Planning an Anniversary Celebration During COVID-19

Scott and I had been looking forward to celebrating our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary as we would have been doing so in Sydney, Australia. But our plans quickly change as we got news about a mandated 14-day self quarantine for anyone arriving in Australia - we ended up cancelling our trip (which we aren’t even quite certain if we have a flight credit or are receiving funds back…who knows, but what we do know is that Scott has probably been on hold for a total 10 hours trying to damage control all this, AND was getting bounced back and forth for answers and given conflicting answers). At this point, we just have to roll with it, yes we could be out on the money, but we are glad we have each other and this current stable situation we are in at home.

To commemorate being married for a year, I racked my brain on how to do something special and because I had just received the final wedding video edit, I thought it would be fun to project it onto a sheet or wall during a romantic dinner. I didn’t want to just find some empty space to project onto, so I decided that I would convert our unused bedroom balcony into a cozy movie theater. I dressed up the balcony with a balloon garland and bistro lights. Then I used everything else that we already had in our home like plush blankets, cushions, lanterns, vases with pampas grass and coffee table to dress up the space.

I spent the entire day building out the balcony, and ordered dinner from Cheesecake Factory as well as a cake from 85 Degrees for “curbside” pick up for us to enjoy (since I wanted to ensure our celebratory dinner would be tasty). It ended up turning out perfectly and Scott was genuinely surprised at how I flipped the balcony and created this space that felt like we weren’t stuck on home. So here are some tips for you to transforming a space in your home for a celebration:

Find a Good Spot in Your Home

You may be limited on space, but if you can find a spot in your home that has a blank wall or space that you can affix decorations to, that is a start. A more hidden space or one that can be concealed so that you can surprise your significant other with is more fun! But I know you can be limited on your options. I’ve been seeing a lot of fun living room flips for birthday and anniversary celebrations - creating forts or dressed up coffee table areas.

See What Decorations & Home Goods You Have

Since I wanted to create a cozy feeling, I was able to use almost all my throw pillows, cushions and blankets. I didn’t really have any decorations like balloons or garlands, so I was able to order it through amazon and hung the balloon garland off of my photo backdrop stand - which also doubled up as the projector screen. And because I wanted to dress up the patio for the evening, I decided to get candles for my lanterns and tea light holders, and bistro lights to hang off of our patio umbrella. Go through party and regular decor you may already have that could suit the occasion you’re celebrating.

Drinks & Food

Make it easy on yourself, find a spot that allows you to order online/mobile order and then pick up curbside if available. We picked up dinner from Cheesecake Factory, and a cake from 85 degrees - both having easy order/pick up services. Although Cheesecake Factory did get a bit congested, but we received our food and it was delicious nonetheless. For drinks, we picked up a bottle of the Wilson Creek Almond Champagne that was served at our wedding.

Personal Touches

Since we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, I brought out our champagne flutes, cake topper, cutlery and plates that we used. It adds a nostalgic touch, and we love reliving the day through these items while also watching our wedding video (I bought a projector so I could play it while we enjoyed dinner).