history of the holiday
The eleventh wedding anniversary took its name from the strong, like steel, relationship between lovers - “Steel Wedding”. For more than ten years, spouses can forgive each other absolutely everything, and no quarrel can separate them.
Having celebrated their first anniversary a year ago, lovers find harmony and complete mutual understanding in their relationship. In addition to the self-explanatory name, you can pay attention to the anniversary number. 1+1 symbolizes the couple’s affection, strength and union. During their married life, husband and wife became necessary for each other, their relationship reached a new level - mutual value.
Celebration ideas
On the day of the steel wedding, the husband and wife must gather as many guests as possible - close relatives, friends and good acquaintances. It is desirable that there are many children at the holiday: they personify the well-being of the family and its completeness. You just need to think in advance about what the children will do - come up with games and competitions for them, set a separate table with various goodies. It will also be simply wonderful if couples who recently celebrated 22 years of marriage come to congratulate the “steel” spouses.
Holiday atmosphere
You can have a party at home, in a restaurant or, if weather conditions permit, outdoors. But wherever the holiday takes place, it is necessary to create the appropriate atmosphere. Metallic colors should be used in the decoration of the hall. To prevent it from looking very strict, it can be diluted with bright orange, green or pink shades. For example, steel tablecloths on tables are emerald balloons; metallic chair upholstery - carrot fabric napkins. Cutlery (knives, forks and spoons), napkin stands, candlesticks, buckets for cooling drinks - all metal.
When decorating a party room, you should use a steel color, which is best diluted with bright colors (green, orange or pink).
Menu ideas
As for the menu, it should be simple and tasty. Delicatessen and gourmet meals are optional; Vegetable salads, one hot dish, two or three types of snacks and dessert will be quite enough. If among the guests there will be vegetarians, raw foodists or people on a special diet, you need to find out this in advance and create a menu taking into account their needs and taste preferences.
Toasts, dancing
During the holiday there should be congratulatory toasts and good laughter. Gifts can be given during the party, or you can set aside a separate time for this procedure. Towards the end of the evening, according to tradition, the heroes of the occasion must perform the dance that they danced 11 years ago at their wedding. If spouses have children, then they go out to dance with their parents.
It is advisable to organize a magnificent celebration for the 11th anniversary of marriage, but not at all necessary. If a husband and wife want to celebrate their family's birthday in a quiet, romantic atmosphere, they can easily afford it.
A steel wedding is a wonderful occasion to remind the whole world of your love, devotion and loyalty to each other. You need to spend this day in such a way that you remember it with warmth for many years to come - until the golden wedding and even longer.
How do you celebrate 11 years of marriage?
Despite the fact that the eleventh anniversary is not an anniversary, the “young” can celebrate it quietly and not in the family circle. Often only a few guests are invited to this celebration. People who were invited to this “closed party,” according to popular belief, will find the same harmony and strength of relationships as spouses.
Traditions followed by the couple say that in the past, the couple performed rituals with water from early morning. In the summer, for example, lovers ran to swim in a pond, and in the winter, on the contrary, they went into the bathhouse, where they also underwent water procedures. After this, the husband had to give his bride a bouquet of 11 flowers , which would subsequently have to last for 11 days.
Usually some flowers that were unpretentious to living conditions were chosen, because they had to maintain their appearance over a long period of time. According to popular belief, if the bouquet does not wither within eleven days, the couple will experience peace and complete mutual understanding in old age. Otherwise, there will be constant quarrels or even separation.
At lunchtime, at the festive table, the seasoned couple exchanged gifts. Very often these were homemade souvenirs made of hard metal alloys, reminiscent of the strength and inextricability of relationships.
It is worth noting that all those invited to the festivities had to dress exclusively in white clothes, symbolizing the purity of the souls of the union. Beloved were no exception: from dawn to dusk they had to wear clothes predominantly white .
On the eve of the holiday, general celebration traditions were also preserved:
- A general wet cleaning was carried out in the house to clear the young people's corner of bad memories.
- All unnecessary and irrelevant things were thrown away as a sign of the same cleansing of the memory and soul from adversity.
- The day before the celebration, the hostess was obliged to prepare food and wash clothes before going out.
Nowadays, many couples preserve ancient traditions even within the city where there is no body of water. Naturally, you can maintain customs in your apartment, and morning water treatments can be done in the bathroom.
What to give for a steel wedding?
On the 11th wedding anniversary, it is customary to give products directly or indirectly related to steel. Such gifts, for example, could be:
- Pots, pans and other kitchen utensils;
- Flower stands, coffee tables and other interior items;
- Matryoshka dolls, there should be 11 of them, as an indicator of the evolution and development of the pair;
- Flowers, their number must be eleven;
- Steel family tree for photographs if the family begins to grow;
- Candle stands - for romantic evenings;
- Set of skewers, grill grate, barbecue, smokehouse;
- Decorative elements with chrome elements;
- Appliances;
- Horseshoe;
- Mirror and other gifts;
You can also give up the “steel” features of gifts, put the entire burden of responsibility on your shoulders, and please your spouses with something original that they will definitely like and what they are looking forward to. You can simply add some kind of iron trinket to the present - a keychain, a lighter, a coin and other joys of life.
How to celebrate your 11th wedding anniversary?
According to tradition, the husband gives his wife 11 flowers, each of which symbolizes the unshakable and wonderful year spent together. They should last 11 days from the day of celebration, so it is better to choose flowers that last a long time. According to popular beliefs, if they stay for the prescribed period, the family will find happiness and a long life together, until death separates them.
Also this year, the spouses traditionally performed another sacred rite - they placed a steel horseshoe above the front door. But before that, at sunrise, they took her out into the street, holding her together and asking the sun for as much love, light and warmth in their relationship as it gives to the earth.
In addition, if you follow tradition, on the 11th wedding anniversary the couple updated their interior. This could be done by purchasing new furniture, or by simply rearranging the old one. A fireplace will be a wonderful acquisition; it will be a symbol of your family hearth.
It is customary to invite close relatives and friends to your wedding anniversary, but you can devote time and attention to each other without any pompous evenings with people. Here the husband and wife are the masters of their own destiny and can do with this day as they please. The next family holiday for which our strong married couple can prepare is the Nickel wedding
What do they give?
In modern society, on the 11th wedding anniversary, it is customary to give steel souvenirs .
Such items include:
- Kitchen metal and stainless steel utensils, such as a saucepan, sieve, frying pan, etc.
- Skewers, grills, barbecues, etc.
- Chromed decorative elements.
- Horse horseshoe.
- Steel jewelry.
There were a lot of variations of gifts.
There were no strictly designated items for a present; everything depended on the imagination of guests and relatives. However, guests, depending on their status, had to observe a certain hierarchy. Relatives could give:
- Certificates, gift coupons, tickets and vacation packages.
- Steel utensils associated with water - glasses, glasses, goblets, etc.
- Photo session and similar services to preserve the memory of this day.
Naturally, it is easier for relatives who communicate very closely with the newlyweds and know their interests and hobbies to choose a gift.
Friends usually give:
- Smokehouse, barbecue or grill.
- Steel service.
- Computer gadgets.
Now family friends are not constrained by any boundaries. Therefore, you can give absolutely anything, the main thing is to coordinate the gift with your parents. An excellent gift from friends would be:
- Steel rose, made to order.
- Personalized metal accessories.
- Thematic items related to the work or hobby of young people.
- Candlesticks, glass holders, etc.
What to give your wife for her anniversary:
- high-quality set of dishes;
- various cookie cutters (steel);
- steel kitchen accessories - champagne bucket, fruit basket, etc.;
- steel powder compact or mirror;
- manicure set;
- steel-colored clothes.
For your husband's 11th wedding anniversary you can give:
- steel thermos or ice cubes;
- set of steel-colored handles;
- lighter, flask;
- Swiss knife or some kind of bladed weapon;
- wristwatch with a steel bracelet;
- cigarette case, beer opener, corkscrew.
Don’t forget that these days you can buy any gift certificate so that your other half can choose a gift that they like.
The husband and wife confidently cross the border of the decade of their marriage and strive for the second ten years of their life together. Both halves know each other perfectly, raising a child or building a career together. No wonder people called this wedding steel, because it made the marriage bond even stronger.
Gifts from spouses to each other
For their 11th wedding anniversary, a husband and wife can make major joint purchases that had previously been postponed for some reason. For example, this could be the purchase of household appliances or a car. It is advisable that the new clothes be of a metallic steel color - to match the color of the wedding.
Gift for husband
A wife can give her husband steel cufflinks or tie clips, a wristwatch, a tie or a set of handkerchiefs in steel shades, a home set of tools, camping equipment (thermos, water flask, flashlight), an expensive stationery set, a cigarette case.
It is important that the gift suits the man’s interests and lifestyle. Thus, an expensive pen is suitable for a business man who works in an office or develops his own business, and a hiking equipment will appeal to a lover of forays into nature. If we move away from the tradition of giving something steel or at least steel-colored, then good gifts for a man would be good alcohol or cigars.
Gift for wife
The husband can please his beloved with rings, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry - platinum or imitation steel, kitchen or serving utensils, a beautiful tea set, small household appliances for personal care (hair dryer or epilator), pocket or table mirror, accessory ( scarf or handbag) steel color.
Also, the husband can give his wife a steel box, inside of which will be a certain amount. With this money, a woman has the right to purchase something that she has long dreamed of but was embarrassed to afford (for example, an obscenely expensive skirt or a trip to a SPA salon for the whole day).
Read also: What kind of wedding is celebrated on the 12th marriage anniversary?
How to celebrate 18 years of marriage (turquoise wedding)?
7 years of marriage (copper wedding): what to give?
Congratulations
We have prepared beautifully designed congratulations in verse. You can print them out and put them in a postcard.
To husband from wife
To the wife from her husband
Gift options for a family's 11th birthday
Since the date has a specific name - “Steel Wedding”, gifts are selected in accordance with this. Any items with a shiny chrome-plated surface, or made entirely of metal, will do.
Spouses give each other:
- jewelry made of steel, white gold or silver (rings, chains, pendants, sets, etc.);
- accessories made of steel or silver (watches, cufflinks, cases, hairpins, etc.);
- mirror in chrome frame;
- boxes and amulets;
- gadgets in a steel case;
- kitchen appliances and utensils made of metal or with a chrome surface.
If a husband or wife has a hobby, it is much easier for a partner to choose a gift. You can give the photographer a lens or other accessories. For the pastry chef - baking molds or metal utensils. For a gardener - flower pots, convenient tools or a stylish chrome watering can.
It is also appropriate to exchange steel rings. Now you can choose an interesting ready-made design, or order unique jewelry from a jeweler. The inside of the rings is often engraved, which makes the ritual even more symbolic.
Relatives give:
- steel horseshoe;
- a mini-film about the life of spouses or the whole family;
- certificate for a joint adventure (hot air balloon flight, horseback riding, etc.);
- glasses made of steel or silver;
- an excursion to the blacksmith, where the heroes of the occasion will forge their own horseshoe, and therefore their own happiness;
- professional photo session for two spouses or for the whole family;
- a steel safe is a symbolic and original surprise.
Friends can give:
- barbecue;
- picnic or barbecue set;
- candlestick;
- gadgets (scales, flash drive, computer mouse, etc.);
- glasses and decanter;
- chess;
- sporting goods;
- tray;
- service, etc.
Of course, it is impossible to imagine a celebration without flowers. For a Steel wedding, it is appropriate to give various bouquets and floral arrangements. But there is also a special tradition - to present a bouquet of 11 flowers. At the same time, plants are selected that can stand in a vase for at least 11 days - this is a good omen that promises peace in the house. Also, fresh flowers can be used to decorate the table or room where the celebration is taking place.
Preparing for the celebration
According to a custom that comes from time immemorial, on this day, before giving gifts, spouses must perform a joint ritual of ablution in order to cleanse themselves of the accumulated negativity. To do this, they need to plunge into the water naked at dawn, holding hands. Of course, in modern realities no one will look for a body of water at dawn, but taking a relaxing bath together will be pleasant.
Friends and relatives should be invited to the celebration, and the presence of a married couple who has already overcome the milestone of family life at 11 years is obligatory
According to legend, this promises the spouses a long, happy life together.
For the eleventh anniversary of family life, it is advisable to present your wife with a fireplace in advance as a gift, as a symbol of the hearth, or a steel horseshoe, symbolizing well-being.
Artificial fireplace as a gift
Steel horseshoe
Symbol of the 11th wedding anniversary
The names of all anniversaries stem from the characteristics of relationships that change from year to year. What happens in a couple who has reached the age of 11 - what kind of wedding is celebrated when the family has already reached their second decade:
- spouses have mastered their roles in marriage;
- the relationship has become stable and smooth, the grinding-in stage has long been completed, the conflicts have been settled;
- By this time, husband and wife have a dense common ground: everyday life, children, relatives, friends, material and moral values.
After 10 years, the marriage becomes strong, “combed”, with a minimum set of roughness and irregularities. Its surface is polished to an almost perfect shine.
Such a union is difficult to destroy, since the spouses are in a psychological fusion and can hardly imagine life without each other.
The described characteristics suit steel well. This is probably why the 11th wedding anniversary is called the steel anniversary.
Steel products have heat resistance, frost resistance, anti-corrosion and other qualities that make this material very valuable in production.
11 wedding years - what a symbolic date. In numerology, 11 is the number of angels and symbolizes good omen.
This means that spouses who have lived together for a given number of years are in a special place with heaven.
