3 Great Ways to Celebrate an Anniversary

Every anniversary is worth a celebration. It is a chance for you not just to celebrate, but to take time out to look back at the past year and ahead to the next so you can set goals as a couple from improving your relationship to ticking something off a bucket list. It’s a time to express gratitude to your partner, so they feel special and appreciated.

When you add children into the mix of your relationship, the changes to your relationship can be challenging as you try and split the love you have not just with your partner, but now with your child. That’s a challenge for every couple who become a new parent, yet as a new mum what is most important is that your partner has to always come first, ahead of your child. This means you can offer your kids the security of a unified couple with their best interests at heart. It also means you will have a great marriage once the kids are grown.

Celebrate at Home with the Kids

On the day of your anniversary, it may not be possible to go out. However, you can still celebrate at home with the kids. You can write your own story in a journal that will fascinate your children. Start with “There once was a couple that was on a fabulous adventure together…” and carry on from there, starting from the day you met. There are journals that include sections with prompts and space for photographs, to include memories, wisdom, and places special to you both. This is a gift you can read and update on every anniversary.

Each anniversary deserves a gift, but particularly milestone anniversaries like the silver 25th and gold 50th. If you want to narrow down anniversary gift ideas for him, consider the traditional anniversary gift list that has materials that symbolise every year from paper for the first year through to oak for your 80th anniversary. Choose a gift that can be admired at home or gift an experience that can create a wonderful memory and a great family story.

Surprise

Write a Love Letter

One way to put your spouse first is to surprise him with something he would not be expecting. This could be a love letter that you can hide in his wallet for him to find later. If you don’t know what to write, use a Book of Love in which you answer set questions that will make it clear just how much you love him, recording inside jokes and endearing quirks.

Abstract Expressionism

Create your own unique piece of art by bringing the canvas into the bedroom. Using body paint, you can mark your anniversary with a shared masterpiece that captures the beauty of your intimacy in an elegant way. Use plastic sheeting, white cotton canvas, and the colour of your choice that you can then stretch and frame.  

For New Mums

Being a new mum is a challenge, particularly in the first few months. Yet staying connected with our partners is vital. Your anniversary celebration after becoming a mum does not have to be extravagant, but you both should acknowledge it. Make simple connections with each other, even if the baby is restless and mum exhausted. This could be something simple like a few moments of handholding, eye contact or sharing something positive as you spend some time together, however brief, to recognise your partnership and showing gratitude.

The scavenger hunt or the grand gesture can wait for another time when energy is spare. Just remember the mantra “I am married to my husband, not my kids. I am married to my husband, not my job.” No one hands out rewards to mothers too busy with the children to ignore others in their life. And remember, talk of long-term plans whilst you are in short-term crazy times.