With so many challenges facing couples today, a wedding anniversary is an important time to celebrate your love and how far you’ve come. Taking time to recall the special feelings you felt on your wedding day can often bring a spark back into the marriage and remind you of why you fell in love in the first place.
Celebrate your wedding anniversary and enjoy the special day with your spouse with one of these creative and special ideas.
12 Ways to Celebrate Your Wedding Anniversary
1. Serve up breakfast in bed
What better way to start off the day than by cuddling in bed, enjoying a delicious breakfast spread. Include some of you and your spouses’ favorite things and don’t be shy about indulging. This is the day to go all out and spoil yourselves.
2. Exchange meaningful gifts
While flowers and candy are always a welcome gift, putting much thought into a gift often means more to the recipient. You don’t even need to spend a lot of money. A handwritten note, framed photograph, or small memento from a special trip the two of you took will do the trick.
3. Commemorate the day, even if you can’t spend it together
Sometimes spouses have to work on their wedding anniversary. This doesn’t mean the day has to go unrecognized. Be sure to send your spouse a special anniversary wish either with a card, phone call, or special delivery of flowers to their work.
4. Reflect on your wedding day
Taking a trip down memory lane is always a fun way to celebrate a special day. Look through your wedding photo album or watch your wedding video together and talk about your favorite moments. The experience is sure to bring you closer together.
5. Try something new
Variety is the spice of life, and experiencing new things with your spouse is a great way to express your love for each other. If you’re looking for adventure give skydiving or rock climbing a try.
Make reservations at a restaurant you’ve both been wanting to dine at. Take a painting class together. The possibilities are really endless.
6. Keep with tradition
A more classic way to celebrate a wedding anniversary is to exchange traditional gifts with your spouse. Each year coincides with a specific gift, for example:
1st Year ~ Paper
2nd Year ~ Cotton
3rd Year ~ Leather
4th Year ~ Fruit & Flowers, or Silk & Linen
5th Year ~ Wood
6th Year ~ Iron / Candy
7th Year ~ Wool/ Copper
9th Year ~ Pottery
10th Year ~ Tin/ Aluminum
11th Year ~ Steel
12th Year ~ Silk
13th Year ~ Lace
14th Year ~ Ivory
15th Year ~ Crystal
20th Year ~ China
25th Year ~ Silver
30th Year ~ Pearl
35th Year ~ Coral
40th Year ~ Ruby
45th Year ~ Sapphire
50th Year ~ Gold
55th Year ~ Emerald
60th Year ~ Diamond
7. Plan a special trip
Traveling with your spouse to somewhere alone, even if only for the weekend, gives the two of you an opportunity to reconnect on a deeper level without the distractions of daily life.
Whether it’s a surprise trip, or one you plan together, be sure it’s a place you will both enjoy visiting so that you get the most out of your time together.
8. Go back in time
Remembering why the two of you came together in the first place is the perfect way to commemorate such a special day. Try recreating your first date, visiting the site of your proposal, or cooking a meal that reminds you of the day you fell in love.
There’s nothing better than reliving those important moments that brought butterflies to your stomach and stars to your eyes.
9. Create a physical memory of the day
An anniversary is an important day that should be remembered forever. One way to do this is by creating a physical object for you to look at on a daily basis. Some fun options include:
- ♦ Painting a piece of pottery together.
- ♦ Getting professional photographs taken.
- ♦ Building a piece of furniture or decor together.
- ♦ Making a scrapbook of the last year’s memories.
10. Include some surprises
Shower your spouse with love on your anniversary by surprising them in many different ways. This might mean sneaking a gift under their pillow, placing little love notes throughout the house, or even blindfolding them and taking them somewhere special. The element of surprise will create an exciting atmosphere for your special day.
11. Express yourself through touch
Being physically close to your spouse is often the best way to express your feelings. Whether you decide to do this by being intimate, giving each other massages, or just cuddling up together while watching a movie, touch and kiss your partner as much as you can on this important day to let them know how much they truly mean to you.
12. Make an effort to be there
Life gets hectic, and carving out time to celebrate with your spouse may be a challenge. The amount of time you spend together isn’t important as long as you spend at least some time together. If you have to work, try meeting up for a lunch date or get out early so you can enjoy a nice evening together.
Whatever your plans are, simply being there is enough to show your partner that you care and that you are so grateful to be married to them.
