This blog post is for brides and grooms who made it through the big day and a fun filled night ;) Then after the honeymoon period wore off and life slapped you right in the face, you stood strong together and got through the first year of marriage. For some it may have been a challenge financially, paying off the wedding, merging debt and finances, buying a house, and maybe even the addition of a little one. Even if you lived together before the wedding some things change, expectations become more strongly established, you get into a routine, and celebrate married life. Your first anniversary is a special one full of reminiscing about your wedding day and reflecting on getting through your first year of marriage! You should be proud of yourself, it's a time to celebrate... After reading several articles and vital stats about divorce in the first year it appears as though approximately 30% of marriages end in divorce within the first year and most people divorce in the first year than any other. Crazy, eh!! All the more reason to celebrate your first anniversary... here's a little about our first year and anniversary celebration along with some ideas to start planning your own!
In our first year of marriage:
* I took a 1 year educational leave from work/went back to school for my Master's Degree...
(money was tight, this created financial pressures and a change in household roles... tough)
* We had extended periods of time apart dealing with family issues/attending distance courses :(
(it was hard to be apart after feeling like we made the biggest commitment to be together... sad)
* Paid off a student loan :)
(we worked hard together and had a common interest to build out life together and get ahead... proud)
* Bought our first house!
(after looking for a year we found the one and we were so glad to get out of paying rent... exciting)
There were times that were exciting, challenging, sad, fun, tough, crazy, special, and full of love! It was a very busy year for us as a newly married couple although at that time we had already been together for 6 years prior to marriage and lived together on our own for 2 years... You still cannot predict what life will be like after marriage. For my husband I don't think he felt much change in our relationship, for me I felt a little more of a sense of security. To celebrate the new life we were creating together I planned something special for our anniversary. Being the planner I am I actually started planning our first anniversary celebration just after getting married... There was a photographer I wanted for our wedding had we have gotten married in Nova Scotia where we currently live however, we went back to our hometown to be married in Ontario. I kept thinking about how much I wanted to have Jeff Cooke as my photographer so I sent him a message telling him thoughts I had about an anniversary photo shoot. What we came up with was the making of an epic anniversary celebration... it started with a boudoir shoot which rolled into couples boudoir, then a romantic wedding anniversary dinner that turned into a food fight (top of our wedding cake include ;P) and lastly after getting cleaned up some romantic shots in the bedroom... romantic, fun, and sexy a great way to end our first year of marriage!! You can check out Jeff Cooke's Photography Blog of our photoshoot titled The Anniversary... Some photos are for our eyes only ;)
Till Death Do Us Part...
Ideas for your first anniversary:
* Make A Gift
- Start with an anniversary quote in a card or incorporate anniversary quotes into a handmade gift like a wedding scrapbook, photo collage, pillow, or memento from your wedding. Check out AnniversaryQuotes.Net for anniversary quotes that are funny, romantic, religious, and husband/wife specific. For more anniversary quotes click on the image below to check out an Anniversary Quotes Pinboard!!
Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband! ~ by Annonymous
Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile. ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning
* Go On A Trip
- For some brides and grooms they did not have an opportunity to go on a honeymoon (finger pointing right here, our first trip together came two years after our wedding). It could be because of the timing of the wedding, prior obligations, financial constraints... either way sometimes it is better to wait to plan a trip together until after the wedding when money and time isn't so tight. You could plan a romantic weekend getaway or a week or more long trip to an exotic location. For some ideas check out my Destination Wedding Series Blogs (-------> right gadget bar) and this recent Destination Wedding Feature to help you plan an anniversary trip you will never forget!!
* Take A Trip Down Memory Lane
- Your anniversary day is a day all about you and your husband/wife and the life you now share as a married couple, plan a day or evening filled with memories of your wedding day. Go on a road trip to your wedding ceremony location and go for a walk. Make reservations/go to your wedding reception for a dinner for two. Buy a bottle of wine from the winery you got married at and plan a picnic. Pull out your wedding album, scrapbook, and wedding videos and look at them in the evening. Then finish off your day with some intimate time in the bedroom and wear the outfit you wore on your wedding night... you can have just as much fun as you had on your wedding night ;)
* Renew Your Wedding Vows
- Many people choose a momentous anniversary to renew their wedding vows as a statement of their commitment and celebration of the strength and longevity of their marriage. Whose to say you can't do it after a year? For some the first year may have been really tough, who knows, maybe you were on the brink of getting a divorce and came out on the other side with confirmation that you made the right choice by marrying one another and you want to celebrate that. Vow renewals can be simple or elaborate; they can be an intimate moment between the bride and groom or a party with all your closest friends and family. I personally love the idea of a vow renewal, it signifies the love a couple has and as life changes your marriage does to so why not have another celebration to show where you have come and celebrate the joys and challenges you have worked through as husband and wife. My husband and I will be hosting a 5 year vow renewal party at our first home together to celebrate making it past the new 7 year itch (5 years). It also gives me another reason to plan a pseudo-wedding ;) Click the image below to check out this sweet surprise wedding vow renewal.
Anniversaries are for celebrating, make yours memorable!!
