Anniversaries are a funny thing in the Lighty household. I would say that, on the whole, Mr and Mrs Lighty are both fairly nostalgic creatures, yet we have differing opinions when it comes to a certain anniversary.
I’m not talking about our wedding anniversary. No, definitely not talking about our wedding anniversary, as we’ve been lucky enough to do some lovely things to celebrate that over the years, including a pretty much perfect trip to Ghent for our first anniversary and a really fun trip to Cromer for our third anniversary. Even this year, on the first anniversary since Baby Lighty’s arrival, we managed a delish meal out. So no, I’m definitely not talking about our wedding anniversary: I’m talking about the Fakeiversary.
The Fakeiversary – as Mrs Lighty calls it – is the anniversary of when Mr and Mrs Lighty officially got together, which happens to be 14 years ago today. 14 years! Yes, we must’ve been mere children when we met, I know!! Many of you will know the story of how Mr and Mrs Lighty met; for those of you that don’t, all I’ll say is that it involves a trip to Ibiza and another to our local branch of BHS’ canteen. You couldn’t get two more different locations if you tried!!
But nevertheless, 14 years ago today, we were sat opposite each other around the plastic table in the outdated canteen, nerves stopping us from eating the chips and doughnuts (healthy beings that we were at 18!!) we’d ordered. I didn’t know it then, but that day was to change the course of our lives (and when BHS closed its doors recently, I even tried to persuade Mr Lighty that we should buy two of the canteen chairs for our home for nostalgia’s sake, but his response to that was about as favourable as his response is to the Fakeiversary).
A photo not quite from when we first met, but from not long after (mainly because Mr and Mrs Lighty are old, and the ones from when we first met are on old fashioned film, which is in the loft, and asking Mr Lighty to go up into the loft to find them for me would be harder than getting him to celebrate the Fakeiversary, quite frankly). How long my hair is, and how fresh faced Mr Lighty looks!
But this is where Mr and Mrs Lighty differ: Mr Lighty says that we shouldn’t be celebrating the Fakeiversary! That once you’re married, anniversary times reset themselves, and you’re only supposed to celebrate your wedding anniversary! But then where does that leave those 9 years before marriage? Do they count for nothing, even though they saw us through a long distance relationship while I was on my year abroad in Austria, a first home purchase and an engagement?
We’re nostalgic for all of these things – and more – and talk about them regularly. We have really fond memories of being young and carefree, of buying and doing up our first tiny home together, of holidays abroad as a couple and getting engaged in Germany. So why not extend that nostalgia to celebrating the day we got together too?!
Well, you’ll have to ask Mr Lighty for his reasonings behind that, but in the meantime this is my way of marking the occasion (as has so often become the case nowadays, if you can’t beat them, blog about it!) and saying Happy Fakeiversary, Mr Lighty! I can’t believe you’ve put up with me for this long!
Oh and perhaps this blog post will also serve as the kick up the backside that you need to allow me to celebrate next year’s Fakeiversary, as it’s a big one?!
Lots of love Mr Lighty xxx
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Happy Fakeiversary! I definitely think this is a man thing – my husband is the same. We don’t actually agree on our Fakeiversary date – he asked me to be his girlfriend on the stroke of midnight New Year’s Eve, so he claims our Fakeiversary is New Year’s Day, I claim it’s New Year’s Eve! We haven’t celebrated since we got married, but this year marks 10 years of us being together, and I’ve told him we are definitely celebrating. My dream was always to go to Edinburgh for Hogmanay, but realising how costly that is, we shall be doing something a little closer to home. You should definitely be allowed to celebrate next year, 15 years is an achievement!! Fab post as always x
Thank you Mrs Jonesy!! Well I’m glad it’s not just Mr Lighty! What a fab time for a first date, you definitely need to celebrate this year! I’ll look forward to seeing what you get up to! Thank you for reading as always xxx
My husband marks our “Fakeiversary” on the calendar every year. I am the one who is the “Mr Lighty” here!
Haha!! You need to embrace the Fakeiversary!! Thank you so much for popping by 🙂
Our 10 year fakeiversary was last year, I wanted a ring, but I’m pretty sure he got man-flu and we didn’t even go out for dinner, ah men!
Ha! Well I’m glad it’s not just Mr Lighty! And now you’ve put the idea of a ring in my head for next year… 😉 Thanks so much for popping by!
We celebrate our wedding anniversary and the anniversary of when we met. My friends tell me I am soft, but I think it’s nice to celebrate both. Happy Fakeiversary x
#fortheloveofBLOG
I agree with you! If only Mr Lighty did…! #fortheloveofBLOG xxx
Aw that’s sweet that you remember the date and what a lovely photo you can see how in love you are. #fortheloveofBLOG
Ah thank you. I should’ve included one from now for comparison!! ;D Thanks for popping by! #fortheloveofBLOG
We always celebrate our get together date too and keep one restaurant for that occasion. We then feel guilty not giving them business any other time!! Enjoy yours?#fortheloveofBLOG
Haha, that’s funny!! But what a lovely tradition ☺️ I need to suggest this to Mr Lighty… #fortheloveofBLOG
This is so cute and I’m totally with you! I’m not married to my boyfriend but if we ever make it that far I will insist on celebrating the Fakeiversary. Luckily he’s quite sentimental so I probably won’t have too much trouble persuading him.
Haha, definitely make sure you instil it from the off!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Ah, happy fakeiversary! Hope you get some nice flowers! It was our 10 year one in June but we’ve kind of forgotten about it now we are married. It used to be a big deal pre-engagement though.
#bigpinklink
Yes same here, it used to be a big deal before marriage. Not so much now and definitely no fliers unfortunately!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 #bigpinklink
Any anniversary is something to celebrate, and the day you met is definitely one to celebrate. Wow 14 years is a long time, congratulations! I hope you have a fab time celebrating. Next year I’ll be celebrating 10 years being with husband, and 4 years of marriage, and this year it’s 15 years of us knowing each other. It’s a strange world isn’t it. Have a great date, and I’m sure that there’s lots of BHS chairs somewhere now. Thanks so much for linking up at #fortheloveofBLOG. Claire x
Haha well you’ll be disappointed to hear that there was no celebrating, although we did go out child free over the weekend!! Hoping that next year he’ll allow me to celebrate the ‘biggie’ that is 15 years!! #fortheloveofBLOG
I am totally missing a trick not celebrating a fakiversary! More drinks and gifts? We need to get on that…haha. We do remember when we met though and we mention it every year. It was during Race Week which is a big festival in Galway (and the entire city goes a bit mad) so every year during Race Week one of us will inevitably ask ‘how many years has it been now?’. I think next year we may have to say it with flowers. Or a gift. Or cash. 😉
Ooh yes. Saying it with cash always has a nice romantic ring to it, don’t you think?! I’m still missing a trick even though I know the date as Mr Lighty won’t play ball!! Thanks for stopping by and reading my post 🙂
We got married on the day we got together. Perfect way to avoid the confusion haha!
Oh you should have definitely got the chairs. Haha.
#DreamTeam
Yes we definitely should’ve done this. And we should have definitely got the chairs too! Losing on all fronts!! #DreamTeam xxx
Wow, 14 years!!!! Congratulations!! I must admit, we celebrated what is now our fakeiversary for the first couple of years we were together, but it’s fallen by the wayside by both of us, since our real anniversary came along!! Our fakeiversary will be 8 years in October, and our real anniversary, 5 years next summer. We have friends who always celebrate their fakeiversary, mainly because they were together 9 years as well, before marriage, and didn’t want that time to be ‘forgotten,’ as its so long! Maybe if we’d been together longer before we got married, I wouldn’t want those years forgotten either!! I’m sure Mr Lighty can be persuaded, and I love that you wanted to get hold of some of the BHS chairs-this was one of the sweetest things I’ve heard in ages!!!
#bigpinklink
Aww your comment just made me smile!! Unfortunately I didn’t win the BHS chair argument either. And yes 9 years is ages to be together before marriage, which is why I don’t want to forget the Fakeiversary!! #BigPinkLink
Such a cute idea. To be honest, I always ‘note’ our fakeiversary – 12 years this year… I know the date as I still have the fine letter that I got after jumping the train, being too skint to buy a ticket (found the cash to go out out of course) because I knew a certain Mr G was making a rare appearance on a work night out. Romantic eh.
Thanks for linking up to #coolmumclub!
Congratulations on your 14 years together and Happy Fakeiversary!!! 14 years is a long time, and of course it should be celebrated. The Buttons tend to be less sentimental and I can’t remember the actual date of then we got together – opps! Thank you for linking up to the #DreamTeam *off to try and work our when our fakeiversary is. xx
Haha, if you work it out, you MUST celebrate, to make up for where the Lightys lack!! Thanks for having me on #DreamTeam as always xxx