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What to get the spouse who has everything?
If that’s your dilemma and a milestone anniversary like your 20th or 25th is on the horizon, you typically can’t go wrong with fine jewelry. Something like a luxury watch or a sparkling ring usually does the trick, especially if your husband or wife has had their eye on a particular piece.
Still, jewelry can err on the predictable side. For an anniversary present that matches jewelry’s lavishness while adding the spice of surprise, consider a more imaginative gift. These ideas—each more impressive than the last—will no doubt show your ingenuity and love for your spouse.
Piece of Fine Art
Consider gifting your spouse an arresting piece of art to grace the interior of your home. It could be a one-of-a-kind painting, drawing, photograph or sculpture. You can find these original works of art at local galleries whose associates will help you find a piece that matches your spouse’s aesthetic preferences and meets the magnitude of the moment.
To amplify your gift’s wow factor, unveil it at an anniversary party filled with friends and family. For the party-averse spouse, earn extra brownie points by choosing a piece from a local artist and arranging for your better half to meet them or visit their studio.
Romantic Road Trip for Two
Well-thought-out experiential gifts provide an appealing alternative to material ones. For your milestone anniversary, take to the open road on a luxury road trip where no expense is spared.
Plan a journey that carries special meaning for the two of you or opt for a themed getaway like one of these:
Family Portrait in an Exotic Locale
Take the travel idea up several notches by treating your whole family to a once-in-a-lifetime trip that also includes a family portrait. This gift combines a unique experiential aspect with a material keepsake—a picture in time of you and your spouse surrounded by your kids (and grandkids if you have them) with a must-see location as the backdrop. Here are just a few scenic options you could choose:
- An African Safari: Imagine the astounded looks on your loved one’s faces as they spot lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo while roaming Africa’s most popular national parks and natural landscapes like Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti Plains. According to Lonely Planet, the safari industry is well established in that country as well as in Botswana, Kenya and South Africa, making any of them ideal for first-time safari explorers.
- An Icelandic Journey: In this small country no bigger than Kentucky, show your family an unbelievable array of natural wonders that includes active volcanoes, black sand beaches, fjords, geysers, glaciers and icebergs. Plus, if you travel to Iceland in winter, you can catch the amazing polar light show known as the northern lights.
- An Australian Adventure: The land down under is full of exciting places to visit and extraordinary backdrops for your family portrait. In Sydney, spectacular sights include the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach. Up the eastern coast, the Great Barrier Reef and the rain forests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Or you can head inland to view the majestic landscapes of the Outback.
For a trip this epic, don’t forget to buy travel insurance to make sure nothing unexpected ruins your plans.
Season in a Dream Destination
If you want an extended-stay experience without the extended family, why not arrange for the two of you to spend an entire season in a foreign city? If you both have the option to work remotely, you can stay in touch with the office while exploring the likes of Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Dubai or another foreign city of your choice.
For an even more relaxing experience, cash in the vacation time you’ve accrued over the course of your careers to take well-earned sabbaticals. Imagine you and your spouse spending three months doing nothing but exploring everything your temporary home has to offer.
Partial or Full Home Remodel
Maybe you and your spouse have fulfilled your wanderlust for now, or it just isn’t a good time for travel. Then why not spring for a home remodel.
Has your better half been hinting that your primary bedroom suite needs a complete makeover or that they’d love to outfit your garage for a classic car or build a new one to house their entire collection of vintage vehicles? Is your spouse interested in adding more overall square footage to your home? Making any of these home remodeling dreams a reality is a particularly lasting way to celebrate the life you’ve built together.
Well, I guess home remodeling sits well with me. Creative touches to old things make them fantastic and unique.