What NOT to do on Your Anniversary

The anniversary of your wedding day is one of the most important days of the year for couples, and a lot of effort goes into making it a day (and night) to remember. It is a chance to spend time to remember the day you became husband and wife and embarked on a lifelong journey together. A typical anniversary date includes flowers, wine and a great dinner, with lots of romance thrown in for good measure. What it shouldn’t include is anything that could sour this one special day of the year for either of you. The following are some things that should be avoided at all costs if you plan to have an enjoyable wedding anniversary celebration.

1. Don’t forget the date! If the movies are to be believed men are notorious for forgetting their wedding anniversary and when finally given a none-too-subtle reminder find themselves racing all over town looking for the perfect gift, flowers, chocolates and a dinner reservation, all the while trying to make it look like it had all been planned weeks in advance.

2. Don’t be late – You may have remembered the date and that you have dinner reservations but if you are late it is not going to be looked upon favorably. Just as the wedding day was perfect so too is the expectation for your wedding anniversary celebration, and just as you wouldn’t have dreamed of being late to the wedding nor should you be late to dinner. Being late may cause your reservation to be given to someone else, and certainly the one who is on time is not going to be pleased when you leave them sitting alone in the restaurant.

3. Don’t invite friends or family to join you – This shouldn’t need to be said but a wedding anniversary, unless it is by mutual agreement, is a time for just the two of you. It is a time to take a trip down memory lane and enjoy each other’s company, remembering why you love each other. It is the one day of the year that is a celebration for just the two of you, so don’t ask family and friends to join you.

4. Don’t get drunk – A little wine with dinner is pleasant but when you find yourself unable to stand without swaying chances are you have drunk too much. While you can always order a cab to get you home it means that someone has to return the next day to get the car. If you know that both of you are going to want to drink to the point where driving isn’t safe (or legal) get a cab to the restaurant and home again afterwards. Bear in mind that if you want the night to end on an intimate note a little alcohol is okay but do not go overboard.

5. Don’t treat the day as just another day – Women are very sentimental creatures and have expectations about their anniversary being a special day. Some men do too, so if you want your spouse to feel good from the minute they wake up don’t treat the day as any other day. Do something special for each other. Perhaps go out to breakfast so neither of you have to cook. If you have children organize for them to spend the day with their grandparents so you can have the day (and the house) to yourselves.

6. Don’t plan an outing that you won’t both enjoy – Even if the biggest game of the season is on and you have tickets, or the annual craft fair opening day falls on your anniversary, resist the temptation to drag your spouse along if you know they will hate every minute of it. They may suffer through it because they know you are having fun but anniversaries are supposed to create happy memories for both of you