An anniversary letter written today and delivered years from now carries a particular kind of magic. You write from the present moment—with all the love and knowledge you have right now—and your future self hands it back to your beloved. It says: I thought of you years in advance. I want you to know who I am and how I feel, not tomorrow, but on this specific day when we're celebrating how far we've come.
The Power of Distance in Time
When you write an anniversary letter weeks or months or years in advance, you're creating a time capsule of love. You capture the exact way you feel right now—the specific things you're grateful for, the dreams you're building, the inside jokes still fresh, the ordinary moments that feel sacred. Then, on your chosen anniversary, your partner opens it and remembers you this way. They get to read your love not in the rush of the day but in the quiet of the moment, with time to let it land.
Some couples write anniversary letters every year, creating a tradition of looking back. Others write just once, creating a surprise for a milestone. The distance in time makes the letter more precious because it proves you were thinking of them before they even knew to hope for it.
What Should You Write?
Start with the present moment. What do you love about your life together right now? What has changed since your last anniversary? What ordinary thing has become extraordinary because you do it with them? Write about the person they are—not who you hoped they'd become, but who they've actually become. Tell them what you were afraid of early on that turned out to be beautiful. Share a memory from this past year that you want to remember.
Then look forward. What are you hoping for? What adventures are you imagining? What do you want to promise them for the next chapter? Include the things that matter—not just the big moments but the small rituals that make your marriage yours. The coffee runs, the terrible jokes, the way you fit together.
"On our anniversary ten years from now, I hope you remember what I felt right now. Right now, watching you do something completely ordinary, it hit me: this is it. This is what I wanted my whole life. Not the wedding. This. This ordinary, perfect, real thing we built together. I want you to have that feeling on paper, waiting for you on that day."
Creating a Tradition
This can be the start of a beautiful practice. Write one letter every year on your anniversary, hidden away, to be delivered to each other on a future date. Or write one big letter now and surprise your partner on your next milestone. The tradition itself becomes proof of commitment: you're already thinking about the future, already planning to love them years from now.
At Dear Forward, your anniversary letter is stored safely and arrives exactly on the date you choose, sealed and secure. It arrives as a gift—a reminder that you've been loved like this all along. Write your anniversary letter today.