WTF Are 5 Fun COVID-Friendly Anniversary Date Ideas to Catch Your Partner By Surprise
Date ideas more elevated than Netflix and a walk
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In your everlasting relationship, one of you is getting too comfortable showing up to date night in sweatpants and the other one is plating another loaf of homemade banana bread in a gown.
Whatever habit you’ve decided to pick up during COVID, your partner has decided, for better or for worse, to continue loving you for you. AND YOU’RE FULLY AWARE.
You’re also aware that your anniversary is coming up, and that you have no idea what to do! Before your premature guilt sets in, let’s explore some COVID-friendly date ideas first!
All Aboard the Sushi Train!
Our sushi train set-up, inspired by our dinner date at Blue C Sushi (Seattle)
Most Vancouverites thrive on two things: fresh sushi and passable coffee. Take that money you saved from not buying a latte everyday on that nonexistent commute to work (#wfhclub) and use it to elevate your anniversary dinner.
Yes, I am talking about serving that takeout sushi that your significant other loves so much on a sushi train . Let that train ride straight to your partner’s heart/gut.
2. Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride
See Stanley Park from a whole new perspective!
Horse-drawn carriage rides are not only reserved for fairytale moments. As WTF Hubby showed me on our second date, they’re great for breaking up the monotony that comes from walking the seawall for the upteenth time!
Bundle up (hello, sharp seawall wind) and whisk your partner away on a Stanley Park Horse-drawn carriage. Then grab a romantic dinner and make signature cocktails together to wrap up the evening.
(To make your date as COVID-friendly as possible, clear plexiglass was installed between every row on carriages and there’s no sharing rows with strangers)
3. At-Home Planetarium
WTF Hubby and I thought we could walk to the Griffith Observatory from La Brea… nope!
If you two have visited the Griffith Observatory and sat where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone shared a tender moment in La La Land, this one’s for you.
Charm you partner under a star-lit night sky while staying cozy indoors. Depending on your DIY level, this can mean anything from building your own planetarium and projecting a movie under your dome or concocting an at-home float spa and projecting constellations onto your ceiling.
Here are some materials to get you started on your ambitious date!
4. Recreate Your First Date
Think hard: Do you remember the moment you fell in love with your partner?
Instead of writing it in a card, turn it into a date and relive it! Assuming this moment was during a time before COVID, you might need to tweak it to make it work, or for safety reasons.
And now, the story that no one asked for!
I chose to recreate our third date for our anniversary last year, because that’s when I knew WTF Hubby was my forever person. I remember thinking it was so thoughtful that he asked me when I ate dinner and made reservations to my favourite French restaurant with that time in mind (unlike the other guy!).
On this date, we chose a Lego set together at The Granville Island Toy Company, put it together over beignets and coffee at 49th Parallel & Lucky’s Doughnuts, and headed to our dinner reservation at Absinthe.
Our 2020 version of this date was an amazing takeout dinner from Absinthe and playing Lego underneath a blanket fort with string lights after dinner.
5. Crated With Love
Credits: Crated With Love
Say goodbye to sad, redundant dates forever. Crated With Love is the gift that keeps on giving.
Surprise your partner with a monthly subscription date night box, delivered right to your door! Does anyone else recognize the genius in this? I’m not even sponsored by CWL, and I already love what they stand for.
Each month, a brand new theme and a new date night adventure awaits! One-time boxes are also available if you want to try first before you commit.
Adding this one to our wedding gift registry! Just saying.
Anniversaries just hit differently, don’t they?
Sometimes, surprising your partner with an elevated date night might really mean making a small change to an activity you both love and being fully present with each other.
Whatever you have planned for this special occasion, good luck!
Remember to subscribe to wtfbride.com for new date ideas, or share your favourite anniversary date in the comments section. I would love to hear from you!