Every year, between June and October, millions of couples say “I do” against a backdrop of warm weather and outdoor festivities. Wedding season gets plenty of attention for good reason, as more than half of all weddings take place during these months.
But there’s a closely related season we don’t talk about nearly enough: anniversary season. Every wedding creates a future anniversary, and this time of year millions upon millions of couples are marking another 365 days of life together. Or at least they should be.
Of course, life gets busy. Between raising children, building careers, and figuring out what’s for dinner, it’s easy for the annual celebration of your wedding day to become, “We’ll do something special for the next big milestone.”
I think that’s a mistake. Anniversaries give us a chance to reflect on where we are today while renewing our commitment to the future. They give relationships the time and space they need to grow. If wedding season celebrates the day two people begin a life together, anniversary season deserves just as much enthusiasm for everything they’ve built since.
Why Every Year Counts
Marylou and I were married in the summer, and between raising a family and starting a business, I know as well as anyone how anniversaries can slip down the priority list. (That said, being in the flower and gifting industry certainly helped.)
Over time, though, I came to see anniversaries differently. Every year together is a milestone, and with each passing anniversary, you realize a little more clearly that reaching the next one is never something to take for granted.
Having been married in the 1970s brings the point home. Back then, researchers found that couples who married in that decade had less than an even chance of reaching their 25th anniversary. The age of disco, it turns out, was also an age of rising divorce.
Fortunately, those odds have improved. A majority of first marriages now reach their silver anniversary. But the larger point remains: anniversaries are never guaranteed, which is exactly why they’re worth celebrating.
Investing in The Next Anniversary
How you choose to celebrate your anniversary can directly contribute to how long your marriage lasts. Amid the noise of daily life, an anniversary creates space for something increasingly rare: uninterrupted, dedicated time to focus entirely on each other.
Use it to reflect on the year you’ve shared and to talk about the future with intention. What are you looking forward to? Where do you hope the next year takes you? What family rituals do you want to continue? What new memories do you want to make together?
Conversations like these have a way of renewing a marriage. They help us remember why we chose each other in the first place and reinforce the commitment that carries us into another year together.
Beyond marking another year of memories, every anniversary marks the beginning of the next chapter. Taking time to celebrate and dream together is one of the simplest ways to strengthen the relationship that will carry you to the next anniversary.
Make Every Anniversary Special
So what do you do when life is busy and another anniversary is approaching?
First, don’t let perfection become the enemy of celebration. Not every anniversary calls for a weekend getaway or an elaborate dinner. Some years, an hour together without phones or interruptions can mean more than an expensive evening out.
Second, plan ahead. One reason anniversaries get overlooked is that we assume we’ll find time when the day arrives. More often than not, the calendar has other ideas. Put it on the schedule early and arrange for the babysitter. Protect that time the same way you would any other important commitment.
Finally, remember that the best anniversaries are measured by how connected you feel when the day is over. Whether you’re celebrating over dinner or simply sitting together on the back porch, the real gift is uninterrupted time to reconnect and dream about the years ahead.
Celebrate the Couples You Love
One final thought: wedding anniversaries aren’t just for the couple. They can be meaningful moments for the people who love them, too.
Don’t let an anniversary pass unnoticed if it’s coming up for your parents, siblings, or friends. Send a card, pick up the phone, or offer to watch the kids so they can enjoy an evening together. Sometimes the greatest anniversary gift is giving a couple the time to celebrate one another.
Community has always strengthened marriage. We cheer couples on at their weddings, but we don’t always do the same years later, when life becomes more complicated and celebrating takes a little more intention.
This anniversary season, I hope you’ll take time to celebrate the couples in your life along with your own marriage. Every anniversary is an opportunity to strengthen a relationship that, in turn, strengthens families, friendships, and communities.
