C'mon, it's the one day of the year where creativity counts. Blow your partner's mind with these cool suggestions-by-budget:
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Make a book of the highlights of your life together as a hitched couple. Paste in pictures, starting with your wedding day, followed by trips, holidays, and moving into your first house. Fill it in with candids and cute quotes. Leave blank pages in the back so you can load up with new memories next year.
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Picnic at the spot where you got engaged. If it's so unique that you can't go back in a day's trip, re-create the moment closer to home. Proposed in France? Pack up a baguette, brie, and olives, and head to a secluded spot. Said yes at a vineyard across the coast? Order one of its wines online and toast to another happy year.
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Have a spa day right in your own home. Pour your favorite bubbles in the tub, break out your favorite bubbly (maybe the one you enjoyed on your wedding day), and make a toast to the little things you've accomplished this year as a couple.
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Splurge on a honeymoon-style dinner. If you went to Puerto Vallarta, check out an authentic Mexican restaurant where you can dig in to your favorite meals from your most romantic trip. Or if you visited in the Greek isles, find a Mediterranean bistro and order all the feta you can handle.
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For the ultimate foodie couple, skip an overpriced dinner out and take a cooking class together. Not only is it a fun way to bond, you'll walk away with tons of recipes you can make for special occasions. Check out local community colleges for classes.
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Go dancing. Okay, it doesn't have to be
Dancing With the Stars, but twirling and dipping can make you feel like a bride and groom again. Whether you prefer live jazz, salsa, or swing, let it all hang loose. See if they'll play your wedding song...why not?
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Score a weekend away at a secluded B and B that's close enough to home that you don't spend hours traveling in the car. Take along a basket of munchies and vino.
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Hightail it to an exotic locale. Your honeymoon shouldn't have to be your only romantic vacation! If your spouse likes surprises, pack both bags and don't reveal any details until you're at the airport.
-- Natalie Ermann Russell