From the ceremony and reception, to the presence of friends and family, your wedding day will, no doubt, be one of the most memorable of your life. But even more exciting, you have the rest of your life with your partner to look forward to. When thinking of ways to make your big day more personalized, consider using it as an opportunity to start one of these traditions that you can look forward to every year!
Write Letters
It’s common for brides and grooms to write each other a letter to read before meeting at the altar. However, you could easily turn this into a tradition by pre-writing letters to open in the future. Consider writing letters to your future selves to open on your first anniversary, bigger celebrations or even words of encouragement to open when times get tough. The words you write will serve as a great reminder of why you chose to get married in the first place and how far you’ve come as a couple.
Meaningful Music
You’ll be shocked at the little details you’ll remember most about your wedding day, and one of them is definitely music! While you may be thinking that the only important song selection is for your first dances, that’s not the case! Take time to consider the songs you select to play throughout the day. When you hear them ten years down the road, they’ll be surprise reminders of those special moments!
Create a Keepsake Box
A lot of work goes into a wedding, and for a lot of couples, it starts the day you get engaged. To help remember those exciting times, try creating a keepsake box. You can fill it with things such as an invitation, your save-the-dates, engagement photos, your garter, dried flowers or even a napkin from your place settings. Not only is it something you and your spouse can use to reminisce in years to come, but it’ll also be something you can share with your future children and grandchildren.
Photos
There are several ways to use photos to create traditions. First and most obviously, you can fill a photo album with your wedding photos. This would be great to pull out on anniversaries or when you just want to reminisce. In addition, you can also take a new picture of yourselves on each anniversary. It could be a session with a photographer, but it could also be as simple as snapping a picture on your phone. Over the years, it’ll be fun to look back on photos from previous anniversaries to see how you’ve evolved as a couple.
Honeymoon Destination
After the stress of making sure everything was perfect on you big day, you’ll probably be looking forward to your honeymoon! From foreign beaches to cruise ships, your options are pretty much endless! While it can be tempting to choose somewhere pricey and exotic to treat yourself, consider choosing somewhere more practical. Why? Because, if it’s somewhere that’s more accessible (both physically and financially), it would be a great tradition to go back there on your anniversary each year. Or, if that’s not feasible, you can always go back for the big ones! Revisiting that destination every year will be a great reminder of your big day and a special treat to look forward to.
Save a Bottle
If you’re looking for another way to treat your future self while celebrating your anniversary, nothing says celebration like a cocktail! On your wedding, tuck a bottle of you and your partner’s favorite wine, champagne, liquor, etc. away. You can even add a little note in there if you want. On your anniversary, whether it be your first, fifth or tenth, pull it out and make a special toast to yourselves for making it so far. You deserve it!
