Congratulations- you’ve made it to your first marriage milestone! Surprise your partner in life with a traditional paper gift to celebrate your first year of bliss together as a married couple.
Start a bucket list
Pick out a notebook and start crafting a list of goals that you would like to accomplish with your spouse during year two of your marriage. Whether that’s a hiking trip, buying a house, or simply watching a new show on Netflix, there are no restrictions on what makes the cut. Make it a fun tradition to revisit the list every year over a bottle of bubbly.
Write out your vows
Grab some tissues and re-write your wedding vows to remind your partner of the day you said “I do.” Frame your vows in a heart-shaped frame and stealthily place it on their nightstand so that they wake up to a romantic gesture in the morning. Make their favorite meal, fold up the vows and place it on their dinner plate. Get creative with presentation!
Put a message in a bottle
Write a loving note to your spouse about your first year together as a married couple. Preserve your romantic thoughts by rolling up the paper and placing it in a small bottle. You can decide as a team whether to throw it into a body of water or keep it on the bookshelf as a sweet momento.
Frame a photo
Frame a favorite selfie or wedding picture and place a handwritten message on paper behind the photo. It’s a little surprise that only you and your spouse will know is there.
Write a letter
With emails, texts and posts, handwritten correspondence has drifted to be a thing of the past. Write your spouse a romantic letter that they’ll be able to treasure for years to come. Start a tradition by writing him or her a letter every year to remind them how much they’re loved.
Make date cards
Balancing work and family life can be difficult, and making time for your partner in life can seem impossible at times. Write out date cards that your other half can choose from once a week or once per month, depending when schedules allow. Make it romantic, fun or silly!
Map out your journey
Gift an antique map of where you first met or where you currently live. If you both enjoy traveling, grab a scratch off map and mark off every destination that you go to together.
Experience something new
Give your spouse a memory rather than something that collects dust on a shelf and eventually gets thrown into storage. Print out tickets (I know, I know, but it has to be paper!) to a show, tour or sporting event in the near future. Sneakily take a peek at their calendar first to make sure that they’re free or enlist the help of a sister or friend to ensure that they’re available.
Give art
Seek out a local artist and have them draw your favorite vacation spot, the church where you said “I do,” or a portrait of you and your spouse (don’t forget the dog!). Are you an artist? Even better! Create a one-of-a-kind piece of art to hang on your wall at home.
Write your story
Is your spouse an avid reader? Write out your love story of how you met or transcribe the juicy details of your first date. Be romantic or funny- you make the call! Use fun language like “Once upon a time,” to give it a storybook feel.
Make a photo album
Photos are usually stored on your phone or appear on social media. Gather a collection of photos from your wedding to present day and design a photo book. Utilize online tools or break out your arts-and-crafts box and let your creativity fly.
Surprise your other half with a traditional paper gift that they’ll always cherish. Whether you choose to get dressed up and go out for dinner or stay in your PJs and binge on Netflix, celebrate in a way that is perfect for you and your spouse. Reminisce on your first year together as a married couple and look forward to the next!
