Your first anniversary as a couple is a big milestone. Sometimes, that first year is a steep learning curve that surprises you, completely changing the tenor of your relationship. Other times, it’s smooth sailing and you feel like time together flies by. Regardless, you likely grew closer to your spouse in many valuable ways in the short time since your wedding. To commemorate your year, here are seven special ways to celebrate your first anniversary.
Share Your Wedding Cake
First, a time-honored classic. Given the wonders of modern refrigeration and freezing technology, many couples save the top layer of their wedding cake to enjoy on their first anniversary. This is an especially good option is you scarcely got a bite of cake (or anything to eat) on your wedding day.
On your anniversary, take the day slow and punctuate it with cake and calm conversation with your beloved. Reflect on the craziness of your wedding, what went right or wrong, how you each felt at different points, and your favorite parts. Actively reliving this day, with your cake as a tangible link between then and now, helps you cherish your relationship’s past and look forward to your future even more fervently.
Make a New Memory
A first anniversary isn’t just an opportunity for looking back, but for creating new memories with your spouse. After all, why not continue to build up a beautiful history surrounding your anniversary? Looking back becomes better every year as you acquire more stories.
If you need creative ideas, here are two: a magic show or a boat tour. If it’s safe to do so, given the state of the pandemic, a professional magic show is a unique and unexpected pleasure. From seeing close-up table tricks (and guessing at how they work) to observing the dazzling main event, there’s so much fodder for conversation.
Meanwhile, a boat tour offers a relaxing ride together, enjoying the bracing fresh air from open water boating. Consider tickets if you each love entertaining your intellectual sides and want to get out of the house.
Buy a Beautiful Plaque
As you age together, you’ll learn that physical symbols of your marriage only grow in significance. The preserved bouquet from your wedding, the rings you each wear, and the pictures you took that day become beloved tokens of remembrance you mutually cherish.
On your anniversary, add another tangible symbol into the mix by gifting your spouse a richly detailed one-year anniversary plaque. The reason a plaque takes on a special meaning is its inscribed message promising your continued love and devotion to your spouse. These make beautiful display pieces that, alongside your wedding items, track the blessed progression of your marriage.
Have a Romantic Night In
Another way to celebrate your first anniversary is by staying in the whole night and not seeing another soul outside of your soulmate. As you look back on your wedding day, which was filled with people, conversations, and stress, a night in one year later is a pleasant change of pace. Planning a night at home means getting your meal just right, creating a romantic ambiance, and maybe picking out a fun movie.
For food, decide whether you want to cook for them or collaborate. It may be more practical and fun to cook something together, and it’s quite possible there’s a recipe you each really want to try. Don’t be afraid to branch out into different cuisines—even if it doesn’t taste great, it’s the preparation that’s memorable.
Then, make your space more romantic. Display a bouquet centerpiece that sets the tone, create a groovy playlist, and get creative with your lighting with string lights or by installing a fancy dimmer. Because paper traditionally represents the first anniversary, adorn your home with all kinds of origami birds to heighten the specialness of the evening.
Visit a Bucket-List National Park
More outdoorsy couples can head out to the national park of their dreams for an unforgettable weekend of camping. This gives you the alone time of a night in while providing the opportunity to explore a new place. It becomes clear, when hiking on a calm morning or enjoying a cozy fireside night, that getting away from the hustle of everyday life is good for each of you.
More importantly, given the change in setting, camping opens up space for all kinds of good conversations that draw you close. Even beyond talking, being fully present—off devices and away from work—and focused on your spouse affords you invaluable quality time.
Splurge on Books
Literary-minded couples have a treasure trove of ways to celebrate a paper-themed first anniversary, many of which revolve around books. When shopping for a gift, don’t be afraid to splurge on the book or books they eye every time they visit the bookstore. This opens the door to buying a hundred-year-old copy of their favorite classic or pulling the trigger on a beautiful modern tome.
Deciding to buy each other books is a great way to focus your gift buying, which can be intimidating for your first anniversary. If you go this route, you can talk through the books as you read, and in the process learn more about each other. Early on in a marriage, it’s wise to invest in your lifelong commitment to knowing them better, and books are an excellent conduit for making that happen.
Write a Little Poetry Collection
Perhaps more touching than buying someone else’s words is the effort spent in putting pen to paper and creating poems to commemorate your year of marriage. This takes time and thought, but what better way to encapsulate the emotions of your life together than poetry dedicated to that purpose? To start, simply find relationship moments that stick out to you, ranging from momentous to banal, and record them expressively through poetry.
Your poetry collection is the ideal long-term gift that also lays the foundation for a touching evening event. Naturally, you need to have a poetry reading when you present it. If you do little else, reading these sets a meaningful tone for your special day and makes absolutely clear how much they mean to you. And then going forward, these poems serve as a strong reminder of the power of your relationship, even when the exciting newness of marriage wears off.
Beyond anniversaries, contact Crystal Central whenever you’re planning a big celebration or recognizing someone dear to you. We create idyllic pastor appreciation, employee achievement, police recognition, and USMC retirement plaques, among many others.
