We knew we wanted to do something that would help to strengthen their marriage, and be a great gift for them, but also be affordable for us. So we decided that a date night would be a perfect idea!
So, with the help of a bunch sorority sisters (and a few boys) we put together 12 months of pre-paid, pre-planned dates to get them through their first year of marriage together. Each person took a month, planned a date, and put into an envelope everything that was needed for that particular date- we tried to keep anniversaries, birthday's, seasons, and important life events in mind while doing this. Each envelope had everything needed for that date, including gas cards, gift cards, and whatever silly things might be necessary for that date. Also included in the envelope was a letter from the planner for that month. So on the first of each month, they would go and open that month's envelope, read the letter that explained the date, then plan the perfect time to have that date that month.
Our hope was to take away the excuses that come up in marriage in regards to alone time together. We took away the worry that they didn't have money for a nice date this month, or the lack of creativity that sinks in with marriage. We tried to set them up for an amazing year of togetherness and love. And hopefully create a habit of taking time for each other.
So many of my sisters helped with this, and I couldn't have gotten it together without them. It turned out so beautifully when we put all the envelopes into the baskets. And Amanda loved it!
If you would like a list of some of the date ideas we used, please email me at Claire.M.Grimm@gmail.com as Amanda and Don have only gotten through the first few months, and I do not want to spoil the surprises that await them :)
