Marriage Series: 8th Anniversary

Alabama, Arkansas
I do love my ma and pa
Not that way that I do love you

Well, holy moly, me oh my
You’re the apple of my eye
Girl, I’ve never loved one like you

Man, oh man, you’re my best friend
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain’t nothing I need

Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
Ain’t nothing please me more than you

Oh, home, let me come home
Home is wherever I’m with you
Oh, home, let me come home
Home is wherever I’m with you

La, la, la, la, take me home
(Daddy) Mother, I’m coming home…

Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

8 amazing years have passed since you both spoke the words ‘I do’.   Time flies and what a ride it has been in sharing love, loyalty, and joy for 96 months and with an unwavering commitment to sustaining a healthy marriage.  Of course, rough patches have appeared along the way, only to test your staying power and allegiance to the team.  To mark your special day of honoring eight years allows you both the opportunity to acknowledge, reaffirm and celebrate love and marriage.

The back-story to Anniversary Gift Giving

Traditions of giving or exchanging specific anniversary gifts date back to the Middle Ages where the major milestone anniversaries were celebrated solely among the wealthy who could afford to gift precious metals.  A wife of nobility would receive a silver wreath from her husband on their 25th anniversary.  Or for those few couples fortunate with longevity, a gold wreath on the 50th

More milestone anniversary years were added during the Victorian Age.  As traditional gender roles dictated, presents to the wife were standard practice.  Due to the growth of commercialism in the early 20th Century (persuasively marketed by Hallmark and jewelers industry), an exhaustive anniversary years list was expanded with symbolic gifts and themes for every year of matrimony.

8th Anniversary Traditional and Modern Symbols and Themes

There are actually two lists for couples interested in following customs: the traditional list and the modern list.  The traditional list records gifts for every year up to anniversary fifteen, then every five years after.  The modern list is considered a catalog of more functional gifts and is listed every year up to the 50th Anniversary, then adhering to the traditional schedule of every five years.

The comprehensive anniversary gift lists not only documents the corresponding anniversary gift, it also catalogs the colors, flowers and jewelry associated with the particular year.   As expected, the longer a couple is together, gifts increase in worth rewarding stability of the marriage

Traditional:   (United States) Bronze and Pottery; (United Kingdom) Salt

The metal make-up of Bronze is comprised of the combination of two metals, tin and copper equaling a stronger material just as each mate is stronger together.  Pottery’s finished product is a hard shell produced from soft clay again representing strength and the ability to endure.

Salt is the traditional symbol of the eighth anniversary in the United Kingdom.  Salt represents being essential to life.

Modern:  Linens, Lace

Delicate fabrics described as beautiful and elegant, yet resilient same as a wedding couple’s wondrous devotion  of being committed to each other.

Colors: Blue, Violet, or Bronze
Flower:   Lilac and Clematis
Gemstone:  Tourmaline, Tanzanite, Bronze

Luxury Ideas to Consider

Any of these suggestions range from more practical items to indulgent selections. 

§  Embroidered linen bed sheets and pillow with your names and wedding date.

§  Beautiful linen clothing gifts:  Dress shirts for him in classic colors of white, blue, or tan or sexy comfortable linen pants for a casual day.  For her, anything in linen or lace will be most pleasing, especially a set of lace lingerie to call on her boudoir alter ego!

§  Surround your home with linen scented candles or diffusers.

§  Bronze Jewelry or accessories (charms, cufflinks, money holders, bracelets, etc.)  made out of bronze stamped with a loving message to your mate, eight tick marks, or the date of your wedding.

§  Jewelry designed with the anniversary gemstones of Tourmaline or Tanzanite

§  Serve breakfast in bed with a bouquet vase of lilacs from your ga

§  A couple’s hobby of pottery making in your home as a form of expression, relaxation, and de-stressing or reservations to your local pottery and ceramic class for private or small group lessons.

§  Pottery Class Destinations – as heartbreaking as 2020, individuals used the downtime to get in touch with their creativity as a way to deal with mental health and wellness.  Once traveling has returned to some type of normalcy, perhaps as a couple, continuing with the theme of pottery, plan a private wellness retreat at a pottery destination to learn how to create a unique handmade object would be most apropos in giving homage to 8 years of intimate togetherness.

§  Bath Detox Salts such as Therapie’s Himalayan Detox Salts , a blend of salts, crystal powders, and essential oils or Digital Detox consisting of two ingredients French green clay and sea salt.  Both products should be used for long, immersive baths. 

§  Or perhaps plan for a weekend holiday for two at your favorite spa destination to coincide with your anniversary date either within the States or as more borders open explore luxurious spa retreats in more exotic regions of the world.

§  Incorporate an anniversary weekend trip to Chicago and visit either the bronze sculpture exhibit in Chicago at the historic Field Museum or the Art Institute of Chicago featuring a mix of contemporary and  classic including the works of Master sculptor Auguste Rodin along with other masters offering a collection of materials including bronze, stone, and terracotta.   -AJ

Other thoughts on elevated the 8th Anniversary?… please share them in the comment section below or on Twitter!

Thank you to these sites for the wealth of information of anniversary ideas:

Pictures of lingerie are from the retailer Victress

The Knot

Beau Satchelle express our appreciation to these photographers’ contributions to this blog:

Merry Christmas from Pixabay – Bronze Birdie Couple

Sara Graves –  Tanzanite semi precious gemstone

Sabrinna Ringquist – Emerald Cut Watermelon Tourmaline Semi-precious gemstone

Darla-Yakovleva – Lilac bouquet

Craig Hellier –  Clematis Vines

Fahad Waseem – Lace Lingerie

Joseph Mucira – Linen Bedding

Anne Nygård – Pottery Wheel

Laura Adai – Contemporary Sculpture by Italian Artist Franco Nodo

Diana Tobosaru – Choker with Bronze artwork

Photoholgic – time for a soak

Hans Brazmeier – Couples Sculpture

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