Anni and Bill • The Wanderlust Couple

Anni visited my store looking for a cotton anniversary gift idea for her husband, Bill. I had the pleasure of creating personalized cotton cufflinks and tie clip for their 2nd anniversary. While working with Anni, I discovered that she has traveled to 32 countries and counting! An expert traveler, she even took the time to give me some pro travel destination tips.

I reached out and asked her more about how she met her husband Bill. Intriguingly, their journey to the altar was paved with years of distance and patience. I have the honor of sharing their adventuresome story here with you. 

Finding Each Other After Years of Distance

Anni & Bill initially met each other in Illinois, but they traveled separately for years, never spending long in the same place:

• Bill joined the Air Force when he was 18 and has been stationed all over the world: South Korea, Germany and Qatar.
• Even though Anni was studying abroad in Germany, Bill had to leave Germany to work in Qatar.
• Eventually, Bill was stationed at Luke Air Force base in Phoenix Metro area, just as Anni was finishing her Master’s Degree and they finally reconnected for good.

Regarding their eventual reconnection, Anni says, 

“Everything worked out after being in long distance relationship for 3 years… we moved to Arizona together and life has been awesome!”

A Whirlwind Wedding Anniversary Trip

Anni and Bill were married on August 10, 2015. They held a beautiful wedding ceremony in fall of 2016, in a beautiful barn venue in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. For their one-year anniversary, they took a whirlwind trip to Sweden (Denmark), Santorini (Greece), Germany, Switzerland, and Iceland. They even dove into Silfra crack and touched both Eurasia and North America continents at the same time!

They worked with a local photographer to take their portraits on the seraphic Greek Isle. The picturesque scene of Santorini’s hillside dotted with white villas captures their sense of adventure. 

Two Years of Marriage Wisdom

I asked Anni about her bond with Bill and what she has learned in her second year of marriage. She said, “The things we learned the most about marriage is to communicate and compromise. We love being married and being around each other, we do almost everything together! We love to travel and adventures."

"Bill is so supportive of me and all my crazy dreams! That's what I love the most about him.”

A Meaningful Cotton Anniversary Gift Idea

Cotton is the traditional 2nd anniversary gift idea. Anni worked with me to customize a pair of cotton cufflinks and tie clip for her husband. It features the lyrics of their beautiful first dance lyrics- Can't Help Falling in Love.

“I gave Bill the awesome tie clip and cuff links that have our first dance song printed on fabric- he loves them!”

 It was such a pleasure to work with her on creating this custom gift! We were delighted to hear, “I gave Bill the awesome tie clip and cuff links that have our first dance song printed on fabric and he loves them!” She said they “remind us of our wedding and our first dance! It lets us relive our memories!” It truly makes my heart full to know that this cotton anniversary gift idea was so meaningful to them!

Partners in Crime 

After years apart, Anni and Bill are now exploring the world and its opportunities together. She has been to "32 countries and counting!" Anni says, “We normally celebrate our anniversary by taking a ‘honeymoon’ trip. For our 2nd anniversary, we are going to Tahiti and Bora Bora.” We wish Anni and Bill many more years of awesome adventures together!

Photo credit (above, right): Meagan Nicole Photography