Saturday, September 1, 2018

The Reason Behind the Vow Renewal


This Thursday on Bringing Up Bates (preview video below), Tori and Bobby Smith are leaving their life in Knoxville behind and starting a new chapter in Nashville. The family comes to lend them a hand as they move to Middle Tennessee.

And later, it's back to Renee's--the Kentucky bridal store that has designed gowns for both the Duggars and the Bates--to find a wedding dress for Whitney Bates. But wait, didn't she already tie the knot? With their five-year wedding anniversary approaching at the end of 2018, Zach and Whitney Bates are preparing to renew their wedding vows. This ceremony took place in June (we posted photos) and was a big to-do attended by loved ones.

In addition to their desire to reaffirm their commitment to each other, Zach and Whitney also chose to do a vow renewal so that Whitney's parents could attend. Whitney openly shares that at the time of her wedding, her relationship with her mom and and dad was broken but has since been restored.

Also on Thursday's episode, Kelton goes ring shopping to prepare to propose to Josie in Utah.


Photo/video courtesy of UP

62 comments:

  1. I just don't understand why people renew vows. Weren't the original ones good enough? And buying a wedding dress on top of it all? But of course as always, it's just my opinion. To each his own. :o)

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    1. I never had a proper wedding, my husband and I got married in Las Vegas when I was 17 and he was 21, we have been married now for 18 years...we always dreamed of having a wedding with a dress and the whole works, but we still have yet to afford it.

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    2. It’s almost like a redo. I know someone that’s been married for 10 years and they just renewed their vows...with a complete wedding! Gown, reception hall, flowers, cake, etc. and I am told the redo was because the first wedding was a disaster and nothing went right. To each their own. 🤷‍♀️

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    3. Whitney actually had a very good reason, being that her biological parents were not at her first wedding. I know a couple who eloped because the husbands deployment date was moved up, so when we came back home they had a wedding with all their friends and family. It was very sweet.

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    4. I understand all of the responses. But from my experience in life, not every event can be picture perfect and is not up for re-do's. The fact that Whitney's parents were not at the wedding should be a leaning experience to others that we need to get along with our family members. Everyone has regrets in life, I don't see how this will fix things. The past is the past, move forward on better terms and make a wonderful family.

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    5. In the catholic religion I believe vow renewals are not allowed.

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    6. I couldn't agree more.If her parents were not there,they should reflect on that.I think there is more to it .

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    7. 6:59, I guess the renewal is exactly about moving on!

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    8. I’m guessing bc they didn’t have a TV show the first time around...

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    9. It’s not a redo, in a way it’s a two re-enactment. Also, why do you care, it’s their life let them live it how they want to. Them renewing their vows doesn’t hurt anyone.

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    10. Sorry, but I am Catholic and renewals are allowed!! In fact a couple renews their vows at a Mass I was at last month.

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    11. Catholic Christians can indeed have vow renewals. We just attended a 50th anniversary renewal! So blessed to witness a lasting faith-based commitment!

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    12. It seems there's a lot of variation in what Catholics do based on how strict (or not) the priest is.

      For example, Catholic weddings don't traditionally include a father walking a daughter down the aisle and "giving her away", the bride and groom usually walk down the aisle together. They also usually don't play the "Wedding March" as that was composed by Wagner who was very anti-Catholic. But I've seen Catholic weddings that include both of these traditions.

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    13. In the Catholic faith, a blessing was all that would ever be given to an already married couple. However, like with so many other aspects of Christian beliefs, now Priests will buck to this trend and allow vow “I do” be done in a renewal.

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    14. My dad walked me down the aisle 48 years ago to theWedding March and “ gave me away”!! I’ve been to dozens of Catholic weddings & it was the same now and back then. I’ve never seen the bride & groom walk down together.I have seen both parents walk the bride down the aisle however.

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  2. I understand the reasons behind the renewal; but why the new dress? It makes me think the whole thing was a TLC idea.

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    1. You mean UPtv. The Duggars are the ones on TLC

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    2. Not on TLC, UP channel.

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    3. Oooops! Thank you for the correction!

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    4. I agree. Spending money on an expensive wedding dress only 5 years after your first wedding is just materialistic and shallow. If it's really about the parents go by a standard off the rack dress and have a simple ceremony. I still don't understand even doing this so soon but at least that wouldn't be so "showy" seem so superficial.

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    5. I think they were going to do it anyways, but UP asked if they could make it bigger so it would be more exciting for the show.

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    6. I understand Whitney wanting her father to see her in a beautiful wedding dress. And I doubt any Bates (or Duggar) bride who bought a dress from Renee did so at full price. She's getting lots of free publicity, she may even get paid by TLC and UPTV for her TV appearances.

      Also, someone familiar with the venue they chose mentioned on this blog that it holds "only 300 people" and assuming Zach and Whitney's first wedding had many more than 300 guests as other Bates have, the event actually was probably much simpler than the original wedding.

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    7. Completely agree with the OP and 12:17AM! This is another reason people keep saying the Bates have changed.

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  3. I love how open and honest Zach and Whitney are. Also great to hear the relationship was restored. Lovely family.

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  4. I love them all but Whitney has become one of my favorite Bates over the years.She seems so sincere and sweet and just a very precious young lady.She and Zach are an adorable couple.God bless them all

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    1. I like Whitney, too! She does seem very sweet and real!

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  5. Wow thats a lot of arm in that family but than again she is an in law. Pretty dress though

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    1. If she were single she wouldn't be wearing that, the fact that shes already married and had children, wedding not in Church is reason she can wear what she wants!!!

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  6. I confused tho, didn’t Whitney’s adopter parents attend her wedding? And now she never talks about them? Does she still see her adopted family or does she only speak to her birth parents now? It’s abit confusing sorry.

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    1. I think she still talks to them, but I don’t know how close she is with them, she didn’t go to them until she was 15, and that can be very hard.

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    2. I'm not even sure Whitney was officially adopted or if they just took her in when she was having problems with her biological parents. I'd hope she hasn't completely dropped them, that would be very ungrateful of her, but I'm sure the situation is very complicated and awkward at times.

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    3. 10:37, who are you to say it would be “ungrateful” children do not choose to be put in foster care, and what they choose to do when they exist is none of your business

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    4. I’m confused.

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    5. Children also don't choose to be born to a certain set of biological parents so I guess it's none of our business if they break off ties with their biological parents when they get to be adults if they want, too.

      And Whitney's "adoptive" or "foster" father actually was the presiding pastor at the wedding. So obviously they had a closer relationship at the time, than just her living with them because some government agency forced her to, or them taking her in just because they were paid to do it.

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  7. Are they her adopted family or biological family because she had family at her wedding!? I know she’s adopted but she doesn’t speak about her adopted family now so I don’t know

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    1. Her biological parents attended the vow renewal. The family at her wedding were her adopted family, the adoptive father officiated the wedding. I don't think the adopted family was at the vow renewal.
      Hopefully, she still has some contact with the family who took her in and made her a part of their family. It may be a complicated situation with complex feelings between the two families.

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    2. I thought her bio parents died when she was 12.

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  8. Thanks for giving us the whole story behind the vow renewal, including the part about Whitney's biological parents. (Which some people speculated about earlier, but thanks for confirming it.)

    It also occurs to me that they likely didn't schedule it for the actual 5th year anniversary because they expected Whitney to be having her 3rd baby around that time...only to have her lose the baby in the womb. :-(

    So I cringe when I think of all the envious, uncharitable charges thrown at Zach and Whitney when this vow renewal was first made public. And yes, that includes me, I did think it was just something staged for the sake of the show. Mea culpa.

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    1. I stand with you as guilty as well. I am ashamed of my uncharitable comment. BIG lesson learned! The sad part is those hurtful words, like an arrow, can not be taken back : (

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  9. I'm so glad Whitney and her parents have reconciled and it was sweet that Whitney and Zach renewed their vows so her parents could be there. Makes me want to laugh at the naysayers who criticized them for doing this.

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  10. I love the Bates. I met Josie a few weeks ago and she help do my perm.

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  11. I just love Zach and Whitney so much. They are so sweet!

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  12. A relationship was restored & love renewed. How wonderful! Congratulations!!!

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  13. God bless you Zach and Whitney. Whatever the reason, a reaffirmation makes us all do a double take. I hope your ceremony is beautiful and blessed. Can't wait to watch it.

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  14. If you love each other I see nothing wrong with what to do this

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  15. Dont watch renewal if it upsets
    You...love that they're doing it...
    fir whatever reason...exciting for me

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  16. Always a good thing to renew and reaffirm the love! Love Whitney, and she's so beautiful! Glad she got a turn at Miss Renee's, I think the fam got the word on her from the duggars after Whitney and Zack were already married....

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  17. I think Zack and Whitney are thriving in their marriage. They look so happy together. While I don't "get" vow renewals, if it is something that makes them happy, I think they should do what ever they want. I didn't know Whitney's adoptive/foster father officiated at the wedding. I wonder what Gil though of that since he seems to always be the one who does all their weddings. I wonder if as the other boys get married, will the girl get to choose the minister?

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  18. I agree with others that Zack and Whitney are a special couple, but this renewal theme for the show is a stretch and in poor taste to reveal so much of Whitney’s personal life. It obviously was done for assumed ratings, but personally, I won’t be watching this show.

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    1. So you'd rather have the Bates pretend they're a perfect family, with no past regrets or mistakes ever? No thanks.

      I appreciate how not only Whitney but other family members have shown themselves when they're not their best, and don't just repeat platitudes and cliches. What Bobby and Tori said about feeling awkward being alone together on their honeymoon totally goes against the "chaperoned courtship guarantees a blissful marriage" script but I found it refreshingly honest.

      Anyway, if you find the concept of people revealing their personal lives for ratings distasteful, then you shouldn't be watching the show at all, not just this particular episode. That's the whole point of a "Reality" show.

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  19. To each his own, but to me, vows are just that, vows-something that lasts forever and doesn't have to be renewed. I know she wanted to do it for her family, but a new wedding dress, designed just for her, a whole wedding and reception??

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  20. We are planning on renewing vows at our 25th anniversary next year. My first wedding had to be scrapped due to my father’s illness so we did a
    Quick ceremony with just my mom and dad in attendance. God willing we will be able to have a nice ceremony surrounded by the people we love and those who love us. It’s not all about the dress, cake, food and reception party it’s about the two people rededicating themselves to each other.

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  21. Much love to Zach and Whitney along with their children and families. I think it's great that they don't portray to be a perfect family but that they have everyday struggles just like the rest of us. Kudos to them for putting it out there. Just because they are on a reality show they are still human and bleed and breathe the same way we all do. They are human and make mistakes but live by God's word and ask for forgiveness. Many prayers to their family for a beautiful happy and healthy life and prayers for the loss of their third baby. 🕊🙏🏼💞

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  22. Did: (a) Whitney chose to be placed in foster care or (b) did her birth parents place her in foster care or (c) did social services step in and make the decision ?

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  23. I loved watching Zach and Whitney renew their vows and it was even sweeter to see Whitney's parent's there as well. Whitney looked stunning in her dress. Congrats on 5 years of marriage.

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  24. Oh my goodness, some of these comments. First of all, this is what they wanted to do so they did and it was beautiful! Second, well no second. If you don't agree with what the Bates do, don't watch the show. Goodness, I don't agree with CNN, MSNBC and other news and TV shows soooo I choose not to watch. It's just that simple.

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  25. I believe in redemption and that can be with almost anyone who has had past hurts. God can heal any hurts so they Val renewal to me was a beautiful love story.

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  26. These comments are awful! What a beautiful picture of God’s redemption and forgiveness! If my parents weren’t at my first wedding I’d want it to be just as special as the 1st so they didn’t miss out on anything more, and why boy celebrate the goodness of God and their reconciliation and forgiveness?! Absolutely worth it, absolutely necessary, absolutely no one opinion on their decision matters. They have always said they will share anything that brings glory to God and is helpful to encourage others, what if even ONE person saw that and decided to try to reconcile to their family member?! Totally worth it!


    Now that that’s out of the way lol… anyone know the song she walked down the aisle to?! I LOVE it but don’t know what it is.

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  27. Not sure if my original comment posted as I do not see it. But this was absolutely beautiful! What an amazing picture of God’s redemption!!! And all of it was absolutely necessary! If my parents weren’t at my 1st wedding I’d want it as close to the same as possible or as close to a real wedding as possible so they can feel like they weren’t missing out! Why wouldn’t you want your parents to experience that?!
    Every part of it was necessary, they were entitled to every part of it, and no one’s opinion on it matters. I say good for them! So happy for her and her parents!

    They have always said they will show things that glorify God and anything that can try to encourage others, if even ONE person saw this and it nudged them to reconcile to a family member then it was totally worth it!

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  28. Anyone know what song it was that Whitney walked down the aisle to? I LOVE that song but have no clue what it’s called

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    1. If you found out share please.

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  29. I am wanting to know the name of the song as well.

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