How do you celebrate your anniversary?

Mine is a second marriage and we have been married for 20 months ...
I expect we will always mark our wedding anniversary in some way. However, over the six years we have known each other, I have learned that my husband is not a 'wordy' person and would be the last person to make a big romantic gesture. This used to disappoint me, but I now know better ... Since we have married I broke my ankle and was very incapacitated for several weeks. He looked after me brilliantly without a murmur of complaint, even though I know it must have been stressful for him. Now, with his support, I am about to step down from a very demanding teaching role. We will have to economise, but he keeps telling me my health and happiness are far more important to him. I once accused him of not being romantic - he shows me in so many little ways that I made the right choice in marrying him.
Of course I will always want to mark the anniversary in some special way - but the daily gestures are what is important... consciously remembering to do something quietly loving. He will never be someone to lavish me with surprise trips, or flowers, or fancy meals out, but he makes me feel very loved.

We usually forget ours as it's just before Christmas (we're we mad?!). But in 2019 it will be 50 years. If we are both still here I think we will take best friends out for dinner and then family away for Christmas.

We had our 45th last year and went to the pantomime and TGI Fridays with DD and family. We eat, just the two of us, every day! DH always buys me flowers and I get him a small gift.
Went to a 5 star hotel for our 40th in Tenerife and caught Norovirus. Spent anniversary with a bowl of soup and a cup of tea. The trauma of pouring a flat bottle of Moët down the sink stays with me ?

My first anniversary will be in 4 weeks.
lol It's second time round for both of us, so any ideas on how to celebrate it will be appreciated.

It's our 50th in March and we still haven't decided what to do to celebrate it . The children want us to have a party but I 'm not sure I'd like that so we'll probably end up going out for a meal and then treat ourselves to a nice holiday later in the

Thank you so much for starting this thread PippaG, you reminded me it is our 40th and we have just booked a show and overnight hotel!

It is our 47th anniversary in April and we do give each other cards and maybe a meal or theatre trip. He usually buys me flowers and on special anniversaries we have gone away on holiday. If he forgot (which he never has done) I would be devastated! But of course there are lots of little tricks to make sure he doesn't forget especially as it is only a week before my birthday.

Portmeirion is an amazing place to stay for a couple of days. Thoroughly unique experience. Any excuse to go so definitely fit for an anniversary celebration. You can get there by train if a non driver.

We celebrated our 40th in style having a party at our favourite local Inn with 60 guests for lunch, then a catered buffet in the evening and lunch the next day. Quite a few were staying in the area so we splashed out a bit. It was a very exciting, emotional and exhausting weekend but we loved it. DD said she would take care of our 50th for which we would be very grateful if we're spared! A special time with toasts to all those who were no longer with us.

Hard to forget ours as it's the day after my birthday and will be 45 years next month but we don't do anything to celebrate. We did have a party for our 25th but we were much younger then and knew more people to invite!!

Bennan that sounds like a great weekend. We couldn't rustle up 15 guests let alone 60

As some of you may have already read, my dear other half died young in 2014, but we were given a wonderful ruby anniversary present by our two lads, the older one was then working in Tanzania. He paid for the two of us and his younger brother with his girlfriend to spend a week in the Serengeti, then a further week in Zanaibar; so all we had to pay were the flights. Our younger son and his then girlfirned flew in all the way from NZ.
It meant a lot to my late husband as my father-in-law worked in different regions of Tanzania when Charles was a young lad. So, before the flight to Zanzibar, my son arranged for a hired car and took us to Moshi, as that was one of the places where my father-in-law worked, when living with his family. It is also the town where my daughter-in-law's family live, so we have gone full circle.

If you don't mind me asking, what year were you married Humberbear?

We always celebrate our anniversary because we don't know how many we may have.

Next week is our 14th and we're popping across the Channel for a short break in Abbeville, Picardy.

Absolutely nothing! Cards are a waste of money and we know we're crazy about one another 365 days a year (ok - crazy being the right word!). We've been happily married for 33 years next June and exchanged gifts on our 25th, since when we wish one another a happy aanniversary.

Lovely to hear of all the celebrations. I will be 80 this August. I am taking my DS, DDL and GD on a Meciterranean cruise. Sadly my husband died 8 years ago but this in memory of him. We visited Rome 3 times and that is where we will be on the day of my birthday.

I love reading all your comments on Gransnet. Thank you all.

Hope that you have a marvellous time Royandsyl a nice thing to do and your family will enjoy it with you.Rome is a wonderful city, have been a couple of times and would like to go there again.

We don't even give each other cards, and the only anniversaries that we have really celebrated were our 25th and our 30th. We're coming up to our 35th now, but I very much doubt that we will do anything to mark it.

Luckily, it's not just DH who doesn't see such things as a big deal - in the early days my parents used to send us a card, and on many occasions it was only when their card arrived that either of us remembered that it was our anniversary!

Does that make us odd ?

Our 35th is coming up on the 17th of January so we are going away for the weekend. We live in Northern California so we're flying out to Las Vegas. Can't wait!!

No its not odd. definitely not. you are probably as happy as those other couples who go out to celebrate. We don't do much either. I never know how many years and have to take time to consider it. It was all the way a very happy time and we didn't have to work at it either!

MargaretX I don't consider that we are "working at our marriage" because we celebrate our wedding anniversary. Rather, it's a nice reason to do something special together once in a while.

We have never taken any notice of our anniversary: no cards, nothing! However, since we had a very low key, cheap wedding we thought we'd have a big do for our 25th and had all our friend to a three course dinner with string band and Champagne at a very nice local hotel. Ten years later we planned another big party this time at home at Christmas but it had to be cancelled because on of our children was badly ill (since recovered). We thought we'd wait until our 40th and if we have two farthings to rub together have another bash catered by someone else.

I do think it would have been nice over the years to have had cards, pressies and a meal out together. Somehow this never occurred to the dear other half!

We usually go out for a meal but don't make too much fuss about it. It's good to mark the occasion. But this year is our 40th so we're planning a party. DH is keen to do this , so, yay!

DH buys flowers and we swap cards - though lately we've recycled old ones! However, we did celebrate 25th and 40th by going on a cruise so expecting no less for 50th in 4 years time. Hopefully unforgettable date as it's also my birthday .

Well .... our Seventh Anniversary was the most significant - apart from being Bank Holiday Monday, our first born arrived and it was the day the doctor gave me. When he said 31st August it vaguely rang a bell and it was ages before the penny dropped !! We certainly didn't celebrate the following 46 in the same fashion !! Now, with 53 under our belt there is nothing material we want or need and usually have a day out with a nice Lunch. But of course, it is usually overtaken by daughter's birthday !! Just glad to be still ticking over.

Our 50th is in two years time as well. It makes me feel really old thinking about.