Inspiration needed for ten year wedding anniversary in 2021

Kpo

This is a long shot, I've always loved film and stories, some of my favourites are The Prestige, breaking bad, prison break, Mr Robot, Saw, Now you See me, to name a few.

You know that feeling you get when so much planning and detail has been put into a story? Or a plot trist happens but the clues have been in the film the whole time?

Ok well this story is about me, and my wedding anniversary. In 2011, the day before i got married, i gave my wife a locked tin box with a letter. She was instructed to hold onto the letter until our 10th anniversary.

She'll get the key to the box on our tenth anniversary. Which is 2021.

The letter she was given, in UV ink, has a 4 digit code written on it. In the locked box is a dvd i made before our wedding, a snapshot in time of how we were back then etc if you will. Locked in time, and various sentimental items. Also a UV torch to see the code.

Ok so i had alot of imagination but never actually got to a plan for what the code is for. I imagined a mysterious safe that she'll recieve, and she needs to code to get into the safe, but i dont know what to put into the safe, i have a budget of £1000. But a piece of jewellery feels like an anticlimax, like it should be more than that.

We have kids so a secret escape would be too hard. I basically need a grand idea which embeds the requirement for a code. I liked the film The Game but it would be hard to replicate the idea in the real world. Although i have considered hiring actors for this grand plan, i just dont know in what capacity.

Basically this plan is as much about story telling than it is a wedding gift plan.

Any ideas how to complete this story?

honeypop

I love this so far, well done, and great planning ahead!

Since you've already started a theme of 'how you were', sentimental items etc, how about something that links to each of the ten years of marriage, so there might be a particular moment, trip, night out, special occasion, just a funny moment that you remember fondly, from each year and think she will too. A highlight of each year.
So either an actual item you have (if you're the keeping of ticket stubs/receipts kind of person, or perhaps a photo), or something you can get now that will make her remember the occasion, or a trip back to wherever it was etc.

If you're feeling particularly like you want it to be 'game' like, you could include clues to what each memory is, I imagine some could be quite obscure but a certain phrase or something would mean she knew what you were on about.

Kpo

Thanks for the quick reply, i like that theme, perhaps like a photo book of sorts, unfortunately i dont have any items from over the years such as ticket stubs, but ideas like this help inspire me, just like films helped inspire the initial idea.

swingaloo

I think its absolutely lovely that you have done so far.

Could you perhaps get a lovely eternity ring and arrange to renew your vows as a surprise (and don't forget the letter and box for in another ten years time).

Kpo

Hi ^^^

Thanks for the reply, really appreciate it,, i am wary of rings for two reasons, firstly, it would be really hard to get her current ring size, the wedding ring is tight and she needs to go to a shop to get a proper measurement, for me to be able to get her to do this without raising suspicion would be very hard.

Secondly, i spent alot of money on the engagement / wedding ring set, but in all honesty since having kids, half the time she loses the ring. Ive brought alot of jewellery over the years but it kinda loses meaning i guess, sorry i hope that makes sense.

I had considered a wedding type renewing vowes. Ok i will be honest, we've had our ups and downs, family and working life takes its toll, and this was a big reason i made the dvd of us young and responsibility free to watch after ten years . I foresore that we would be very different now. Becoming parents of course massively changed us.

I like the idea of renewing vowes, but i think i would like to do that later down the line, maybe 15th of 20th anniversary, when my son is older and can be my best man.

Thanks though all ideas are appreciated and help me get inspiration

Artytarty

Are you sure she still has the box?
I would find looking at our old selves, our hopes and dreams for the future very upsetting because life seldom works out how we plan it.
What I would appreciate is some new memories, not a valuable gift but perhaps something along the lines of letters detailing your new found love , your love for the family you have created and hopes for the future.
Of course you know your wife best !

swingaloo

What about having a lovely watch with something engraved on it about how your marriage has stood the test of time.

Im on a mission now!

happyandcontented

What about it being a code to a safety deposit box and in it tickets to a luxury weekend away (planned ahead) maybe a treehouse escape or something similar where you can be alone and just reconnect without the distractions of everyday life.

Or you could arrange with a luxury hotel to embed the keycode to a special room already decorated for her.

Intriguing idea!

Kpo

Hi, thanks for commenting. Yes she has the box, its kept in our bedroom.

I appreciate your view on how reflection on who we we were vs how life turned out can be upsetting, i agree to some extent, at the same time i feel its important to remember who we were and how we've grown i guess, especially before kids

Artytarty

I also get that and I think the watch is a lovely idea.
It's something that can worn and admired more often than a lot of jewellery.
A really good watch is a good call in my book.

Kpo

I like the watch idea and how it links to time, engraving it (which links to the tin box which i had engraved) that's really great and a watch can be kept as a keep sake, plus her dad passed away two years ago and he was a watch maker!


Sorry guys for some reason i cant qoute and reply to individual responses

The safety deposit box idea, thats a good one, relates to the code and the idea about a luxery room. I considered it, but, as its next year, i cant book holiday time off yet and it puts things at risk in respect to going away, plus my kids are still young and clingy to be away overnight, well my youngest is. So kinda trying to avoid things like that as so many obstacles and factors outside my control