A Vow Renewal Fit for Royalty at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida

Magic takes many forms—when you find it, you should celebrate it as often as possible. On their own, vow renewals are incredible opportunities to imbue a little pixie dust into your daily life. But when that vow renewal takes place at the Walt Disney World® Resort? An ultimate fairytale!

Celebrity wedding officiant, renowned marriage minister and premarital counselor Reverend Roxanne (Roxy) Birchfield knows weddings. Leading ceremonies on Netflix’s Love is Blind, Married at First Sight and beyond, Rev Roxy has made a name for herself in the industry. So, when her tenth wedding anniversary with husband Joshua was around the corner, both spouses were excited to re-commit themselves to one another at one of their favorite places on earth. “While weddings have many traditions that people feel obligated to follow, vow renewals are less like that—it’s a time to celebrate monumental moments, like the longevity of your life together,” Roxy notes.

“Joshua and I have the unique story of meeting each other in military officer basic training and getting married after knowing each other for only three weeks,” she shares. “We got married during our 60-minute lunch break.” Though many may have thought the pair wouldn’t last, Roxy and Joshua are still very much in love a decade after their first (speedy) “I dos.” “We recently welcomed our second child on April 20, 2022, and saw this as an opportune time to not only celebrate a decade of marriage but to dedicate our baby,” explains Roxy. “Joshua Jr. is the first baby to be dedicated at the Wedding Pavilion.”

Because the Birchfields hosted a symbolic wedding ceremony on a yacht in NYC one year into their marriage, they wanted a few significant elements from that event to carry over into their renewal. “We used our same wedding officiant, Chaplain (Major) James Byler of the United States Army and made him the Godfather of our son. He was a meaningful part of us getting together because he also was in the same basic training.” Chaplain Byler had played cupid for the couple all those years ago, so the honor of both officiant and Godfather was appropriately his.

When the day arrived, the sweethearts elected to do a first look on one of the picturesque balconies of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, just down the way from their ceremony location. Roxy donned (what else?) a ballgown fit for a princess, accented with a high, beaded neckline and a sparkling crystal crown. Joshua met her in a white tuxedo jacket with black trim, and the two exchanged a few memorable moments.

Roxy floated down the aisle at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion toward her beloved in front of friends and family. “Our six-year-old daughter was a flower girl, walking out to her favorite Disney theme song from the TV show Elena of Avalor,” the bride recounts. “Our infant son was dedicated during the ceremony, and we wrote in a part where we lifted him, similar to Disney’s The Lion King, where Rafiki gives baby Simba a blessing and informs the kingdom that a young prince has been born. The guests absolutely loved that part; it was a viral moment.” Once Mr. and Mrs. Birchfield said, “I still do,” it was time for the party to begin!

Guests gathered in the ballroom reception space, finding their seats at elegant, white tables with striking floral centerpieces of varying heights. The custom dance floor, displaying an animation of the bride and groom standing in front of Cinderella Castle, sat in front of a giant marquee sign that read “Year Ten.”

“As silly as it sounds, I really looked forward to having Mickey Mouse visit our guests during our reception and the cake cutting. And saving the best for last, I eagerly anticipated watching the fireworks surrounded by some of the former couples we counseled and married, friends and a few family members. Following the fireworks show, our guests got to ride one of our favorite attractions: Soarin’. Sitting on the ride in wedding attire was a moment never to be forgotten,” Roxy says.