by Every year, when March comes around, I usually spend the first week planning for my wedding anniversary with my wife. We’ve been married for 9 years this year, and every year brings upon a challenge as to how we spend it. The wife is not that big into surprises, but she sure does appreciate a well-planned anniversary. I’ve always been on the lookout for how to celebrate this momentous occasion, surprise her with a special wedding anniversary video message that she will never forget. Here are the 5 things that I never forget to plan out every year.
Free Up Your Schedule
One of the biggest boo-boos that you can make is to forget your anniversary, so make use of your phone’s calendar, and mark your anniversary! Better to add lots of reminders, so that you’re constantly reminded to NOT miss your marriage’s birthday. It does only come in once a year as well.
Don’t Forget the Flowers
Flowers should always be a staple for any celebration you have with your wife, especially for your anniversary. Double up on your usual though for this occasion, to make sure the emphasis is there for how special this celebration is. Forego the usual roses, and go with those wonderful tulips that always seem to be out of your usual budget. If quality flowers aren’t available, then go bonkers with the quantity! When was the last time you showered your significant other with roses by the dozen, multiplied by the number of years you have been together?
Unearth the Small Details
Now’s the best time to unleash your listening ear. Remember the cute little necklace your wife was gushing about at the jewelry store a couple of months ago? How about the dress that she kept on fitting every time you passed by it in the mall? Was she gushing all over the newest iPhone? Be that Prince Charming in her life and surprise her with that and watch her go head over heels again all over you. The more obscure the detail, and the lower the likelihood that you’ll remember that special item, the more valuable it becomes. Don’t worry about spending too much. It’s the special feeling here that matters.
Disconnect to Reconnect
Of course, book a romantic getaway to celebrate. If your wife loves spending time with your kids, then bring them along. Otherwise, feel free to organize a convenient sleepover with their grandparents, cousins, or even their closest friends.
Then, make sure that you focus on the only thing that matters during the getaway: your spouse. Make her feel that she’s the only thing that matters to you, and everything else takes a backseat. Bonus points if you find a location that is off the grid, to ensure that there are no distractions for both of you. Make sure though that this is aligned with your spouse, else an errant urgent meeting or a pending deliverable will cause you to abandon your getaway earlier than expected.
Special Concessions? Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
Years before we got married, we were on our way to the beach for our anniversary as a couple and I jokingly asked the person at the check-in counter if we could get an upgrade on our seats. She took a look at us and promptly upgraded us to the next class. We were very thankful.
On our honeymoon, we told the check-in counter at the hotel we stayed in that it was indeed our honeymoon, and got upgraded to a suite, complete with champagne! Boy, was it nice to kick off our marriage with that!
From that point on, I made sure to ask for any special concessions that can be granted to us in any restaurant, hotel, or flight that we went to. Of course, I made sure that there was indeed a valid reason for asking, and not just asking to get free stuff. These establishments, especially those that charge a premium price, usually have resources allocated for these requests.
People usually think that the standard service is all that there is, and are too shy to ask if there can be something more afforded to them. To that, I say they are losing a lot.
I’ve had our stuff left at the beach be sent over back to our room because we were so busy taking care of the kids. We were able to have a cot set up in one of the hotels we stayed in when we had our first baby. We always had free dessert sent over to us for birthdays and anniversaries with our families. All because we were not shy to ask.
So go get that special spot reserved in the restaurant with the magnificent view for you and your spouse. Have them shower rose petals around it as well. Oh, and while you’re doing that, might as well ask if the local house band can play that special song that you’ve both always danced to. Won’t hurt to ask.
An anniversary can oftentimes fade away, sometimes become an afterthought even. Don’t let that happen to you. Plan. Disconnect. Ask. These will do wonders for you and your relationship. Also, as an added bonus, you might want to get even more creative and make your own wedding anniversary video!
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