It goes without saying that long-distance relationships are tough. Celebrating a long-distance anniversary can be challenging to make special. No matter the physical distance between you and your partner, you can still make a long-distance anniversary memorable and romantic, and there are a lot of ways to do this other than just a traditional Facetime or Zoom date.
If there’s one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it’s that there are more ways than you think to connect with someone you love from far away. Lucky for you and your partner, we’ve gathered the best ways to make your anniversary special, regardless of the physical distance between you two.
We have seven unique ideas guaranteed to make this anniversary with your partner one you won’t forget. Whether you’re celebrating your one month or 20 years, these ideas are romantic, easy, and the best alternatives to what would ideally be an in-person celebration for you and your special someone. Long-distance anniversaries present a challenge but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most out of it… read on to get inspired!
#1: Surprise Your Partner by Ordering Dinner to Their Home
If you’re looking for a long-distance alternative to a dinner date, there are plenty of food delivery apps out there that make sending a meal to your partner easier than ever. This could work as either a surprise or a mutually planned date.
If you’re going for a sweet surprise, choose your preferred delivery service app (some popular ones include Doordash, Ubereats, and Grubhub), pick out your partner’s favorite restaurant, and have the food sent to their front door. The best part? You can leave a sweet note when it’s delivered, making it really feel like a gift. You know what they say: the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach!
If surprises aren’t really your thing, you can easily plan this out with your partner and order food for each other, have it delivered to your respective homes at around the same time, and eat together over facetime or Zoom so that it feels like you’re sharing a meal. If you want to take it a step further, order the same type of cuisine or meal, and it will be almost as if you are enjoying it together.
#2: Send Each Other Love Letters and Open Them Over Facetime
Ahhh, to be given a love letter on an anniversary… besides being in person with each other, what more could you ask for? Handwritten letters expressing your appreciation for someone is not only timeless, but it’s less conventional now in the era of DM’s and texting, which only makes a handwritten letter extra special. We believe that some things are just better left written down and communicating your love for someone over the phone can be difficult.
Opening the letters over Facetime is an idea, but we think opening them in private is just as intimate, too. Regardless, taking the time to sit down and write out a thoughtful message by hand, sealing the envelope, sending it off to your loved one, and the excitement of receiving one in return is truly an unmatched gesture.
The best part? You can save the letters forever, and when you’re reunited again soon, you can look back and reread the letter, reminiscing on the things you wrote to each other when you were apart.
#3: Gift a Lovebox to your Partner
If you’re unsure of what a Lovebox is, look no further. These were literally made for sending love from a distance, and it all started because a long-distance couple wanted a way to send messages to each other. It’s something that your partner will value and treasure forever.
Loveboxes are gorgeous, carefully crafted message devices that pair with an app that serves as a medium between you and your partner. Inside the Lovebox, you can find photos that your partner has sent, thoughtful messages, drawings, and you can send them right back.
It’s the perfect way to communicate with your partner in small ways, or just reminders that you’re thinking of them. Loveboxes serve as a way to keep your loved ones close to your heart, even when they are far away.
The Lovebox for Lovers is the sweetest gift for your soulmate, and the heart on the Lovebox will spin when you receive a message from your partner, reminding you that even though they may be far away, they are always with you.
We recommend sending your partner a Lovebox as an anniversary present because it will make the remainder of your long-distance relationship easier, and create another way for you to express your love from far away.
#4: If You Can’t Hand Them Flowers Yourself, Have Them Sent
Although handing flowers to your loved one yourself would be ideal, there are plenty of modern ways to gift flowers to them even when you’re far away. Did you know that there are actually online flower delivery services out there? And you can send them for an anniversary, a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or just because.
Sending flowers is a simple and thoughtful way to let your love know that you are thinking about them, and if you’re less of a letter writer, you can send flowers with a short and sweet note. Flowers are one of the easiest ways to bring a home to life, and what’s better than receiving flowers from the person you love most?
#5: Netflix and Chill… Sort Of
If you and your loved one are looking for a chill cozy long-distant date, look no further. Netflix and other streaming services like Hulu are a great way to have a remote movie night with your partner, thanks to Netflix Party, which allows you and your partner to watch the same TV or movie at the same time and react to it together. That way, you won’t be scrambling to press play at the same time and you won’t have to worry about revealing any spoilers.
This is a perfect option if you and your partner are celebrating a long-distance anniversary after a long day at work, and you both just want to get into bed and watch a good show or movie, without having to deal with all the fuss of organizing and coordinating a date that requires more planning and effort. By reacting to the movie or show at the same time, it will feel like they’re cuddled up right next to you.
If you enjoy doing this on your anniversary, turn it into a weekly date! You can pick a show that you both enjoy watching, and go through the episodes together so that you’re both caught up on it. That way, you will have watched an entire show together, and when you’re able to visit or when you’re reunited for good in the future, you can pick up right where you both left off.
#6: Play an Online Game With Each Other
Even some traditional board games that you may be used to playing at the dinner table with friends and family have moved online or onto apps, which makes it easier than ever to enjoy a game with your partner.
You could turn your anniversary into a game night, and each download a handful of apps, which is a fun activity for you both to do while you’re apart. After trying out each one and figuring out your favorites, it can become a weekly competition and a fun way to communicate besides texting and Facetiming.
To take it up a notch, use a trivia website or app and make trivia questions about your relationship, and quiz each other! For example, you could put your partner’s memory skills to the test by asking them questions such as, “What was the name of the restaurant where we had our first date?” or even open-ended questions like, “What was your first impression of me when we first met?” This can be either a silly or serious way to open up to each other about the most special parts of your relationship and the memories that are important to both of you.
#7: Show Up at Their Door
We know this technically doesn’t count as a long-distance date idea, but for our final idea, if possible, you could show up at their door and surprise them in person. While it’s not possible for many because of the distance and your schedules, it is the ultimate romantic gesture, and it is almost always worth the time and money spent traveling.
Of course, some people can’t stand the thought of being surprised and if your partner is one of those people, do not try this (they’ll be much happier with a Lovebox instead.) However, if you’ve never surprised your partner before, even if you’re only able to spend the night, there’s nothing like an extravagant romantic surprise to make an anniversary memorable.
To take it one step further, text them and tell them that you sent them some food and that it’s on their doorstep (see idea #1) and be waiting by the door with dinner. This is a sneaky way to incorporate a surprise and a romantic dinner date all in one.
Make That Anniversary Special
Now that you have a few ideas under your belt for how to make a long-distance anniversary special, you’re ready to get to planning. While all of these ideas would work in theory, it all depends on what you and your partner are going for, and the type of celebration you’re hoping to have.
These are our personal favs for making an anniversary special when there’s a physical distance between you and your loved one, but use these ideas as a jumping-off point… there are plenty of other ways to get creative for a long-distance date. And don’t get us wrong, we love a good ol’ fashioned facetime call, but for an anniversary, that’s really the bare minimum, and to make it extra special, we recommend at least trying out some of our ideas above.
Hopefully, you’ve been inspired by some of these ideas, and you can get to planning and discussing with your partner! At the end of the day, as long as you celebrate your anniversary in some fashion with your partner, whether it’s through sending letters, playing games, or sharing a virtual meal, it will be special. Remember, it’s less about what you do, but who you do it with.
Sources:
How to Celebrate Your Anniversary in a Long-Distance Relationship | Brides
Long Distance Anniversary Ideas & Milestones To Celebrate! | Lasting the Distance