James Van Der Beek & His Wife Kimberly Renewed Their Vows Days Before He Died

James Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly had a vow renewal ceremony just days before the “Dawson’s Creek” star died on February 11. 

Kimberly opened up to People magazine about the special day, sharing, “We decided two days beforehand and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles and we renewed our vows from bed.” 

She called the ceremony "simple and beautiful and moving.”

Family joined them for the nuptials, along with a few friends. Even more friends watched on Zoom. 

Kimberly said Instrumentalist Poranguí played the “most beautiful music,” ending the vow renewal with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

James and Kimberly originally met at a spiritual retreat in Tel Aviv in 2009. A year later they returned for their wedding.

Van Der Beek shared some of the details of their wedding on their anniversary in 2023.

He wrote on Instagram, "13 years ago today we were told that the guy who had come to you in a dream and had given you a wedding date could marry us - that night - in the basement of the Kabbalah Centre in Tel Aviv… on what happened to be the exact date he’d given you in the dream.”

The actor continued, "We rushed to get ready, had a bunch of people we didn’t know (and a few we did) dance around us, got ambushed by Israeli paparazzi afterwards, then ate at an outdoor Lebanese dive with plastic tablecloths and chairs and amazing food… and we were off."

He told her, "We’ve gone through success, tragedy, joy, stress, triumph, uncertainty, and through it all… these have been the best years of my life. Every moment. Because I have the BEST adventure partner.

"Our life is CRAZY right now. We might be crazier. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you. I celebrate you. I honor you. Thank you for everything you are, and everything you bring out in the people lucky enough to be loved by you."

James and Kimberly went on to welcome six children together: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, and Gwendolyn, 7 and Jeremiah, 4.

After Van Der Beek died, friends set up a GoFundMe to help support the family. It has since raised more than $2.6 million.