Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with anniversary

First wedding anniversary paper/origami gift ideas?

saileyn — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:41:42 -0800

My husband and I will be celebrating our first (paper) wedding anniversary this Friday. We're really short on funds, so I'm thinking of folding him something with origami and writing our vows or a poem on the unfolded paper... Any suggestions on what to fold? I'm toying with the idea of using a rose pattern but was wondering if anyone knew of any symbolism for first anniversaries/marriage/love and had origami patterns to match.

It's been a while since I've done anything with origami, a few years ago I started making paper roses, but I have no idea what the pattern was (I did find it online and had it as a PDF, but it's long since gone). I don't think it was the Kawasaki pattern, but was something extremely similar and possibly a touch easier. For those who've folded roses before, do you have a favorite pattern or one that you would recommend? I have plenty of time (until, Friday) and patience...

Or if anyone has any other inexpensive/last minute paper gift ideas, aside from writing him a nice poem/letter/story (I've done those things many times before, and also for our wedding, so I'm looking for something new) I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your suggestions :)

I know I've left this a bit late, I'd originally planned to get our vows letter-pressed and framed, but we've had a lot on our plates these last few weeks, and our anniversary was the last thing on our minds..

Thanksgiving for two?

anthropomorphic — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:29:25 -0800

My significant other will be abroad for Thanksgiving & our anniversary. What recipes can I make to celebrate belated Thanksgiviversary for two? Thanksgiving and our anniversary are on the same day and he'll be overseas during that time. I'd like to make a moderately sized dinner for him (think up to four courses?) but don't know how to go about it. I've never made Thanksgiving dinner before. Also since this will be after Thanksgiving proper, what sort of ingredients should I buy now that might not be as available in the week or two after Thanksgiving?

I grew up in a family of just three. My parents (immigrants) always felt a turkey was too big for us so we just made chicken. Should I just make and freeze a bigass turkey? I'd prefer the venture not to take all day as we both have finals around the corner. Are there teeny turkeys I can buy? What else should I make for it besides stuffing? Cranberry relish recipes not needed because I'm obsessed with that terrible/awesome can-shaped Ocean Spray jelly stuff. We're both not big dessert eaters either, so I'd prefer the recipes be geared toward the savory and of course, sized for two. And there's no such thing as traditional anniversary food, right?

Help!

What should we do for our anniversary?

jpdoane — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:12:59 -0800

Help me plan a romantic evening for my wife for our anniversary Our 6 year anniversary is on Sunday. I'd like to do something special for my wife. Most of the times we go out on a date we usually do the cliche dinner and a movie, or something super informal like shopping or coffee shop. I figure that the anniversary should probably be a few notches above that.

Things I'm already planning on:
nice flowers,
dinner at fancy restaurant,
drive to a park and ask her to dance under the moonlight (did this once when we were dating)

I need something else to flesh out the evening, but I'm drawing a blank. We are in a small city in the midwest with not much urban/nightlife activities available (and thats not really us anyway). Unique, fun things are great, and it doesn't need to be too formal, but it should be somewhat romantic. Budget is loosely ~$100 (although I'm all ears for more elaborate really awesome ideas)

Overnight options would be ok, but Ive done the hotel room or B&B thing the past few anniversaries, and thats nice, but it might be a little predictable.

Yes, I am aware that I should have planned this earlier. I do have most of the day tomorrow free to plan/coordinate whatever I need.

(I looked and didn't see many similar questions on AskMe, which kinda surprised me. Most were location specific. If theres onther threads with good ideas that I missed, I'd love to see them too)

Three year anniversary coming up Dec 1st in Berkeley/Oakland. Any ideas?

ghostpony — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:05:28 -0800

I have a three year anniversary coming up on 12/01 and I want to make it extra wonderful. I will be in Berkeley/Oakland. Does MeFi have any great ideas? She is vegetarian but will eat meat if it's grass fed and humanely raised. I am looking for theater/restaurant/event recommendations, as well as just the unique out-there things to do.

I have a couple of ideas, but find this community to be so resourceful I thought I would just put it out there!

Can you help?

Social customs for anniversary engravings confuse me.

MysticMCJ — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:33:53 -0800

I need help with engraving an anniversary gift - Specifically, the text. Is it OK to have a two initial monogram? What about additional text? My wife doesn't have a middle name - Should I pass on the traditional circular monogram -- Would it look odd with only two letters as opposed to three?

Assuming I don't, would it be weird to have additional text beneath that commemorating our anniversary? Should I put the wedding date without the year, or should I include the year? Or should I put some more meaningful text?

I'm very good with gifts in general, and I know she will love specifically what is being engraved (Circular flask with pop-out shot glass built in, she's not a MeFi reader lucky for me) but the fact that this is a rather non-traditional anniversary gift, combined with the fact that it's our first anniversary, combined with my complete lack of knowledge of social customs for this sort of thing has made me very confused. Any help appreciated!

Wedding Day +365

santojulieta — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:59:43 -0800

Help us find a great first anniversary restaurant in Chicago! Next Sunday is our first anniversary. We'd really like to do a super nice (but not terribly formal) dinner on Saturday night for about $100 total.

Here are some things I could use some help with:

1. I will eat nearly anything (except shrimp and hot oatmeal and a few other things) but my husband will not. He is a meat-cheese-bread-and-potatoes sort of dude and that is not exactly negotiable (and certainly not on our first anniversary). We love trying new restaurants, but I feel terrible if there's nothing for him to eat. So, the ideal place should have something adventurous for me and something safe for him.

2. We don't really drink so I don't particularly care if a restaurant has an awesome wine selection or a super sommalier or ten thousand champagnes. Plus, alcohol would eat up a bit too much of our budget, I think.

3. We're not really planning on dressing up, so the place doesn't need to be fancy. Intimate, yes, but fancy no. The perfect example of this was the Crusting Pipe in Covent Garden on our honeymoon. We found it randomly the night we got into London, and loved it. It was small and intimate but not fussy.

4. He's suggested we look for something on a rooftop for the view, but that obviously depends on October weather.

Help me find a list of nice hotels outside of NYC?

coolguy#1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:55:16 -0800

Please help me find an affordable, nice/romantic hotel outside of NYC. My girlfriend and I are looking for a nice, affordable hotel outside of NYC (so we can take public transportation into the city) for our anniversary. We're just planning on staying for a weekend, but neither of us have very much money, so we're looking for something between the 100-200 dollar a night range that still might be a step above a chain hotel.

I'm asking because I'm having a hard time finding an easy way to search hotels that aren't necessarily in NYC, but are still close enough for the city to be considered accessible.

We would really appreciate any advice or personal recommendations from anyone who has done anything similar!

Thanks in advance for the help.

Most romantic hotel in New York?

Falconetti — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:24:14 -0800

What is the most romantic hotel in New York? My girlfriend and I are celebrating our one-year anniversary in about a month and I wanted to surprise her with a night at a hotel in New York. We both live in New York, but she has mentioned before how she always wanted to stay at a nice hotel in the City. I thought booking a room for a night would be fun. What hotels would be the best for a romantic night celebrating an anniversary, especially for people who are young(ish) and actually live in the City (well, I live in Brooklyn)? I would like to keep it under $450, but all suggestions are welcome.

What do I do for our first anniversary?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:53:08 -0800

I have no idea what to do for our first wedding anniversary. There are time and money complications. This is the first relationship (for me) that's even made it to the year mark, so I've never celebrated an anniversary before (we never made a big point of it while we were dating). What's the tradition? Do we give each other gifts?

It's next Monday, so I don't have a lot of time to plan. We both have to work that day. He has a Big Important Meeting and is likely to be stressed out that evening and the one before. I can take the day off if I need to. I'd like to do something on the actual day, although logistically the main event should be on the weekend.

We don't have the money to go to a nice hotel for the weekend so we are staying at my parents' cabin in remote northern Wisconsin. His boss has offered to pay for a nice dinner (short version: he knows I hate his guts and he's trying to get on my good side, plus he's trying to keep an employee). There are no nice restaurants in the remote area we're visiting. I am sure the evenings will involve the obvious romantic activity, but I'm trying to think of other special things I can do for him. Our first year of marriage has been immensely stressful, and I'd like to do something that marks a new beginning. We're changing jobs and locations soon so this is an ideal time.

We're in our 30s, live in the Chicago area, no kids, not much of a budget. I'm a frequent contributor to MeFi and my identity will be pretty obvious to those who know me so feel free to also contact me via other means; I just don't want my husband reading my past questions.

absent anniversary

chronic sublime — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:06:52 -0800

Myself: absent during anniversary. Boyfriend: potentially finding gifts around the house. You: help me! I am going away for a short break next week, but it happens to coincide with my 3-year anniversary with my boyfriend. I also missed last years'; I was OS. This distresses me to no end, which is where you come in.

What potential "surprises" can I leave around the apartment for him to discover while I'm gone? They can come in the form of little notes, small gifts, etc, or a more elaborate treasure hunt. He has been very stressed at work lately, and want to potentially cheer him up when he wakes up/gets home. Preference for cheap/free/thoughtful, please!

Potential problems: we live together, and the living space is a cosy two-bedroom apartment. I will have a small window of approx an hour to plant all the goodies before I leave for the airport, but have plenty of time to myself in the week leading up to prepare.

I am a good writer, a not-so-good craftsperson, a mediocre musician, and a consummate purchaser of consumer goods. He is a geek with a wicked outdoors streak.

I can use Facebook or my mobile phone to send messages, if that helps to orchestrate anything.

Go crazy!

What are some interesting wedding anniversary ideas in or around Toronto?

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:44:10 -0800

What are some interesting off-beat suggestions for a two year wedding anniversary in or around Toronto? Price is not much of an issue but I would prefer to keep it under $500. Our second wedding anniversary is on the horizon (still over a month away) and I'd like to do something a little bit more interesting than the typical dinner night out, romantic walks etc.

We have a car, and we're able to get away for most weekends. We are both in our late 20's. While price is not really an option, I'd still like to keep it in the $500 dollar range. I can be flexible on this though.

Romantic anniversary dinner in NYC on a grad student budget?

ilana — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:06:56 -0800

Romantic anniversary dinner in NYC on a grad student budget? So in about three weeks my wonderful boyfriend and I will be celebrating our fifth anniversary. Yay! We're looking for a place with great food and preferably romantic atmosphere (though not schmaltzy) in which to celebrate. We both like every type of cuisine we've ever tried (which is a lot of them). We're big fans of seafood, and if you know any place that makes magic out of duck, I'm all ears. Budget is on the small side, about $100ish for the two of us, but if there's somewhere a bit more expensive you think we must go to, just tell us why it's worth the extra! We'll go anywhere (preferably Manhattan) but bonus points if it's on the 1 line, extra bonus if it's UWS. Interesting drinks also a plus.

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I didn't find anything too similar when looking through tags. I know about Chowhound, but it's kind of overwhelming there. Thanks hivemind!

Smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics.

CoinOp — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:31:38 -0800

So I quit smoking ... 11 months ago. It will be my first year being smoke free since 1986.

It's a big deal to me. I'm not a Fascist. Just looking for something fun to mark the occasion with.

is there a word for daily or weekly anniversaries?

csw — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:55:00 -0800

latinfilter: My turkey poults arrived at my house two weeks ago today. How can I express the special meaning of this day with one word? I am looking for a word that is equivalent to 'anniversary', but for weeks instead of years. Online dictionaries tell me that 'anniversary' is derived from the latin "anniversarius; annus year + vertere, versum, to turn". I tried to look up the latin equivalent for 'week' and the online translator just spits back 'week' (although it came up with the correct translation for 'day' and 'year')

"anniversary week" has an established and completely different meaning.

Saying "second week anniversary" is unsatisfying because of the implied 'annus' on the front of anniversay. Second week yearly turn?

Is there a word for what I want to express?

And while I'm at it, is there an equivalent word for 'birthday' which implies the passage of years, but which instead covers a period of weeks or months?

Poor students need to celebrate wedding anniversary. Help!

sickinthehead — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:09:35 -0800

What should my husband and I do to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary in the greater Chapel Hill, NC area? Our 2nd wedding anniversary is this weekend. We both live on academic stipends and due to a recent turn of events are awash in medical bills, so we don't have a lot of money. That being said, we are willing to put anniversary celebrations on our credit card and pay off over time, as long as they aren't TOO extravagant (don't really want to spend more than 300-400, and that price tag would mean a weekend spent somewhere). We've established that we would rather spend the money on a nice time together over giving gifts.

Additional considerations: it is graduation weekend at UNC so pretty much every local restaurant/fun thing to do is already booked and is going to be packed with undergrads and their families. Also, I am suffering some health complications that result in a constant and intense headache, so things like theme parks or loud shows (both of which I love) won't work.

We are both working our asses off on our PhDs and often that leads to a lack of time to just be together. It would be nice to get some of that back with our anniversary celebration. Bonus points if you suggest something that includes bringing a dog with us. And yes, we are both too exhausted to put a lot of googling effort into this, which is why I am asking you, mefites.

20 Year Business Anniversary

GuffProof — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:21:30 -0800

Executive Gift Filter - maybe something Custom Engraved? Our company's 20th anniversary is coming up. Help me find a special gift for the boss. In August, my company will mark 20 years in business. This is a big deal, but there are no plans for a formal celebration or anything... we're super-busy, and I doubt many people even realize it's coming up.

I want to give the company president something to mark the occasion, but I have zero experience in this area. It should be business-related, not personal. (We chip in and give him dinners, golf trips, theater tickets etc. on Boss' Day and his birthday.)

Maybe a paperweight- brass, crystal, ??? - engraved with our logo and the anniversary dates?

Two hours of Googling left me baffled. There are so many promotional products sites out there- any recommendations?

I found brass paperweights shaped like stars, but those are employee motivation gifts for 'star performers'. Also, there isn't room for a logo and the dates to mark the anniversary.

This was more like it, but still sort of small.

Background- we're a food manufacturer. I thought about giving him something in the shape of one of our products... but he's got a lot of novelty gifts like that. I want something substantial and... classy.

As the company has grown, we've had 3 different logos. It might be too complicated, but a design displaying all 3 would really be special.

Also, one other thing I noticed. A lot of those promotional sites do logo engraving but they require a 12-item minimum order, or whatever.

I'm open to spending up to $200, but I don't need multiple commemorative paperweights!

I'm probably over-stressing, but this is important to me. I've been with the company for 17 years. When they hired me, I was a kid who didn't have the money for next month's rent. I literally had no where else to go.

Our boss has taken this company from a struggling start up to an international success, from 20 employees to 225+. I really want to give him something to recognize that. Any advice / experience / ideas would be greatly appreciated.

PS- the links didn't show up in Preview, so just in case:

http://www.images.asidatabuilder.com/images/prodbigimgs/4410000/4418076.jpg

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/3jsgiftboutique_2049_107806

Thank you!

Anniversary Dinner in Dallas

lateriser — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:30:39 -0800

DFWAnniversaryFilter: Poor planning on my part but its me and the old ladys 8th year anniversary. Im struggling with a place to take her to dinner tonight, i could use any and all suggestions. We love Roy's in Plano however i was just trying to think outside of the box a bit. BTW...We are located in N. Dallas around the 75/190 area.

Really long distance anniversary gift?

zinge — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:33:26 -0800

What is a good, relatively cheap, long-distance anniversary gift to give to someone on the other side of the world? We talk on skype, but I think it'd be nice to actually get her something. My two-year anniversary of when my girlfriend and I started dating is coming up in a few weeks. Unfortunately, I'm in Florida, and she's in Australia at the moment. Background: We're both in college, she's doing a semester abroad in Townsville. I was actually able to go and visit back in February for about a week, so visiting again as a gift is not really feasible. She'll be back in the States in June, but I won't see her again till August, so I'd like to do something nice. For our 1st anniversary I was the one out of the country, but I had internet access and was able to send her some things through the internet (wrote a long letter, had it sent to her as a message in a bottle). I tried finding local gift shops in Townsville through the internet, but haven't had much luck. She's not much of a flower fan, and I've already gotten her a teddy bear. Actually mailing something from here gets expensive, and I toyed with the idea of making a digital mix tape or photo-collage with music and sending her the link, but she only has sporadic internet. Maybe I'm thinking along the wrong lines, but what kinds of things would I be able to find websites for, local to her area, that I could have shipped to her dorm? Also, I have someone (a mutual friend also studying abroad) that said she'd be willing to help out on the Australian end if I plan something. I've read through the other LDR threads, but most of the suggestions don't seem to apply very well to another continent, as opposed to another state. Thanks.

Ideas for our first anniversary, or sweet things i can do for her in general

l2yangop — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:41:23 -0800

I was wondering if anyone can give me any tips on relatively inexpensive things I can do for my GF on our first anniversary. We are both a couple years removed from college if that matters at all.... also, i am not really that romantic so maybe a few things i could do throughout the year to show i care about her. thanks for your help guys!

If you are dating someone, which day do you use for your anniversary?

stilly — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:11:44 -0800

If you are in a relationship (not married, just dating), how do you determine your anniversary date? Do you go with the day that you first met? The day of your first date? The day you became exclusive?

I'd give the shirt off my back for this shirt

Advocate, I — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:19:37 -0800

Help me make a special t-shirt I'm looking to make a custom (long sleeved) t-shirt for an upcoming anniversary. The overall design would be handprints and armprints on specific areas of the shirt like; handprints on the shoulder to signify dancing, arms around the midsection to signify a hug, arm on a sleeve to signify walking arm in arm. Some quirky prints may also be included (set of catpaws on the chest, pinch on the right nipple) so it's still a design in progress.

I'd like to find someone in or around the Fresno, Ca area who can help me with this, both conceptualizing and making. If all else fails, someone who specializes in this type of work that can collaborate and do business online.

Much thanks for all the help I can get.

Her Mother died of Breast Cancer two years ago, what can I do?

eleongonzales — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:56:03 -0800

Breast Cancer took her mother from her 2 years ago (October 3rd, 2006)- what can I do for her anniversary? I want to do something for my girlfriend for her mother's anniversary this Friday.

Background - Her mother passed away two years ago after a very hard battle with breast cancer stretching over a few years. She talks about her mother daily and misses her greatly. She has no other family besides her half sisters and brother, and her father left at a very young age and she has never met him.

We haven't been dating very long, but we have talked about her mother in some depth and she has shared numerous stories that lead me to believe that her mother was the center of her life and that they had a very special relationship. She is still living in the apartment her mother purchased and has joined some of the organizations where her mother was a member (somewhat filling in her shoes.) She is a very family oriented person and will fortunately be spending the day with them.

I have been raising money for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and I will be participating in this event in a few weeks in her honor.

I would like to do something special for her beyond a card or flowers and I wanted to see if you all have any ideas.

Nice place for anniversary dinner in Miami?

UMDirector — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:28:34 -0800

Can anyone recommend a nice restaurant in Miami for my anniversary that wouldn't make me look silly if I wore a jacket? My wife and I are going to my college homecoming in Miami at the end of October, which is also our anniversary and would like to go to a nice dinner. I never did much real dining while going to undergrad so this is a new experience and I am short on restaurants...South Beach would be ideal, but would also consider the Gables or Grove.

I don't necessarily want to go to a place that requires a jacket, but at least one that I wouldn't look like a goofball wearing one. Not sure if any hip or fun places require jackets or if that is an oxymoron.

Hoping to spend no more than $200 for the two of us.

A fifth anniversary gift?

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:29:04 -0800

Can you help me figure out a gift for my husband for our fifth wedding anniversary? My husband and I will be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary in a few weeks, and I'd like to get him a really nice gift. The problem is that he has very few material "wants," and when he does want something he gets it himself. We often give each other "experiences" for birthdays and such, but this time I would like something that can be a keepsake. On top of that, I am truly dismal at gift giving, bad enough that it's a family joke. I want to rise above that label this time. :))

At first, I thought I might get him some jewelry, but after an evening of pointing out things online while asking "would a man *really* wear that?" there's really no jewelry he seems interested in. He wears a wedding ring, and that's it. He already has a nice watch and a nice wallet. He works in a casual office so he has no need for cuff links or tie tacks. He said he thinks that bracelets on men are weird (and whether they are or not, that means he wouldn't wear one.) Necklaces are right out.

Personality wise, he's pretty much a geek -- he enjoys computer games (World of Warcraft, especially) and baseball. He already has a lot of baseball related memorabilia, so I'd like to avoid that this time around. He likes gadgets but gets them for himself if he really wants something. He really, really does not like the steampunk movement.

I know that the traditional gift for the fifth anniversary is wood, but I'm not stuck on that. I've scoured Etsy, Uncommon Goods, and Think Geek with no luck.

Finally, I'm willing to spend up to around $200. I appreciate any suggestions you can give.

(anon because he might run across this and I'd like plausible deniability.)

What to do when you have left someone shortly before an anniversary and birthday....?

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:45:55 -0800

Two weeks after my girlfriend treated me to the most thoughtfully-indulgent birthday weekend imaginable, I broke up with her. Just a week has passed since we went our separate ways, but that means two weeks until what would have been our three-year anniversary and three weeks until her birthday, upon which I would otherwise be reciprocating her generosity. Is there anything I can do or say or give to mark the occasion appropriately? We were together almost three years, but in my heart there were obstacles preventing me from seeing her as the person with whom I might spend the rest of my life. As she is twelve years my senior at nearly 42, one of my worries was that the longer I stayed with her, the more I was forcing her to sacrifice aspects of life such as having children that I suspect, deep down, she would like to explore. I refused to co-habit with her and latterly found myself treating her with less than the respect she deserves, while hating myself for doing so.

She spoiled me rotten on my birthday, not just in terms of extravagant generosity but also in terms of lovingly-planned, meaningful gestures. To some degree I think this may have been a catalyst in my decision to end it with her. It was clear to me then that I owed it to her to set her free to find someone who will care for her and commit to her as deeply as she did to me. She railed against me for making an executive decision, but this was my choice. A choice made partly from selfishness and partly from love and a desire to see her have and be everything she wants.

Ending it with her and seeing her in pain was the most gruesome experience of my life. The past seven days have been the longest, most agonising and empty I can remember. I worry about how she is coping, how she is doing at work, whether she is being looked after and whether, like me, she is mentally looking ahead towards our anniversary that was not to be. Staying away from her, and not making contact, has been excruciatingly hard, though I am just about achieving that.

My previous long term relationship ended with me being the dumpee after eight and a half years. That was painful but in retrospect nowhere near as hard to bear as this breakup, of which I am the architect. I guess the mixture of love, loss, guilt and anxiety that I am feeling now is less palatable than the fragrance of fresh possibilities I could sense last time round. It's admittedly only been a week but I haven't been able to think of moving on or being with anyone else, even though two women have thrown themselves at me in the meantime.

Time and space will heal us, I am sure. But in the meantime, how do I address her impending birthday? I would feel it uncaring if a good friend or long term partner failed to acknowledge my birthday at all. And as I sit here amidst the many wonderful gifts she lavished on me so recently, it would seem preposterous not to offer something in return.

Is a simple card the best way to deal with this? A heartfelt letter? Do I approach offering my company, or continue to keep my distance, as she does from me? Do I avoid things I know she would like, because they are things that would be associated with "us"? Do I avoid offering my company and my presence? Will a useful, practical or fun gift entirely lose its charm because of the context in which it is received?

I don't want to intervene in a way that will cause her anguish. And I worry about offering her something that could be interpreted as symbolic, or that will later be looked upon as an icon of pain rather than beauty.