Maybe you never forget it. Maybe you need a reminder every year. Remember it one way or the other, and use one of these great ideas. An anniversary is a grand opportunity and a perfect excuse to treat your spouse and yourself to something special. It’s a time for sentimentality and memories, and it’s also a time to create great new memories and get to know each other in new ways.
The Getaway
It could be as elaborate as a second honeymoon or as simple as a single night in a great local hotel. Where, when and how you get there are matters of taste and budget; the point is that you get there, and “there” is not home. A change in scenery and a chance to enjoy each other’s company without those home distractions is the real gift you give each other.
The Re-Creation
Your first date. Your first kiss. Pick a first and revisit it together, whether it is the same exact location or your own “modern” version of it. Your first fight might be one re-creation to avoid.
The Surprise Party
The surprise party works either as a surprise for the anniversary couple, given by family and friends, or as a surprise from one spouse to the other. It can be big or small, formal or casual. Surprise parties are usually reserved for milestone anniversaries: five, ten, twenty and fifty years.
The Surprise Trip
A bit complicated to plan but a huge success if you pull it off, a surprise trip essentially involves kidnapping your spouse to the getaway of choice. It’s also an option to give your spouse some inkling of what’s to come; let him know you’ll be going somewhere, but don’t reveal the details.
The Home Fire
Gather your aphrodisiac ingredients, your apron with the lacy fringe, and your soul tunes and cook up some romance together. Kids should definitely be at Grandma’s for the night. If you have a fireplace, use it. Candles work well, too.
The Sentimental Journey
A sentimental journey can be literal or figurative. You might take a drive around the town where you first fell in love, or you might pull out the love letters, scrapbooks, photo albums and make a mental journey from the beginning of your relationship to the current anniversary.
The Public Display
There are lots of options here for every taste and budget. Dedicate a song on the radio. Create a website dedicated to your beloved. Show up at work with flowers and balloons. Send a singing telegram. Decorate the car. Shout it from the rooftops, just don’t do the public display if your spouse is an introvert and you’ll be the only one who enjoys it.
The Adventure
It may not seem romantic, but taking risks together can create a whole new level of bonding. It might be milder, perhaps taking snowboarding lessons together instead of a the familiar ski down the blue slope. Or it might be pretty wild: skydiving, parasailing or bungee jumping.
The Spice-It-Up
Two guesses what this one involves. Yes, that’s right: sex. Make it get better with time, not boring, by putting some thought and creativity into the physical relationship you have. Try something new. Get some new fun stuff. Take your time. Sleep late the next day.
The Wishlist
You probably won’t tackle your entire, combined wishlist, but pick one item you share in common and make that your anniversary activity. Making it possible for each other to enjoy those far-off dreams today is about as romantic as it gets.
