Celebrating Wedding Anniversaries

September 18, 2024

When a wedding anniversary comes around, what do you do to celebrate? It probably depends on
the family stage you are in, your economic resources, and whether extended family is around.

In our earlier schooling years, Barb and I made homemade anniversary cards for each other.
After I started getting a salary, we would go out on a date. The last decade or so, we’ve gone on
a three-day, two-night excursion. To keep it simple and harmonious, we take turns deciding
where to go and what to do. This year, we’re celebrating closer to the Rocky Mountains, from
September 19-21, and plan to do some exploring. Although our anniversary is in December, we
decided to celebrate early to avoid heavy snow.

Last year we celebrated our 50 th anniversary. Hard to believe. I thought these only happened to a
few people who moved around slowly with walkers or wheelchairs and had white hair. Did you
hear about the girl who asked her mother, “Where do your white hairs come from?” Her mother
answered, “Every time you cause trouble, I get another white hair.” After pondering a bit, the girl
asked, “Why does grandma have all white hair?”

We celebrated our 50 th anniversary two ways. In the summer, we were in Alaska for a few days
and then took a seven-day cruise back southeast. In December we hosted a light lunch at the
Albuquerque church we were serving, as our family could not be with us.

Such celebrations are precious. They may involve money for special events, time to organize,
and effort to involve others. That extra exertion indicates the value of marriage, just as it did
when you were first married.

Anniversary celebrations remind me of two passages:

• “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”
  (Proverbs 5:18) – This portrays someone older remembering the joy of getting married
  and it calls us to continued joy and refreshment in the same person. As many of us know,
  our love deepens and matures over the years.
• “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” (Proverbs
  18:22) – Having a spouse is considered a blessing from God. It’s good to remember that our mate is a personal gift from God.

Here is a partial list of possible ways to celebrate a wedding anniversary:

1. Celebrate with family and friends. Marriage is a public matter, not just private. Family and
   friends have a vested interest in your marriage. This is a way for them to show support and
   share the joy.
2. Express what drew you to your spouse, what you have discovered about your spouse, and
   what you appreciate. This could be done verbally or in writing.
3. Perhaps renew your vows to each other. Such reenactment helps cement the relationship of
   the married couple, to keep going strong together.
4. Do something different and special, just the two of you. Do something you both enjoy, where
   you won’t be distracted by work or people. Perhaps share your joys over the years. Maybe
   relate your memories of each year or decade of marriage.
5. Honor God. Thank and praise God for bringing you together and for carrying you through the
   years. Ask God to continue holding onto your hearts and your relationship.

I would like to hear about your anniversary celebrations. And I appreciate your ideas on how to
celebrate an anniversary. May God bless each of you in all your relationships to others, and
especially in your relationship with Christ.

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