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Miami breaks world record for wedding vow renewals

Photos: Miami Mergers break record

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Bride Stephanie Hieber and groom Ensign Nicholas Hieber sign their marriage certificate during the 2009 Miami Merger Moment on June 20 at Miami University in Oxford. The Hiebers were married the day before and were the newest Miami Merger for the event. The couple signed their marriage certificate as part of the ceremony. 1,087 couples renewed their wedding vows at the record breaking ceremony by Upham Hall, a romantic spot on campus.

Staff photo by Pat Auckerman Bride Stephanie Hieber and groom Ensign Nicholas Hieber sign their marriage certificate during the 2009 Miami Merger Moment on June 20 at Miami University in Oxford. The Hiebers were married the day before and were the newest Miami Merger for the event. The couple signed their marriage certificate as part of the ceremony. 1,087 couples renewed their wedding vows at the record breaking ceremony by Upham Hall, a romantic spot on campus.

1,087 couples renewed their wedding vows  in June.

Staff Report Updated 6:58 AM Thursday, February 4, 2010

OXFORD — Miami University officially broke the world record for the most couples renewing their wedding vows at once, Guinness World Records announced.

Officially 1,087 couples renewed their vows during an alumni weekend June 20, 2009.

That broke the previous record of 624 couples renewing their wedding vows in Pittsburgh in 2008.

Miami invited alumni and all its “Miami Merger” couples – alumni who are married to each other – for the event last summer. Miami has a total 26,472 mergers.

Of the university’s alumni, more than 14.25 percent are married to each other, believed to be one of the largest numbers of alums-married-to-alums at any university.

The university set out to break the world record during its bicentennial year (1809-2009) by first recruiting Miami Mergers, then inviting Miami Acquisitions – alumni married to non-Miamians – then Miami parents, faculty, staff, friends and the community.

The Merger Moment ceremony, officiated by former Oxford Mayor Prue Dana, took place at the Upham Hall arch on campus where it’s fabled that a couple who kiss under the arch will marry.

After the ceremony, couples were invited to walk through the arch for a kiss.

The ceremony included Miami’s oldest Merger, Robert (’38) and June (’39) Frame, of Cincinnati, Miami head basketball coach Charlie Coles (’65) and his wife – whose immediate family includes four Miami Mergers – and former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (’69) and his wife Frances (’71).

The world record announcement comes as Miami is sending out Valentine’s Day cards to 12,606 Miami Merger couples, which they’ve been doing since 1973.

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