What should we do for our anniversary?
November 13, 2009 3:12 PM Subscribe
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)
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)
My husband melted my heart by creating a collection of Beatles songs, e.g. "Something in the Way She Moves." I listen to it on my Ipod often because it still melts me.
If you do a compilation of songs that express what she means to you, or of music important to your relationship, you can play it in the car/restaurant and give it to her, too. Might be nice if it included the music you danced to when you dated, for example.
Another great and inexpensive gift is a beautifully framed photo of you, or of the two of you. Or of a wedding picture you really like.
If you are looking for something more experiential, perhaps you could take her on an afternoon outing to somewhere you two have not been before in your area . . . anything from a ferry ride to an amusement park to (assuming good weather) a walk in a nice garden or arboretum would be great.
posted by bearwife at 3:54 PM on November 13, 2009
If you do a compilation of songs that express what she means to you, or of music important to your relationship, you can play it in the car/restaurant and give it to her, too. Might be nice if it included the music you danced to when you dated, for example.
Another great and inexpensive gift is a beautifully framed photo of you, or of the two of you. Or of a wedding picture you really like.
If you are looking for something more experiential, perhaps you could take her on an afternoon outing to somewhere you two have not been before in your area . . . anything from a ferry ride to an amusement park to (assuming good weather) a walk in a nice garden or arboretum would be great.
posted by bearwife at 3:54 PM on November 13, 2009
A scavenger hunt in a park that will lead her to the various gifts such as the flowers, the CD of songs that remind you of her mentioned above. Then you can dance under the moonlight.
Scattered pieces of paper with words written on them in a beautiful little box that she needs to put together to make sentences. You. Are. The. Love. Of. My. Life. Guaranteed schmoopiness. Or made-up little coupons of promises / gifts like:
Random date night
Chick flick of your choice with popcorn at the movies
A relaxing massage
posted by HeyAllie at 4:21 PM on November 13, 2009
Scattered pieces of paper with words written on them in a beautiful little box that she needs to put together to make sentences. You. Are. The. Love. Of. My. Life. Guaranteed schmoopiness. Or made-up little coupons of promises / gifts like:
Random date night
Chick flick of your choice with popcorn at the movies
A relaxing massage
posted by HeyAllie at 4:21 PM on November 13, 2009
Best answer: I would encourage you to write a letter to her and tell her what she means to you. Recount your favorite memories and what you have discovered about her throughout your relationship. A simple letter would do, but you could also do a more visual presentation that includes small photos and drawings journal-style. Another idea is a glass jar full of folded colored pieces of paper each with a memory or something that you love about her. I promise it will mean more to her than anything you could spend money to buy.
posted by kgn2507 at 4:39 PM on November 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by kgn2507 at 4:39 PM on November 13, 2009 [2 favorites]
Don't do what all the magazines tell you women want - the flowers, fancy dinner, etc. - unless those are things she's actually into. well, okay, flowers are almost never wrong but make sure they are favorites - if you don't know what her favorite flower is go with her favorite color.
Think about her, and the bits of her that you love best. Think of the bits of you that she loves best, and the things you did when you first met that made you know she was the one.
Do something that speaks to these things.
posted by Billegible at 8:19 PM on November 13, 2009
Think about her, and the bits of her that you love best. Think of the bits of you that she loves best, and the things you did when you first met that made you know she was the one.
Do something that speaks to these things.
posted by Billegible at 8:19 PM on November 13, 2009
Find a place to watch the sun set and drive there. Maybe at a beach or out in the country. Try and find a place that is private and not very many people around. You could have a "picnic" basket in the trunk that she doesn't know about full of things she loves to eat and drink. Feed each other. Be there about an hour before the sun actually sets and you can both sit and talk and enjoy each others company. You could have the dinner afterwards if you still want to do that of course. Maybe have some of her favorite CDs on hand too. This is the appetizer before the main course.
In short, pamper her.
Take your cell phone in case your going to be a little late for the dinner reservation.
posted by Taurid at 12:38 AM on November 14, 2009
In short, pamper her.
Take your cell phone in case your going to be a little late for the dinner reservation.
posted by Taurid at 12:38 AM on November 14, 2009
Ooh, my boyfriend's from Cedar Rapids! He says that the Heartland Inn seems like a very low-key place, but they have suites with hot tubs/oversized tubs in the room ("It's not like those places that advertise hot tubs and they have a Jacuzzi in the bathroom surrounded by accessibility bars.") , pillowtop mattresses, etc. there and they're well worth the money. They're supposed to be like $160 or so, but he says that if you catch them on a good night when they haven't, you can haggle them down to $100/$120.
Then you should get some pastries from Croissant du Jour, whether you get them the day before or go there/pick them up first thing in the morning. But make sure you get there before 2, because otherwise the French lady will give you a dirty look and berate you for being late.
Oh oh oh and if you're looking for sweets, Jewels (ArMar Plaza, off of First Ave. right on the Cedar Rapids/Marion border) is also awesome for things like fancy cookies, petit fours, etc.
AND, I know an awesome singer/band (MySpace link) who could probably be persuaded to sing some songs for you, especially if you go see her play.
If you want to be in a place where you can see the stars, particularly if this is where you want to dance, there's a wide pedestrian bridge, kind of like a train bridge, that goes over the Cedar River. It's just a little park area, and there's almost always nobody there. Go there late at night, and walk out on the bridge, so you can see the water rushing below you and see the stars. It's on the Chain Lakes.
Really, the best part will be going places together, particularly a place you maybe haven't been to in a few years (he suggests Old McDonald's Farm, to pet the animals!), and being together. I agree with the commenter above who says that writing something down that says stuff from your heart, especially if it's sometimes hard for you to say that out loud, will be the best. She will keep that with the things that are precious to her and cherish it forever.
posted by Madamina at 8:28 AM on November 14, 2009
Then you should get some pastries from Croissant du Jour, whether you get them the day before or go there/pick them up first thing in the morning. But make sure you get there before 2, because otherwise the French lady will give you a dirty look and berate you for being late.
Oh oh oh and if you're looking for sweets, Jewels (ArMar Plaza, off of First Ave. right on the Cedar Rapids/Marion border) is also awesome for things like fancy cookies, petit fours, etc.
AND, I know an awesome singer/band (MySpace link) who could probably be persuaded to sing some songs for you, especially if you go see her play.
If you want to be in a place where you can see the stars, particularly if this is where you want to dance, there's a wide pedestrian bridge, kind of like a train bridge, that goes over the Cedar River. It's just a little park area, and there's almost always nobody there. Go there late at night, and walk out on the bridge, so you can see the water rushing below you and see the stars. It's on the Chain Lakes.
Really, the best part will be going places together, particularly a place you maybe haven't been to in a few years (he suggests Old McDonald's Farm, to pet the animals!), and being together. I agree with the commenter above who says that writing something down that says stuff from your heart, especially if it's sometimes hard for you to say that out loud, will be the best. She will keep that with the things that are precious to her and cherish it forever.
posted by Madamina at 8:28 AM on November 14, 2009
Write a list of things you'd like to thank your wife for. The list should include big things, everyday things, things she thought you'd have forgotten, and even things which might not usually be things you'd thank her for ("thank you for having beautiful eyes"). Then, get one of those rolls of that paper that adding machines use. Write the list on the paper ("Thank you for _______. Thank you for ________.") to make a long streamer of thank-yous. Then, use the streamer to make a path from point A to point B (say, the front door to the bedroom), and wait for your wife to find it and follow it.
I set out one of these for Mr. TEA a few years ago. When he got home from work, he picked up the end by the front door and slowly read through the whole thing. It was great to hear him laughing at the funny thank-yous and sighing at the sad thank-yous. Everyone wants to know that he or she is appreciated, and it's nice to have a lengthy, physical reminder of what you mean to the person who is most important to you.
posted by TEA at 9:02 AM on November 14, 2009
I set out one of these for Mr. TEA a few years ago. When he got home from work, he picked up the end by the front door and slowly read through the whole thing. It was great to hear him laughing at the funny thank-yous and sighing at the sad thank-yous. Everyone wants to know that he or she is appreciated, and it's nice to have a lengthy, physical reminder of what you mean to the person who is most important to you.
posted by TEA at 9:02 AM on November 14, 2009
Hey, let us know how it went! What did she like best?
posted by kgn2507 at 2:27 PM on November 15, 2009
posted by kgn2507 at 2:27 PM on November 15, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all the great ideas!
I wrote her a long letter telling her why I love her and what I appreciate about her, recalling some of my favorite memories of our relationship, and the things in the future that I am looking forward to. I handwrote it on nice paper and printed out some photos on the paper as well. I got wax and a stamp to close the envelope.
Unfortunately, she woke up sick this morning. So we are deferring until next weekend. But that gives me some more time to perhaps incorporate some more suggestions.
posted by jpdoane at 2:44 PM on November 15, 2009
I wrote her a long letter telling her why I love her and what I appreciate about her, recalling some of my favorite memories of our relationship, and the things in the future that I am looking forward to. I handwrote it on nice paper and printed out some photos on the paper as well. I got wax and a stamp to close the envelope.
Unfortunately, she woke up sick this morning. So we are deferring until next weekend. But that gives me some more time to perhaps incorporate some more suggestions.
posted by jpdoane at 2:44 PM on November 15, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
This is sort of complicated and may take some money, but if, after a nice dinner and some drinks, my spouse took me to a park to recreate a moment from our courtship, and there was an honest to god dance band there, it would definitely be a night to remember.
Or, slightly cheaper, a barbershop quartet.
posted by muddgirl at 3:16 PM on November 13, 2009