The Baby Boom generation has put its stamp on many traditions, so why should 25th wedding anniversaries be different? Many couples are ditching convention when it comes to marking the milestone.
“When they get to these more dramatic occasions, so many couples want to do something exciting and different,” says Charles Schmitz of St. Louis. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are marriage counselors and authors, most recently of “How to Marry the Right Guy” (Briarcliff, 2014). “They don't want to go to their favorite Italian restaurant.”
Celebrating your 25th in a meaningful way doesn't require big expenditures or elaborate staging, says Pepper Schwartz, a University of Washington-Seattle sociologist who works with AARP's Life Reimagined program.
Here are some ideas:
Change things up at home. That could mean anything from stringing celebratory lights outside to sprucing up the house. Paint the bedroom wall or rearrange your living room furniture. It doesn't matter what, as long as it's something that says, this changed on our 25th.
Do something especially romantic at home. Read poetry to each other by candlelight, for instance. Or have your favorite food for dinner, even if it involves marshmallows.
Mark the day permanently. Inscribe a small plaque with the date and occasion, and put it on a piece of outdoor furniture. Or have a professional photo taken of the two of you. Write your names in a slab of wet cement.
Have a day of service — to each other. If you usually cook and your spouse mows the lawn, switch jobs for the day. Neither of you will get off scot free, but the effort shows you're willing to help carry the burden.
Have a day of service — to others. Do something charitable, whether it's making a donation somewhere or serving dinner at a shelter. It's nice to be reminded after 25 years how good we have it.
Learn something new together. It doesn't matter what: speaking French, tending to bonsai trees, restoring cars, learning massage therapy. When not in class, you can study together, and eventually apply your new skills.
Start an annual tradition. Planting a tree, say, or going to a pottery place to make an anniversary plate. Not only do you and your spouse get a shared experience year after year but, depending on the activity, you could create a collection of mementoes, too.
If you're going to travel, make it an adventure. Hike the Grand Tetons, go whitewater rafting or learn to scuba dive.
