 |
What does your husband or wife truly want for an
anniversary gift? She says she doesn’t need a gift and he says the same
thing.
“I don’t need anything, honey.” You’ve heard it
before. But what does that really mean? Are you both secretly thinking,
“But a gift from you, no matter what it is, is always special!”
So what's a couple to do about finding a meaningful wedding anniversary
gift for each other?
Right away, we need to remember that it’s not how much money you spend
(most of the time), but how much love the gift expresses. No wife, of
course, will turn her nose up at a diamond pendant or bracelet, but if
you’re short on cash and long on love, what can you give that will
delight her? And women, the same goes for you. How do you increase the
expression of love in the value of your gift for him?
One great solution is simple: the packaging. Your spouse will treasure
any romantic gesture which shows that you put some extra time in
creating it yourself just for him or her. You may be thinking that
you’re not that creative or don’t have enough talent, but that’s not
true. You don’t have to be a great artist to make something that he or
she will see as extraordinary because it came from your heart. It’ll win
you a home run, slam dunk, and touchdown all at one time.
Here are a few packaging ideas.
Write your spouse a love letter. Regardless of how lousy a writer you
are, your original words are guaranteed to sound as good as gold. Your
love letter doesn’t have to be long or difficult. You could write a line
or two of short love notes and fill in the box with a heart-shape
keepsake, music box, or jewelry box (if you bought a jewelry gift).
Another idea is to mail him or her a new love letter every day for two
weeks before your anniversary dinner.
If your spouse loves photos, make him or her a photo album. Go through
your photo albums and have some reprints made of your spouse’s
favorites. Write a short love note caption for each photo below or on
the back of it. A note may be very simple, such as “Remember our trip?”
“This was so much fun!” You could hide the album in a briefcase or
lingerie drawer for your spouse to find. You might tape one onto the
coffee maker or inside the refrigerator each day. Again, you could send
your spouse one every day in the mail.
Cook up a romantic homemade dinner for two. Or call a restaurant if
you’re not the chef type and order it delivered. Decorate the table with
candles and flowers. Have some mood music playing low in the background.
Or have snacks and wine. If you like to cook, make burgers in the shape
of a heart with a cookie cutter or your own hands.
Visit your local crafts store for heart-themed packaging. You'll find
plenty of hearts in different materials and sizes to wrap or present
your gift in. You can buy a heart-shaped box and use a colorful glitter
pen to write “I love you always” or “Happy Anniversary to my love” on
the top. There are millions of ideas. You could buy small decorative
stones and write love words, your names, and your anniversary date on
them.
If you love outdoor work, make two interlocking hearts. You can decorate
them with colorful stones and fill the center with cement. When the
cement is still wet, write your names and anniversary date. You might
also carve two hearts in your shrubbery and tie ribbons in them.
Is this a milestone anniversary? You could decorate your car up as if
you had just been married, but write “Married 5 (10, 20, 30) years and
loving it!” Then the two of you can go out for a romantic anniversary
dinner.
If you use PowerPoint or art software in your job, create a love
presentation. You could list all the qualities you appreciate about your
spouse and marriage and write a short essay about each one. You could
make a special card, flyer, or brochure with your spouse as the star.
If you like to use your computer, build her or him an online store where
your spouse can “buy" love gifts from you. Samples include gifts of
kisses, hugs, a night out (or at home), a free dinner, and other treats.
From the checkout basket, he or she can print out coupons to redeem with
you. You could also invent a “Love Poll” or trivia game about your fun
times together.
How about burning a CD slideshow? You could include photos from the time
you were married. Or you might do a slideshow of a special trip
together. You can find tons of free slideshow software demos on the
Internet.
Financial whizzes can make a “Love Account” sheet or a stock portfolio.
It could list your mutual love investments and be printed out and
framed.
Do you love sports stats? Then you could make up a list of love stats
titled “The [His name] and [her name] Love Team.” The stats could
include the date or month you met, your marriage date, a list of any
children and their birth dates, and a list of special trips or moments.
Print it out and frame it. If you’re a sports fan, you could present it
with a fun, sexy cheerleader routine.
Strip show… ? In the 1997 film The Full Monty, a bunch of ordinary
working guys put a strip show together to earn money. One of you could
plot to put on a private strip show for the other. Such a gift might be
given as a “love” coupon in your partner’s underwear.
If all of the above is too much for you, go out with your spouse, read
love notes to each other, and sing a romantic duo to your anniversary at
a karaoke bar. You don't have to be a polished performer or a
professional to create something special. Think about what you enjoy
doing and put your heart into it with a romantic spin. Your love and
enthusiasm will be enough to help you create an extra special wedding
anniversary gift that your spouse will cherish forever.
|
