Celebrating a Gay Wedding Anniversary: Tips and Trends
Relationship Advice | April 17, 2019
As gay marriage has become more accepted and legalized around the world, it is appropriate to simply refer to it as “marriage.” Same-sex couples in Canada were granted legal benefits of marriage in 1999, but gay couples have been making symbolic marital commitments to one another for far longer. Some couples might be celebrating for one year, some 30 years. No matter the timespan, an anniversary for a gay couple is a milestone to celebrate!
What day should we celebrate?
Because some gay couples have likely been committed to each other for longer than they could be legally married, they may choose to celebrate a different day. Some mark the date as the first day they said, “I love you”, or the date they moved in together. Other couples may go the more traditional route and mark the day of their legal union as the day to honour their relationship. Couples may even choose to celebrate two dates: a date when a relationship began and a wedding date, once marriage was possible. The best way to find out what date your couple is celebrating is to ask!
Traditional, modern, or something completely different?
Some couples may participate in the traditional yearly gifts, such as paper in year one, as made popular by Emily Post, an author that wrote on etiquette. These items often reflected practical items that couples could use to outfit their household. This long-revered list has since been updated to reflect more “modern” themes that same-sex couples may appreciate.
The LGBT community continues to debate if couples should follow the traditional wedding anniversary gifts or to forge ahead and create new traditions unique to their community. Opinions are many and varied, but consensus rallies around honouring the couple or your partner with a gift that will make them feel appreciated and loved.
What kind of gifts work for gay couples?
Finding anniversary gifts for gay couples can be tricky. Many gifts are geared towards male/female relationships without considering the diversity of couples out there. Here are some tips and ideas:
- Consider gifts that will work for same-sex relationships, such as items branded with “Mr. and Mr.” or “Hers and Hers”.
- Practical gifts for a couple’s household are always a good choice.
- A nice bottle of wine or a gift card to the couple’s favourite restaurant is an appreciated sentiment.
- Handmade gifts are a thoughtful way to celebrate love.
A New Day
As society continues to embrace same-sex marriage, we will see the gift industry develop and include specialty gay and lesbian wedding anniversary gifts. To date, there are no established traditions and it’s anticipated that an entirely new set of norms will be created as we consider that love is love across same- and opposite-sex marital unions.
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