat of our 1st wedding. We were adults now we had better income we had more time more choices. And still things went wrong. My tip to the ladies is to take it all in simply, concentrate more on what’s most important to you, don’t waste too much time on the small stuff, take as much help as offered don’t say no thank you say yes thank you. Our helpers went above & beyond for us & we are forever thankful. 

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From the Photographer: “So this was actually a vow renewal ceremony. The story goes that Miguel & Jackie got married very young and their first go at a wedding was not a hit. They told me that everything was rushed, they hated how they looked, and the photographer didn’t help much as he was not very good at all (they’re still scared to show the photos off). So for their 15th anniversary, they wanted to gather some close family and friends and set things right. Being fans of beer and wine (who isn’t?), they opted for the Vineyard & Brewery at Hershey, which has amazing, natural grounds. We were excited to shoot there, and both the couple and the photographers were watching the weather closely. It rained all week and usually with these things, it clears up just in the nick of time…not this time. Miguel & Jackie were bummed since they were planning on being outdoors for much of the day, but they were determined to make it work. They were troopers and braved the elements without flinching. Plus the weather added some nice drama that really highlighted how these two wouldn’t let a little rain ruin a good time. Also all the details were DIY courtesy of Miguel and Jackie themselves.”

Vendors | Photography: 52Forty | Venue: The Vineyard and Brewery at Hershey | Flowers : Creations with you in Mind | Cake & Desserts: Desserts Etc. by Hershey Pantry |