Anniversaries can be overrated. Boring even. An event you sort of have to acknowledge even though you don't really see why you should. After all, it's been a while.
In the sea of never-ending calendar event reminders, emails, and notifications we all see flashing on our screens every single day, it's easy to let the important things in life slip by unnoticed. Your parents' 46th anniversary for example, could be such an event.
Nonetheless, at their very core, anniversaries are a small yet paramount reminder of a rare thing: two loving hearts and souls that decided to come together and stay that way for the long haul. More importantly, they put in the work to make it happen.
If it is your parents' anniversary that is coming up or even your own, there is a ridiculously simple way to make it an unforgettable celebration using nothing more than a few photographs, whether analog or digital, and a photo scanner app. Here are 7 quick steps to breath new life into your next anniversary:
1. GATHER SOME WEDDING AND DATING PHOTOGRAPHS
This should be easy enough. Maybe you'll be a bit short on pre-wedding photos, but wedding day photographs are a safe enough bet. If you live far away from the couple, try to pull some extended family strings and ask other family members to help - sometimes it's that distant cousin of yours that ends up having the best photos of your parents....
2. GET YOUR SCANNING GROOVE ON
Use a photo scanner app to turn the physical photographs into digital files - try the Photomyne app (free on iOS and Android) for this, as it is especially suited for quickly scanning multiple photographs in one shot. Alternatively, feel free to use any other photo digitization app of your choice.
Make sure the digitized photos are readily accessible on your phone, or better yet, on your laptop (simply email the photo files to yourself). More on that later on.
3. NAIL DOWN A TIME AND DATE FOR THE OCCASION
If the couple itself hasn't made any special plans for the event (e.g. a festive dinner at a restaurant, a weekend getaway, etc.), hurry up and set up an at-home family get-together. Try and secure a date that is at least three months ahead of time.
4. THE DAY OF - 2 HOURS PRE-EVENT
Assuming you have access to the couple's house, go inside and hook up your laptop to the TV in the living room (but keep your laptop's display off). If you don't have a key to the house you'll have think of creative (yet legitimate) ways to enter the place while the couple is out.
5. CARRY ON WITH THE USUAL CELEBRATION
This part is essential: you must act as if this is just another anniversary celebrated by the family. Eat the food, drink the wine, make a toast, have a few laughs.
6. WHEN IT'S TIME FOR DESSERT, SUGGEST THE LIVING ROOM
Now it's showtime! Invite everyone to have dessert and coffee in the living room. Make sure the couple in question gets the prime seats. Turn on the TV, and start showing the photo you scanned.
7. GET TISSUE PAPER READY, AND SHED A TEAR YOURSELF
This is bound to cause a heart-warming, emotional reaction. Just take a little bit of nostalgia, add lots of love and you get an anniversary bonanza the couple will never forget.
*The lovely wedding photos in this post have been shared with Photomyne by various (very kind) users.
