This past weekend my husband and I celebrated our six-year wedding anniversary. 6 years! You hear people say “time flies” all the time and don’t really take it to heart, but I can honestly say the past 6 years have flown by in a blur. It’s so easy to fall in to a routine with work and home life that when an anniversary sneaks up on you there isn’t much time (or money) to plan some big extravagant way to celebrate. My hubby and I celebrated this year by just spending the day together, starting with breakfast at our favorite cafe and a romantic dinner at a special place for the two of us. And it was perfect.
However you celebrate your wedding anniversary, below are some very simple, inexpensive things you can do to make the day a little extra special. I love all of these and aside from our tradition of always buying each other something off the traditional or modern wedding gift lists each year, my husband and I have done several of these in the past and plan on doing others in coming years. Hope these ideas inspire you to do something memorable on your big day!
Dance to your wedding “first dance” song. Most likely, the song you and your significant other danced to at your wedding is a pretty romantic, meaningful song for the two of you. And every time you hear that song, you think of your wedding. What better way to remember a special wedding moment than to relive that first dance at home, to that exact song?!
Toast each other with your wedding champagne flutes. Chances are you still have those champagne flutes you used on your big day when you shared your first toast as husband and wife. Why not break them out and pop some bubbly? Toast the number of years you two have been happily married, toast to your future, or just toast to the fact that you two haven’t strangled each other yet.
Go back to the place where you got engaged. Whether it’s a vacation destination, your special spot, or a romantic restaurant, it’s fun to take a stroll down memory lane on or around your anniversary and reminisce on a very important day for you and your spouse. Especially at the place where it all started. If it’s too hard to go back where you got engaged (like in my case – we can’t just sporadically take a trip to Las Vegas every few years, unfortunately) try going to the place you shared your first date, or recreate the date. Either one would be a romantic way to spend time together.
Take a photo holding your framed wedding picture. My best friend told me about this idea (probably something she saw on Pinterest!) and a few years ago when I went to visit them around their anniversary, I took the picture below of them. You probably have a framed wedding photo hanging somewhere in your house, so just grab it and have someone take a picture of the two of you holding it. It’s a great way to capture a “now and then” moment of your love story.
What are some of your wedding anniversary traditions?
I recently came across this video on the internet and was captivated by the sweetness of the little elderly couple in the video. I found myself nodding in agreement, laughing out loud, and even crying a little bit. They have been married for 72 years and made this video as a wedding toast to someone they know. In the video, they give the newlyweds some good advice that they claim has helped their marriage last so long, and it’s clear they are still very much in love. Here are their “5 tips to a long and healthy marriage”.
See what I mean!? They are precious! I got to wondering after watching this what it must be like to be married to someone for 72 years. I mean, 72 years, y’all. That’s longer than some people even live. My husband and I have only been married for five years (take a stroll down memory lane with some of our wedding photos, here) so we still have a long way to go to get to 72 years. We have had our ups and downs along the way (mostly ups!), and have learned a lot so far. The way I see it, a happy marriage is something you constantly have to work at; it’s not something that people just have, like in the movies. So, for what it’s worth, here are my 5 tips to a long and healthy marriage – based on my whopping 5 years of experience!
Make your spouse your best friend. I can honestly say that my husband is my best friend. I can tell him anything, can be myself completely with him and can even laugh so hard I shoot food out of my nose in his presence and not get embarrassed. Now that is true love!
Communication is key. I have found that even when I’m so mad I could spit fire at my husband, it is always better to yell talk it out with him. The only way to find out how to settle an argument is to find out what it stemmed from, how it can be resolved and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
Make time for a date night. I have had some people sort of make fun of the fact that my husband and I still have “date nights” and I just don’t get it. We honestly enjoy being in each other’s company and I think it’s important to slow down and make time for a little fun in the midst of all the stresses of everyday life.
Do nice things for each other. Remember when you just started dating and you did nice things for each other like brought her flowers, or baked him cookies – just because?? Well, it’s not just for dating! Show the love by leaving little notes, cooking a favorite meal or simply picking up a special treat in the grocery store for your spouse.
Share a kiss more often than once every 25 years! (This one I learned from Kenny & Selma.)
It will be interesting to look back on this blog post several years from now when we (hopefully) have children and things are much more complex than they are for us right now! I can’t wait to see what is in store for us and hope to make a video similar to Kenny and Selma’s one day.
Five years ago today was my wedding day. My husband and I were married in the gardens of a beautiful historic home, surrounded by our close family and good friends. The day flew by in a blur (just as I was told it would by former fellow brides) and I tried to sit back and take as much in as I could. There are certain things that stand out in my mind about that day. I remember being so happy that my sister, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandmothers were there with me. I remember my best girlfriends being by my side the whole day, helping me get ready, taming any stray hair or touching up my makeup, making sure I had a drink or food whenever I wanted it. I remember the flowers – we had the most beautiful flowers at our wedding! I remember walking around and seeing for the first time all of the hard work that my mom and dad had done by setting everything up and decorating. And taking it all in as I realized “I am about to get married; all of this and all of these people are here for me and Alan”.
But most of all I remember seeing my then future husband as I walked down the aisle towards him, and I remember the ceremony clearly. It was a very magical day. I know that sounds cliche’ but I don’t know how else to describe it! It was truly magical. I spent some time this morning looking at our wedding album, reminiscing on that day and all that it meant to me. Here are some of my favorite photos I’d like to share with you from that special day in my life.
My beautiful wedding cake that tasted as good as it looked!
Getting ready with my bridesmaids.
Precious flower girl.
My sweet Gran.
Flowers lining the aisle.
My "something borrowed" - locket from my great-grandmother.
The groom (right) and groomsman just before the ceremony. I guess they were getting out last minute jitters!
We're married!!
Sweet family.
Ceremonial serenade by cherished friends.
At the reception we danced the night away!
Even my Gran got in on the dancing!
And then we did the Thriller dance. Oh yes, we went there.
And they lived happily ever after. The end.
Maybe I’m a little biased in saying this, but I think I had an amazingly beautiful wedding. I hope every girl gets to have a day as special as mine for her wedding day.
With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, I feel the need to do a few posts about this special day. So here’s my first one; I think it’s a good place to start.
Valentine’s Day is the one day a year that is whole-heartedly devoted to romance and love. It’s basically an opportunity for people to express their feelings to that certain someone, mostly by wooing them with roses and chocolates. I personally am a big fan of Valentine’s Day. I don’t go all out and decorate, or make a big spectacle of the holiday or anything like that. But I do see the importance of this one day a year dedicated to love, something that is essential to our nature as human beings.
Now, while I enjoy this holiday and choose to celebrate it, I realize there are a lot of people who do not see this day as a real holiday and choose to treat February 14th as any other day of the year. There are even some who take it as far as going out of their way to make it known how much they loathe this day and everything that it stands for. I have come across several people like this in my life, and I must admit I do not understand why they hate Valentine’s Day so much. I have flat-out asked them but no one has ever really given me an answer. It’s usually a girl saying she and her boyfriend/husband just “think it’s dumb” and don’t do anything to celebrate. This response usually gives me the impression that this girl is just going along with it because she knows her boyfriend/husband is not the type of guy who does anything nice for her, and she really wishes he would, but she knows he won’t. And that’s just sad, because every girl wants to feel loved and special, whether they admit it or not.
I also often wonder why some men don’t want to do something nice for their girlfriend or wife on Valentine’s Day. Did they have a bad experience in a past relationship and now feel scorned by love and everything that it stands for? Did they think as children that since they didn’t get this day off from school then Valentine’s Day must not be a real holiday? I don’t know, they won’t tell me. But these are things that I’m willing to get to the bottom of.
Celebrate
If you are like me and you enjoy Valentine’s Day, you may have started thinking about what you are going to do for your significant other this year. There are the obvious choices: roses, chocolates, jewelry, dinner and a movie, etc. Then there are some not so traditional choices, like a creative gift specifically chosen or put together for your Valentine. Personally, I enjoy these types of gifts, as they are more personal and show that some actual thought went in to the gift – which in itself, is one of the best ways you can tell someone you love them. If you are having trouble thinking of creative ways to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day (don’t worry, you aren’t alone), here are a few ideas and sites that may help you:
Create a handmade Valentine. Everyone loves something handmade. It clearly shows that you created something especially for your sweetie, and is a sure-fire way to score some major romance points with the ladies. From homemade cards to love coupons to sweet, edible treats, go to everythingetsy.com for 101 amazing and easy ideas.
Make a mix tape. It may seem a little 90’s but let’s face it – we are all still suckers for personalized relationship soundtracks. I really like the list that Entertainment Weekly put together of their picks for the 25 best love songs. Get inspired at ew.com.
Plan a scavenger hunt with presents hidden along the way. The first time I saw this was when my sister’s boyfriend in college did this for her for. It was their first Valentine’s Day together, and it was so romantic. You could tell he put so much thought into it! He gave her a clue to go to a place on campus that was meaningful to them, and when she got there she found a little gift, with another clue to a different location. After several cute clues and sweet gifts, she found him waiting at the final location. Yes, ladies, it was swoon-worthy. Needless to say, she’s married to him now. Go to mastersofthehunt.com for some ideas and resources to help you plan your own scavenger hunt for your Valentine.
Don’t Celebrate
If you are among the population who doesn’t see February 14th as a better day than any other to practice the art of romance (I’m just going to tell myself that this is what these people think, because it’s a much nicer version than them hating romance and love in general and not wanting anything to do with it) and are wondering what on Earth you’ll do to celebrate the boycotting of Valentine’s Day, here are a few ideas:
Find something else to occupy your time. Do something you wouldn’t normally do for yourself or someone else. It’s a great way to take your mind off the holiday and make yourself feel good. Take a look at lite987.com for a list of ideas.
Have a slasher movie marathon. Rather than watch the traditional romantic movies that most couples will be watching on this day, why not watch the complete opposite? Curl up with a good horror movie. Check out rottentomatoes.com for a list of their Top 50 horror movie picks.
Unite with fellow boycotters by throwing an Anti-Valentine’s Day themed party. You and your friends (mostly dudes without girlfriends, no doubt) can come together and watch slasher flicks (see previous bullet), listen to unromantic heavy metal music, play violent video games, etc. Squidoo.com has some tips on how to throw a great Anti-Valentine’s Day party.
In summary, I guess I will never fully understand why some people don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. In my eyes, love and romance should be something that everyone experiences in their life, and most people do and are experiencing it right now. So I don’t get why someone wouldn’t want to say to their sweetheart, “hey, I love you, and I know you probably know that, but I’m going to tell you again anyway and I’m also going to do something that I don’t do on a day-to-day basis just to make you feel special”. I think it’s a beautiful and natural thing that brings us all so much happiness, and who couldn’t use a little extra happy?? Even if it is just one day of the year.
Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Take the poll below and leave me a comment letting me know why or why not. I’d really like to solve this Valentine’s Day mystery of mine. 😉
It seems like in this digital world we all live in these days, people are replacing a lot of their normal activities with the convenience of technology. Things like talking on the phone, which has been replaced by instant messaging or texting. Reading a weekly newspaper or some other type of publication has been swapped for websites and television, and buying your favorite band’s new album in a local music store is now traded for a digital copy online (hopefully you at least paid for it). One of the tasks that I refuse to stop doing, however, is writing a thank you letter to someone, and it really irks me that a lot of people have stopped doing this simple and thoughtful task. I believe Emily Post said it best with:
“Never think, because you cannot write a letter easily, that it is better not to write at all. The most awkward note imaginable is better than none.”
~Emily Post
Growing up, my mother always made me and my sister write thank you notes after we received gifts for our birthdays, at Christmas, etc. At first, I always saw writing letters as a chore and was never really happy about it. But as I got older I began to see the value in it and why she made us do it, and I am so thankful she instilled this in us at an early age. I look forward to teaching my children the same thing one day and sharing the importance of thank you letters with them.
I love receiving a letter in the mail. Who doesn’t?? It’s like a little prize in the mailbox just for you! A letter is more personal than an email, especially a thank you letter. With a hand written thank you, I know that the sender genuinely appreciated my gift, the time and effort I put in to doing something for them.
The alternatives (which should be avoided) to sending a thank you letter are: 1) saying “thank you” in person and thinking that was enough, 2) sending an email/text message/instant message instead, or 3) sending no letter at all. The first (telling someone “thank you” in person) is a mistake a lot of people make. They think because they said “thank you” when they opened their present or last saw the person, that it was enough. This is not enough, and we should always assume that a written thank you is required for a gift or favor from someone. This person did something for you, and the least you could do is write a letter saying “thank you”. The second (sending an electronic message instead of a letter) is probably the most impersonal way someone can say thank you. This tells the person that you took the easy way out by shooting a quick email rather than taking the time to send a hand written note. It’s just tacky, y’all. And the last (no letter at all) is the crummiest of the three. Not sending a thank you is never OK. If you received a gift or a favor, you need to say thank you. This is basic stuff we all learned in pre-school. It is totally idiotic impolite not to, and could cause a serious riff in your relationship with the person (who went out of their way to do something for you). It sends a message that you don’t appreciate them, and no one wants to keep someone around who makes them feel unappreciated.
So, next time someone does something nice for you, gives you a present, or if you just want to let someone know you appreciate them, take the time to write them a short letter saying thank you. It’s really simple, I promise. It doesn’t even have to be long. If you don’t know how to write a thank you letter, click here for a great article that is sure to help you. Not only will it make the day of the person you are sending it to, but it will also make you glad you did that for someone who obviously cares about you.
There are so many cute stationary and card designs out there, and you can even get personalized ones made. You can usually find a set of boxed thank you cards at any mass merchandise store, and here are some of my favorite websites to shop for stationary:
You can also get crafty and create your own stationary and envelopes. Check out this blog post by my BFF Cassie showing how she made her own envelopes. How cute!
Good Girls Inc 