Renewing Wedding Vows is a Lovely Symbol But No Quick Fix

A couple that renews their wedding vows is symbolically communicating their marriage’s strength. Yet sometimes, assuming that your bond is impenetrable can lead to a dangerous state of complacency. Such is the gist of Barbara Stepko’s recent post over at Health.com. Stepko filters this information through the alluring example of celebrity marriages, listing numerous Hollywood couples who split up even after vows were renewed.

She also speaks with a marriage expert about why you can’t assume the act of renewing vows will save a marriage on its own:

“It’s important to note that an ‘I Do-Over’ is no quick fix, explains Scott Holzman, PhD, a Maryland-based licensed clinical psychologist. It’s what happens after the warm fuzziness of the public re-commitment that counts. ‘Renewing your vows is all well and good, but unless you’re willing to put the work into a relationship, it’s probably destined to fail. You cannot bypass the work that it takes for a marriage to succeed.'”

Read more at Health.com

In the below clip from 2008, Big Think expert Shmuley Boteach discusses his crusade to combat American divorce:

Photo credit: Joseph Dilag / Shutterstock