The Importance of Wedding Anniversaries

• Your wedding day was the day the two of you celebrated with family and friends the beginning of your marriage. Your anniversary celebrations celebrate the continuation of your love for one another throughout the years.
  Each and every wedding anniversary deserves to be celebrated in a memorable way. When you celebrate your wedding anniversary each year it is an annual renewal of your commitment to one another.
  Here are some ideas to help you create some memorable wedding anniversaries for you and your spouse.

Wedding Day Mementos

• Save the top layer of your wedding cake and share it with one another on your first wedding anniversary.
  Melt the candles that were used at your wedding ceremony or reception into one big candle that you can light each year on your anniversary date.
  If you saved or dried your wedding bouquet, use it as a centerpiece for any anniversary dinners that you have at home.
  You probably have a pile of unused napkins from your wedding reception. Use them on your anniversaries, especially on your paper (first) anniversary.

Plan a Weekend Away Together

• A great way to celebrate your anniversary is to figure out a way to be alone together for the weekend.
  Planning a weekend away isn't something you should do every year on your anniversary. However, having a weekend away together on your wedding anniversary provides you with the opportunity to reassess where you've been, where you're going, and to renew your commitment to each other in a special location.
  Consider this time away together as a mini second, fifth, tenth, etc. honeymoon!
  You could also attend a marriage enrichment workshop or a marriage encounter weekend on your anniversary.

Anniversary Party Ideas

• Mark your anniversary date prominently on your family calendar by circling the date and noting what anniversary you will be celebrating.
  Plan your anniversary celebration with your spouse. Start planning how you will celebrate the day at least two weeks in advance.
  Try and take a family portrait on each wedding anniversary.
  Keep an anniversary scrapbook or journal of your anniversary celebrations throughout the years. The day will come when you won't remember how you celebrated some of your anniversaries or what gifts you received without saving these memories in a journal.
  Don't forget to have toasts to the anniversary couple! Toasts are another long standing tradition of anniversary celebrations. If you aren't having a party, you can toast one another!

The No Gift Dilemma

• If the anniversary couple asks that they not receive gifts on their anniversary, they have their reasons for making the request. They may believe that they don't need any more stuff. They may not want their guests to feel obligated to bring a gift. They may feel uncomfortable receiving gifts.
  It is important that you honor and respect their choice.
  Some Alternatives:
  Giving money or a money tree may be appropriate and appreciated for an elderly couple on a fixed income.
  Another alternative is to have a card shower. Have friends and relatives send out cards with memories of the couple and how the love they had for one another impacted the lives of others.
  If you really want to give the couple something, send a present to the couple's home after the party.

Anniversary Celebration Etiquette

• If you are thinking of surprising a couple with a surprise party on their anniversary, think twice. Some couples don't respond well to this type of event. Make sure that they haven't made other plans and that they are receptive to being surprised. It can be difficult to do this without spoiling the surprise, but if you don't wait until the last minute, you can have general conversations with them about anniversaries and surprise parties.
  Send out invitations to an anniversary party or reaffirmation ceremony around four to six weeks before the celebration.
  Although a receiving line is a traditional part of an anniversary party, some people really dislike them. Don't force the anniversary couple to participate in a receiving line if they are hesitant to do so.
  When seating guests at an anniversary party, generally, the oldest son sits on his mother's right; the oldest daughter sits on her father's left; and the best man or maid of honor from the couple's wedding day sit with their respective spouses at the main table.

Honoring the Anniversaries of Widows and Widowers

• Whether or not to remember the wedding anniversary of a widow or widower really depends on the person. Some will want their wedding anniversary remembered and some don't. This is one of those situations where you have to talk with the person involved to find out how they want to handle the day.
  Sending a "Thinking of You" card is usually appreciated by the recepient.
  Taking the widow or widower out to dinner is a nice way to remember the day.

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