It’s in October. I’ve booked the room and bought the play tickets. We’re going to go to a local, well, in-state, national park I’ve never been to before. All this is kind of a surprise for my wife, but we talked a little about doing exactly this for a weekend getaway earlier in the year. This is just the right time for it. I actually totally surprised her for her birthday with an exact copy of this trip two years ago, so the surprise factor is diminished but she really enjoys this kind of thing so I thought it would be a nice surprise reprise (that doesn’t rhyme does it?).
So, I need help to really to do something to surprise her in this non-surprise trip. My wife doesn’t really go for the “romance” kind of thing, so frilly clothes or diamonds or candles or whatever won’t do much except make her wonder how much it cost or “what I really want”. I’ll probably get some flowers put in the room for her, although that’s not much of a surprise either.
Tell us more about your wife. What’s she into? Is there something that for her would be the perfect gift? For instance, my husband often makes the effort to buy me books because he knows that’s what I’m into and it always means a lot.
I see the tin is the traditional 10th anniversary gift. I’ll do some thinking/searching on that.
She’s much more intellectual than I am, in a practical kind of way. For instance, she buys books about anything and everything. How to have a yard sale. How to raise kids, self help, going back to school, starting a business, owning a restaraunt. She rarely reads fiction. Her life is consumed right now with the kids, that’s why she enjoys time away from them. Well, I say her life is consumed, but she is also looking for a job. She’s also in the middle of trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.
Does the park offer ranger-lead hikes? Those can be awesome and would appeal to your wife’s intellectual curiosity. And as a bonus, they happen at scheduled times so you can just take her to the meeting place without telling her what you’re going to do.
Could you work with your kids to create a gift to present to her during your trip? I don’t know your children’s ages, but your kid’s creativity and effort would surely mean a lot.
Is there a particular item or memory from your wedding that you could re-offer? A nicely framed photo from the wedding, maybe paired with a recent one? A nicer version of the necklace or earrings or whatever that she wore that day? A bouquet that replicates the one she carried?
Could you work with her parents and/or your own parents to have them share favorite memories of your married life together, your wedding, first meeting her, whatever… get these memories incorporated into a letter from them that you could give her in celebration of your family’s life together?
Beadalin has some great ideas, which prompted me to think of one.
She might enjoy a scrapbook of some sort. You could use the theme “Our First Ten Years” and start with wedding pictures and highlights of your life together since then. The kids could each have their own section, and if they’re old enough could be given their own page as a project for the book. This could also include the recollection of your parents, as recommended, and could be expanded to include notes from other family and friends about the two of you. A co-worker of mine celebrated an anniversary last year and her children put out a request for friends and family to do something similar to that, and then gave them to them at the party. It was really cool.
Here’s how much of a romantic I am, I forgot I started this thread.
I like the idea of a scrap book. I’m lazy and not very arts-and-crafty, but the effort would be appreciated. And since tin is the 10th anniversary (or so I hear), and my ife doesn’t drink beer, I’ll have to get one of those screw cap wine bottles. Caps are tin, right?
Mom’s scrapbooks never have anything but the pics and a line indicating when and where was the picture taken; sometimes (big family meets where you get a pic with somebody’s brother-in-law’s second cousing), who’s who.
It doesn’t have to be “arts and crafty”, specially since your wife isn’t into frills any more than you are.
It sounds awfully corny, but I’d say a hike and a picnic are in order. Preferrably near a beach, lake or river of some sort, and in a secluded spot.
Most of the women I’ve met who aren’t into romantic stuff still adore it when their guy goes all out for them on stuff like that. Me, personally, I’d kill the Tashaboy if he ever did something like buy me diamonds, but a shortish hike with a good picnic and some decent wine (if you’re not too far from camp, that is) and getting to be all alone with him tickles my fancy quite a bit, and I’m not the romantic type at all. Be sure to pack some of her favorite foods. Even better if you got her a good book to read for later.
Unless she’s the type that resents people taking care of her, I also suggest doing the ugly chores for camping - starting the fire, setting up the tent, getting the camp stove ready, hell, even doing the cooking yourself if you’re up to it. I love camping but those chores always annoy me, and when my boyfriend does them for me I’m thankful, especially because I know he doesn’t like doing them much either.
I really like the scrapbook idea, and I’m going to add to it a bit - if you can, get ahold of some friends and family members and have them write up a short blurb about how they felt that day, and how beautiful they thought you two looked together (especially her, of course). If there are pictures of them enjoying the reception or service, put those in there and put the blurb, in nice type, near it (if not, put a picture of you two eating cake, kissing, etc.). Be sure to put who said it. We did something kind of similar to this for my friend’s first wedding anniversary and they loved it, both of them.
I hope you guys have fun! You sound like an awfully considerate husband; she’s a lucky woman!
Thanks.