Life is a whole lot busier with kids in the mix, but these couples traditions will keep the love alive in the chaos. These traditions are a mix of romance, silliness, and practical ideas.
This post is all about finding the perfect couples traditions for you and your spouse to make wonderful memories.
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How Many Couples Traditions Should You Have?
While this list may have 11 different couples traditions on it, I definitely don’t recommend you try to do them all. If you choose too many, these traditions will start to feel more like chores than special romantic moments. I suggest you choose from 3 or 4 traditions to try so you can keep up with them and actually enjoy them.
Couples Traditions We Love
Buy an anniversary candle
One of my favorite traditions my husband and I have is having an anniversary candle we light every year. My husband had ours out when we came home from our wedding but you could easily start this tradition on any anniversary. Then, light it each year on your anniversary and have dinner, dance together, or let it light up your bedroom while you do some horizontal dancing.
Have an annual vision date
An annual vision date will look different depending on your finances and what stage of life you are in right now. It might look like a full on “business” trip, or an at home date night talking with ice cream, or planning out the year with an annual calendar, or even making an actual vision board on a cork board.
Talk about what is most motivating for each of you and find the best way that you can dream together. Because for some reason, dreaming together will not only support your goals but it will also make you fall even more in love.
Get up and have coffee together on holidays
Holidays with kids are an absolute blast but it’s no secret that they definitely get chaotic quickly. So, why not start the day slowly. On days like Christmas, Easter, birthdays, etc. where you have a lot of family activities planned, try getting up before your kids to have coffee with your spouse. You’ll get in that quality time that you probably wouldn’t otherwise and you’ll also start the day fully caffeinated too.
Write anniversary letters to each other each year
When you’re dating, you’re far more likely to write those random love letters or long text messages to tell the other person how much you love having them in your life. But, once you get married, it’s very easy to get wrapped up in all there is to do and forget to remind each other about why you fell in love.
Anniversary letters are a fun way to remind each other how much you mean to each other and talk about all that has happened in the past year. You can even sit with your spouse and write these letters next to each other while you sip on some wine. Then exchange letters and see where life takes you from there.
Have an annual getaway
If you’re about to skip over this one cause you think we must have lots of money to burn, don’t. Our budget is tight too and our annual getaways aren’t week long resort trips. They are usually nothing more than a weekend spent in a cheap hotel. We spend the weekend finding local hikes, finding yummy local food, talking about the past year and the year ahead, and connecting in ways that are difficult to do with kids around.
It’s not fancy. It’s nothing crazy. It’s just time away from it all to focus on our relationship and goals together. And it’s something that keeps our relationship strong when the busy seasons hit. Travel traditions for couples might seem extra at first, but it truly is a game changer to marriage after kids.
Dance in the first snow
After my husband and I got married, the song “Dance with Me,” by Niko Moon came out. To this day, we’d both tell you it would have been our first dance song if it had existed when we got married. So, every winter on the first snow, we go outside and dance together. It’s one of my all time favorite traditions.
If you live somewhere hot where you can’t dance in the first snow, maybe try dancing at sunset or sunrise on the first day of summer, the day you guys met, or even your anniversary. Regardless of when you do it, dancing will always be one of the most romantic traditions for couples.
Take the same photo every year
After a friend of mine got married on a beach pier, her and her husband took a picture on that pier every single anniversary. They show up on that pier with different pets, pregnancies, kids, etc. and get to watch as their family changes. It’s one of the best easy yearly traditions for couples.
Have weekly / monthly / yearly meetings
Most fights in marriage happen when you aren’t on the same page as your spouse. So, while it may sound silly, touching base on a regular basis can make all the difference. You’ll fight less, get more done, and have more time to spend with each other if you are on top of everything else going on.
Start by touching base every Saturday or Sunday and talk about the week ahead. You can sit down with your calendars and write everything out or just talk in bed so you both have a general idea of what the week will look like. Then, add a monthly meeting before each month starts to get on the same page for any events that might be coming, budgeting that needs discussed, or projects that need to get done.
And finally, add on your annual meeting. This is where you’ll talk about the past year and dream about the one to come. So, grab a cork board and create your own vision board together for the next year. Or grab an annual calendar and start scheduling all the craziness to come.
Turn grocery shopping into a date
Busy seasons will happen in marriage, especially once kids come around. So, in the chaos of playdates or sports practices, you have to find time and make ordinary moments special. One way that we like to do that is turning grocery shopping at Sam’s Club or Costco into a pizza and ice cream date. And now that our kids come along with us, it’s a tradition that’s all the more special.
Have a weekly date night
Most fights in marriage happen when you aren’t on the same page as your spouse. So, while it may sound silly, touching base on a regular basis can make all the difference. You’ll fight less, get more done, and have more time to spend with each other if you are on top of everything else going on.
Start by touching base every Saturday or Sunday and talk about the week ahead. You can sit down with your calendars and write everything out or just talk in bed so you both have a general idea of what the week will look like. Then, add a monthly meeting before each month starts to get on the same page for any events that might be coming, budgeting that needs discussed, or projects that need to get done.
And finally, add on your annual meeting. This is where you’ll talk about the past year and dream about the one to come. So, grab a cork board and create your own vision board together for the next year. Or grab an annual calendar and start scheduling all the craziness to come.
Find fun new ways to say I love you
When we were dating, my husband started double squeezing my hand randomly and said his double squeeze meant, “I love you.” We started doing it during difficult moments with family or moments we didn’t have words but wanted to be there for the other. Plus, now that non verbal, “I love you,” is something our kids know and love too.
This post was all about couples traditions that are simple yet special, perfect to keep romance amidst the chaos of kids.
-Beautifully Busy Mom
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Meet the Author
Hi, I’m Monica! I’m a former teacher turned stay at home mom of three! I started this blog after feeling very lonely at the beginning of my motherhood journey. My goal is that no other moms would feel the way that I felt. So, this blog is filled with free resources, fun activities, and answers to the not so easy questions. That way, you can enjoy the beautiful chaos that is motherhood. Let’s be friends 🙂
