Survey says forgetting anniversaries is common, but not OK.
I came across an article this morning that says “82% of people (mostly men) have forgotten their anniversary at some point in a relationship and that 68% of people said they’d end a relationship if their partner forgot their anniversary or a special relationship milestone.” It’s an interesting article and shares some useful findings. Here is the link if you want to check it out. You know I like to focus on positives though. So for our purposes, I thought it might be helpful to look at a few easy tips to remember your wedding anniversary and other relationship milestones.
Two Tips to help you remember your wedding anniversary
Let’s start with just a couple of easy tips to remember your wedding anniversary. Here are two options you might consider:
1) Choose a wedding date that is easy to remember.
Dates that don’t change or that are somehow sequential can help you more easily remember your anniversary. Examples of dates that don’t change are:
A holiday that doesn’t change – Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, etc;
Solstice/Equinox dates – you’re looking at one of four (3/21, 6/21, 9/21 or 12/21);
Dates with the same month number – 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 4/4, 5/5, 6/6, 7/7, 8/8, 9/9, 10/10, 11/11, 12/12 (some of these are holidays and one of these is my wedding anniversary);
Sequential month/date numbers – 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5, 5/6 (you get the idea);
Double dates – 1/2, 2/4, 3/6, 4/8, 5/10, 6/12, 7/14, 8/16, 9/18, 10/20, 11/22, 12/24;
Palindrome dates (April, 2024) – 4/20/24, 4/21/24, 4/22/24, 4/23/24, 4/25/24, 4/26/24, 4/27/24, 4/28/24 and 4/29/24. According to the Farmers Almanac, between 2025 and 2029, each year will have 11 palindrome dates, with 10 being consecutive. These will occur in April in 2024, May in 2025, June in 2026, July in 2027, August in 2028, and September in 2029.
2) Celebrate monthaversaries.
This is my personal favorite and I always encourage my couples to do this. Your monthaversary occurs each month on the date that matches the date of your wedding. If you were married on December 12, your monthaversary is on the 12th of every month. To celebrate your monthaversary, might be something as simple and meaningful like leaving a handwritten note for your loved one, perhaps leaving a card in their lunch, or cooking a special homemade dinner or dessert together. This does two things: it keeps the romance and magic alive throughout the year AND if you’re celebrating every month on the same date (your monthaversary), you’re more likely to remember your anniversary. (And…just as a quick aside, if I’m your wedding officiant, I won’t let you forget. As your Celebrant for LifeTM , I send reminders.)
Three additional tips to help you remember your wedding anniversary and other relationship milestones
Here are three other helpful tips that Maria Sullivan, Vice-president of Dating.com, offers for remembering anniversaries and birthdays:
3. Set Calendar Reminders to help you remember your anniversaries and birthdays.
“Put anniversary and birthday reminders in your work calendar. Set additional alerts a month and a couple of weeks ahead of time as reminders to buy a card or small gift or to make a reservation. These reminders will help you not only remember the big day but also be prepared for it. If your partner means well and would like to plan something, but is likely to forget the date, you can put reminders in their phone and computer as well, and let technology do the work for you.”
4. Start planning early.
“If you leave things to the last minute, it can be noticeable to your partner, and stressful to you. If you want to avoid disappointing your partner, plan at least a month to a few weeks in advance for a stress-free day.”
5. Incorporate traditions into your anniversary celebrations.
“Incorporate traditions into your anniversary celebrations. If you’re having trouble coming up with something creative, make a plan to do something you remember you both like. For example, go to your favorite bar or restaurant – someplace familiar that you know you’ll both look forward to revisiting.”
OR…
Another, completely different option is to agree together to not celebrate anniversaries at all. If one or both of you have difficulty remembering dates, and a lot of folks do, you can skip trying to remember to celebrate on a specific date and just celebrate your relationship whenever you want to.
Whatever you decide to do, remember to talk about it and decide together. If I can support you in any way, please let me know.
About Chanelle
Chanelle Carlin is Your Celebrant for LifeTM. She is an ordained minister, professional wedding officiant, coach, and owner of Chanelle Carlin Weddings, LLC. Chanelle believes that life and love should be celebrated every minute. She collaborates with couples who’ve already started building the foundations of their relationship over the years and are now ready to venture forth into marriage with a custom, memorable (for all the right reasons) elopement/intimate wedding ceremony. As your Celebrant for Life TM, Chanelle also celebrates all the special milestones and moments that matter in each of her couples’ lives. She lives with her family in rural Okanogan County, Washington, USA, and totally LOVES her life. You can visit Chanelle at www.chanellecarlin.com, on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.