7 Creative Anniversary Date Ideas At Home
7 Creative Anniversary Date Ideas At Home
The thought of having an anniversary date seems farfetched in this time of the pandemic. Oftentimes, when we think of anniversary dates, we associate it with being outside such as in a restaurant, in the cinema, or even in some out-of-town destination. For Mommy Khris and I, it has always been the latter. Before the pandemic happened last year, we would always make plans to travel to a beach destination for our wedding anniversary date.
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7 Creative Anniversary Date Ideas At Home
Traveling has always been our passion. In fact, when we became parents, we wanted to take our kids with us when we traveled around the Philippines because it was our goal to show them the beauty of our country.
The standstill caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
In 2020, we were planning a family getaway to Boracay in time for our wedding anniversary celebration. That was supposed to be in April but as early as March, it was announced that many parts of the Philippines will be under lockdown.
That means having to cancel everything that involves one being outside, and that includes domestic travel. We were saddened standstill caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but what can we do? We had to comply for our safety, as well as the children’s.
While we were cooped up at home, we thought of making the most out of the situation instead of sulking in uncertainties. As such, we came up with quarantine anniversary date ideas.
Anniversary date ideas at home
In the years before the pandemic, the idea of celebrating special occasions at home seemed boring. However, with health and safety being our top priority, anniversary date ideas have been the norm.
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What’s good about celebrating at home, aside from safety, is that you have the freedom to do it however you like it. You can come up with romantic anniversary date ideas at home or even creative date ideas. The limits are your imagination.
Anyway, here are some of the things to do for anniversary to get your creativity going:
1. Take it slow and go through your old photos
A lot of times, it’s a lot better to take things slow. Don’t think about anything, don’t pressure yourself to come up with something grand or impressive.
That said, why don’t you just set up your laptop and then go through your old travel photos together. I think this pandemic is a great opportunity to look back at our past, appreciate it, and just be thankful for all the things that we received.
2. Surprise your husband, wife, or significant other with a video animation of your most unforgettable moments
If you know a thing or two about video animation, then make a video presentation using photos of your most unforgettable moments.
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It can be your wedding photos, your old pictures when you were young and dating, or those from your favorite restaurant. Make it alive with special effects and animation, then play it on your anniversary day, complete with production a la movie premier.
3. If you know how to cook, recreate your favorite regional dishes at home
If you are like us who love traveling, I’m sure you’ve tasted some unforgettable food in the places that you’ve visited.
My version of Adobo sa Asin
For example, when we visited Albay in 2014, we tasted Adobo sa Asin in Misibis Bay and we quickly fell in love with it. We liked it so much that I found a way to recreate it at home, though I admit that the original is really the best.
You can do the same thing. Do a little bit of recipe research on the food that you liked from your trips, whether local and abroad, and try to prepare them at home on your anniversary date.
Lay the food out on the table and then complete the effect by setting up a cut out of the landmark where the dish originated. You can also decorate using those photos from your travels; it’s all up to you.
On the other hand, if traveling is not your thing, you can still cook your spouse’s favorite food and set up a nice anniversary dinner date in the yard or garden.
4. Set up your bedroom for a bit of a hotel feel
I know this may require a little effort but you can give your bedroom a romantic atmosphere by setting it up like a boutique hotel room.
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It doesn’t necessarily have to look exactly like a hotel room, but you can use items to achieve a hotel room ambiance.
You can use new white sheets, some nice-looking rugs beside your bed, dress up your nightstands, and set up a small wine bar inside your bed.
5. Come up with a themed anniversary party at home
I know some couples would want to have alone time together, even just for a short moment. However, if you have kids with you at home, I think it’s also a good idea to involve them in the celebration. After all, it’s a lot more fun to do that. A great anniversary date idea with the whole family is to have a themed celebration.
You can have a movie theme like The Avengers and dress up like the characters. You can do a travel theme and decorate your house using pictures of the places where you would want to go after the pandemic.
You can also relive your wedding day by using your old nuptial theme; I’m sure your kids would giggle at the thought of seeing their parents’ wedding day come alive again.
6. Make a photo album of your favorite photos as a couple
My wife and I would often say how we miss photo albums so much. It’s a lot more fun to look at photos when they are in albums than to flip through them on your phone or tablet.
It’s a good thing that there are services available that would allow you to have your photos compiled in a physical album, such as Photobook.
7. Curate a playlist of your favorite songs
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You can curate a playlist of your most favorite songs and just play it throughout the day. Music evokes a lot of emotions and, surely, your favorite songs will trigger a lot of happy memories from the time you were dating and up to the years that you’ve been married.
One year dating anniversary gifts for him or her
If you are not yet married and are still dating, you may opt to do any of the anniversary date suggestions I listed above. However, if you’ve been dating for, say, only one year, then the best way to celebrate your anniversary would be to surprise each other with a gift.
Here are some suggestions:
For him:
A jacket
A new gadget such as a phone or a gaming laptop
A digital subscription to music and movie streaming services
For her:
A bouquet of flowers
A surprise dinner date at home
A new kitchen tool like an air fryer
A new puppy or kitten (if she loves animals)
Epilogue
We all long for the day when the pandemic will end so that we can all safely go out and do the things that we love to do, such as eating out and traveling. Until then, we would have to do everything at home, including celebrations and special occasions.
Anyway, I hope these suggestions will help you come up with meaningful and unforgettable anniversary dates even if it’s just at home.
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