“Traditional” is one word my husband and I would not use to describe ourselves, let alone our relationship.  We are not traditionalists, we march to beat of our own drum.  But every now and again we like to include wonderful long lived traditions in our lives whether it be in our holidays, marriage, everyday life etc.

One such tradition we have adopted is buying anniversary gifts that correlate to the Anniversary Gifts by Year list.  We began this traditional two years into our marriage, (hey, it’s never too late).  We were happy to partake in such a tradition, because it is a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary and it is a beautiful tradition that has such a significant meaning. I encourage couples to take part in this tradition, not just newlyweds, but ALL married couples no matter what anniversary you are celebrating.

If you would like to partake in this beautiful tradition, as well, I have created this cheat sheet for you.

If you aren’t sure whether to include this as part of your anniversary ritual, here are a few things that may ease your mind or convince you.

– Don’t get too fixated on sticking to either side: TRADITIONAL or MODERN. Choose whatever gift you feel you would like to buy your spouse.

– Don’t worry about what constitutes as paper, cotton, crystal, glass etc.  Interpret it as you see fit.  For example, paper can be a multitude of things: a beautiful set of personalized stationery, a watercolor drawing or painting on paper, a tearful love note written on a sheet of paper etc.  The more creative you are when choosing a gift the more meaningful it is.

– If money is an issue create a cap to help relieve any stress you may have about over spending.  No one said a meaningful gift has to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, if it comes from the heart it’s worth millions.

– Don’t build it up to be a make or break situation. The first year we began this my husband and I made it a challenge for one another.  We gave ourselves a spending cap, and one day to find the gift. Instead of it becoming nerve-racking or overwhelming it then became a fun activity.

Let me know if you partake in this tradition and what your experiences have been like. I’d love to hear what you have to say!