Family Vow Renewal
Becca + Monte
“Our family vow renewal was a rebirth of our relationship. Walking through the entire ceremony, from above the cenote to the end with our photos, being able to make our renewal entirely about us, expressing and renewing our love and commitment. All of this expression made us stronger in who we are as individuals and who we are as soulmates. We are happier and feel freer because our burdens from the past have been let go.”
Right now, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic we’re coming to terms with the fact that life doesn’t always go as planned. Special days like weddings are not exempt – things that “just have to work out” sometimes, quite simply, don’t. The good news is that humans are resilient and the challenges that we face make us stronger. In the end, we also have the power to take control and create the experiences we dreamed of, even when life put obstacles in our way.
Becca and Monte’s wedding was not the way either had planned. 23 years later, they took matters into their own hands. They decided to renew their vows and give themselves the gift of the wedding celebration they had dreamed about.
Del Sol: It’s amazing love you brought here! Could you talk us through WHY you wanted to renew your vows?
“When we got married on January 4th, 1997, it was not all about us, nor was it full of joy.”
“There were loved ones making it about what they wanted and needed. Monte’s family was torn with grief and worry because his youngest brother was severely ill in the ICU when we got married. We had a special moment of silence during our ceremony because his brother was supposed to be standing by Monte’s side as one of his groomsmen, not in another state fighting for his life in the ICU. It was a joy to be joining together but that joy was also surrounded by sadness and worry. While we were on our honeymoon, his brother passed away. We had to immediately return to Portland to fly to MT for his funeral.”
“We always felt deep down that we missed out on what getting married and starting a new life together should truly be about. This, and the rollercoaster ride our 23 years together has been, drove us to make sure we finally took time for just us. To truly celebrate us, what we’ve been through, and how far we have come.”
Del Sol: Not only was your wedding day not as you had imagined, your marriage itself has also been challenged by your health.
“My hubby and I have a very special bond due to our health issues. We both fight chronic illnesses.”
“No one can understand what fighting a chronic illness is like unless they have one themselves. He has type 1 diabetes, I have multiple sclerosis. He was diagnosed at 14, I was diagnosed 4 months after we got married.”
“We are each other’s life lines. We get each other to the deepest of physical and emotional pain and suffering.”
“To successfully face and fight a chronic illness you have to be able to look at yourself in the deepest of ways. To search deep in your soul to become the best person you can be so you can fight this disease with all the power you can muster.”
Del Sol: Talk to us about why you wanted to include your children and make this a family vow renewal.
“We are a very close-knit family and definitely wanted our kids to participate and be part of the experience together.”
“We saw this as an opportunity to make lasting lifetime memories together that we would never forget! I am sure they will remember this moment for the rest of their lives and we felt blessed to have them there. The power of the moment and place would not have been the same without them.”
Del Sol: Talk to us about the ceremony – were there any particular moments that stood out?
“We really loved the whole ceremony! The walk from the car down to the cenote was incorporated nicely into the ceremony and was an important part of the process. It was really neat when we arrived at the cenote that it was hidden quite well and we had to duck under some rocks and go down a steep stair to get to it.”
“Once we arrived at the cenote the spiritual aspects of the place were amazing and Lorena wove that magic into every piece of the ceremony.”
“The tie with the natural and spiritual elements of earth, fire, and water were all well done. The seeds that were used to represent the earth were really beautiful and fun to run our hands through and toss into the air. Our kids loved this part. They also loved throwing the flower petals. We all enjoyed weaving the colorful ribbon together as a symbol that God made us each unique, but also woven together to create a beautiful masterpiece.”
“Lorena knew so easily what was in our hearts and what this renewal truly meant to us. Throughout the ceremony her words spoke directly to our hearts and brought tears to my eyes multiple times. She knew exactly what to say and at the right moments as well. I am so grateful I requested video as I cannot wait to re watch my ceremony and hear her words again to relive those special moments because multiple time her words spoke directly to what we were feeling.”
Del Sol: How did you come to choose a cenote for your family vow renewal?
“Monte and I wanted something different. Something magical, spiritual, and very unique. And we are nature lovers. The cenote had all of that.”
“We also really love the ocean and wanted to incorporate that somehow but didn’t want to do a beach ceremony because everyone does those now. So we thought having a magical cenote ceremony followed by a private beach photo session was the perfect plan for renewing our vows.”
“The candles added extra magic to an already magical place. They added a spiritual essence. The ceremony and pictures would not have been the same without them. Sol knew our hearts, she is so connected to what is deep and soulful and knew exactly what we needed even though we had never met and only spoke briefly on the phone. Lorena and Udi were delightful. I felt like I could sit down with them and we could talk for hours and become great friends. I would request them if we did this again. They were perfect! When we do this again.”
Del Sol: How was the beach part of your vow renewal experience at Dreams Tulum?
“The beach photo shoot was so much fun! Sol and her team are so amazing at capturing the passion and beauty and knowing what would be fun and what would look unique and special to us. The beach time had a playful vibe to it while the cenote shoot was serene and romantic.”
Del Sol: How was your whole family vow renewal experience with the Del Sol Team?
“Del Sol is magical. They create magic just being with them. The atmosphere is different. You know you’re surrounded by amazingly talented people and all you can think is, how blessed am I to have this very special time given to me because of the people I am surrounded by.”
“Having had these moments, we want badly to do this again someday with all of you. Celebrating an Anniversary someday in the future maybe. At the same place but this time swimming in the cenote!☺”
“The picnic together after the ceremony was so fun and special. Monte and I both just wanted to stay and keep visiting and really get to know everyone. We will cherish those moments with Sol and her team.”
Del Sol: What was your takeaway from your family vow renewal experience?
“We are so grateful to have made our vow renewal a priority and made it happen. Life is so short and goes lightning fast. We only get one life on this precious earth. Our vow renewal and where we chose to have it was a reminder of how important it is to live now, celebrate now before it’s gone.”
Del Sol: What do you feel you got the most out of the family vow renewal experience?
“Our vow renewal experience was the rebirth of our relationship.”
“Walking through the entire ceremony, from above the cenote to the end with our photos, being able to make our renewal entirely about us, expressing and renewing our love and commitment. All of this expression made us stronger in who we are as individuals and who we are as soulmates. We are happier and feel freer because our burdens from the past have been let go.”
