October 10th, 2017, was a Tuesday. It was a sunny day. For me, it would forever be known as the day that a new chapter in my relationship began — the day that my husband and I began officially dating and became boyfriend and girlfriend. Yes, on that day, I bluntly asked him ‘are you my boyfriend?’ ‘Am I your girlfriend?’ And the answer was yes, and the rest is history.
Six years later, we became husband and wife. However even though it’s been two years since my wedding day, I wonder: what happens to that day? Does it get forgotten and become just another day in the year? Or does it still remain to be a date celebration?
I went down a Google rabbit hole with that very question. The answers I found were mixed. Some couples said no, as it’s one of the many dates to celebrate. However, others said that they do celebrate as it can be a reminder of where everything began, whereas the wedding anniversary is one that celebrates the day you became man and wife.
It’s obviously not a one size fits all answer. However, I do think that it should be a date that should be celebrated — somewhat. I don’t think that this should be an over the top celebration, as that’s now the wedding anniversary.
But, I do think that it does warrant a small date night, something that if you’ve been married or together for a few years, can suddenly become on the bottom of the priority list. Life is busy, and I know that going on dates with my own husband is something that has not become a priority, so I think that it becomes an excuse to go out together for a nice meal or just spend some quality time together.
I also think that even acknowledging that small detail is one of the biggest things and goes so far. There’s a reason why people say that it’s the little things, and I believe even just saying “hey it’s been x amount of years since our first date/we became official/we got engaged” brings so much joy.
And finally, I think celebrating this anniversary helps bring back some of the initial magic of the relationship that becomes lost after spending years with the person, and of course, when you’re living with someone. It honors the history of how the foundation of something great started. That magic can be easily lost, so I think taking the time to celebrate can lead to keeping that spark burning alive during the not so romantic times of marriage.
So while my husband and I may not be going out on a trip to celebrate our dating anniversary (anymore) or exchanging gifts, we will be taking the time to celebrate October 10th pretty much the duration of our entire marriage.
Do you want to join us? Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate too:
- Go to the place where you had your first date to reminisce on how it all began.
- Buy her flowers.
- Plan a date night just the two of you.
- Send a text to say “today mark x amount of years since our first date/since we made it official.”
- Go out to a nice dinner.
Married couples, do you celebrate your dating anniversary still? Let me know in the comments below.
thenutmegmillennial.com 