Show love and appreciation for your partner all year long with these relationship milestones to celebrate! Whether you’ve been dating for one year or married for five years, it’s always fun to spend quality time together. Celebrating can bring you closer together, giving you a sense of unity in the relationship. We’ve included big and small milestones, for every kind of couple. All of these chapters in your journey will lead to a happier life as a duo. Celebrate the hard work and dedication you put into the relationship now and into the future!  

9 Relationship Milestones That Couples Should Celebrate  

Sharing Your First Kiss 

Whether your first kiss was awkwardly bad or downright magical, put this milestone at the top of your list! It marked the beginning of being intimate and took your relationship to the next stage. We love the idea of re-creating the date that led to your first kiss! You can even surprise your partner with a “happy first kiss” gift, like the Book of Us. Book of Us tells your unique love story on every page! Write out your first kiss story, to be printed on the back cover, and edit every page with loving messages and inside jokes. Your partner will love a gift that commemorates this sweet milestone. 

Having Your First Big Fight

Healthy relationships come with the good and the bad. Your first big fight is a doozy. But fighting can help you problem solve issues and improve your communication skills. (Note that domestic abuse should never take place in a fight and must be handled differently.) After you’ve cooled off from your first fight, treat yourselves to a “well that happened” drink (or mocktail) and do something that you both enjoy to get closer again—listen to jazz music and slow dance, hold hands and watch a movie, or cook your favorite meal.  

Attending a Family Event Together

One big relationship milestone is when you attend the first family event together! At this event, you’ll introduce your S.O. to your family members. This introduction shows a great deal of love and trust. This is the first time you’ll be stepping out as an official couple to extended family. It’s a time when your partner can bond with the family and be treated as “one of the family.” Treat this occasion as a milestone anniversary, and celebrate it every year by remembering the fun and awkward memories!  

First Couple’s Vacation

Your first vacation will help you both plan, problem-solve, communicate, and spend romantic time together. Plan a vacation every year, perhaps in the same spot as your first trip, as a special way to commemorate this milestone.  

Making a Big Purchase Together

Whether you’re buying your first couple’s couch for cuddling or your first house together, this relationship milestone deserves a fun celebration! Because you’ve made a big purchase, celebrate this milestone with budget-friendly date ideas like a bottom-less mimosa brunch, a happy hour special at a restaurant, a free concert in the park, or a bike ride and a picnic. Celebrate every year by challenging each other to plan a date with the smallest budget!  

Spending a Holiday Together (without family)

Most major holidays are spent with extended family. But on the rare occasion that you opt out of traveling to the family get-together, make this holiday extra special with just the two of you! This is a perfect opportunity to make memories and begin new traditions. Maybe you skip the traditional big dinner and order takeout, or maybe you plan an activity you both love. No matter what, the best times come from building a life together. 

Your Wedding Anniversary

A wedding anniversary is perhaps one of the biggest milestones to celebrate every year! We love the idea of re-creating your favorite moments from the day. Play your wedding song, cook or bake your favorite food from your reception, and watch wedding videos.  

The First Goodbye in a Long-Distance Relationship

Long-distance relationships are hard, and it may seem counterintuitive to celebrate a devastating goodbye. But it’s a difficult hurdle and you did it! You deserve to celebrate the accomplishment of making it through the hard times as well as the good ones. Once you are both back home, celebrate this milestone with some much-needed self-care time. Video chat your S.O., eat something yummy, and watch your favorite movie in comfy pajamas.  

Crying in Front of Each Other

Love isn’t just about flowers and gifts, it’s also about sharing intimacy and painful feelings. Love is about accepting all parts of your partner and supporting their hurt. For these reasons, it’s important to acknowledge and honor the first time your S.O. cries in front of you—and we mean, really cry, like open floodgates. When this happens, celebrate their vulnerability with praise which will encourage them to be more emotionally open with you in the future. Then do something together that will provide comfort and intimacy: watch a soothing movie together, go out for a comfort food meal, or schedule a couple’s spa day for massages.