Good Four-tune on For-tea! Celebrating the Ruby Wedding Anniversary!

Different cake, but same couple and napkins

Cutting the wedding cake, May, 1983

         

In May, my husband, Chris, and I celebrated our 40th "ruby" wedding anniversary. Several shades of hair color ago, we were married on a cool, but sunny Saturday evening in May of 1983, followed by a reception with close friends and family. 

We decided a few years ago, that we'd take an extended trip across the pond to celebrate this milestone anniversary. That is, indeed, booked and coming up soon. But, for our actual wedding date weekend, we shared a fancy dinner and exchanged gifts. I received a gold heart necklace with a ruby and I gifted Chris a bottle of 40 year-old port. 

Vintage napkins and toasting glasses, filled with ruby red tea in the AM, tawny port in the PM

We also spent some time browsing the wedding album with members of the wedding party at my oldest son's lake house, on a sunny AND warm Sunday evening in May. 

That album was the inspiration for recreating the cake-cutting photo from forty years ago. A bit less formal, but with no less enthusiasm, bride and groom performed the ceremonial first slice. Although the tiered white-frosted traditional confection was replaced with a chocolate bumpy cake, both sweet desserts were served to guests with the same napkins. Yes - a box of unopened napkins survived these past forty years as well as our toasting glasses. It seemed an especially good time to bring them out to commemorate this special occasion.  In the afternoon we sipped hibiscus ruby-red tea and in the evening we filled those vintage glasses with vintage tawny port.

Forty years: marriage and port!

Forty years has brought us an embarrassment of riches:  three amazing children and incomparable in-laws, a few homes, two dogs and more laughs than I could ever add up. And the bumps - they were mostly in the cake. 

Ruby Anniversary, filled with love, family, friends and a bit of bling!

This may be our ruby anniversary, but we struck gold forty years ago. The real gems are the love, family, network of friends and never-wavering mutual support we've been fortunate to have for four decades.  

But, a close second gem is the ruby necklace. That has staying power, too! 💓😉