Looking for ideas

[jtlooney24]

Hello!
After waiting for over a year now, my wife and I are only 27 days away from celebrating our 10 year anniversary in paradise at CSS.
My wife thinks her anniversary gift is the trip, however I wanted to do something special with it being our 10th anniversary and because she is such a wonderful wife and mother. So, I decided I would upgrade her diamond in her engagement ring. I've got it worked out on how I'm going to get her ring to the jeweler to change the diamond. I am an insurance agent so I am going to tell her we need to get updated appraisals done on her jewelry before the trip for insurance purposes. I will do this the week before our trip and then have them switch out the diamonds and have her existing diamond put into a pendant. I will tell her that her diamond in her engagement ring was really loose and we will have to leave it home so the jeweler can do some repairs to it. Then, when we get to CSS I want to give her the new necklace and pendant with her original diamond and act like that is her anniversary gift (she will have no idea that it will be her diamond in the pendant). I hope this would kill any potential suspicions she might have from having to leave her ring behind.
NOW... here is where I need help. I would love to get some ideas or advise on how I can present her new ring to her? I want her to be surprised and I want it to be special. I've spent a small fortune on this gift and I think I'm as excited to give it to her as I am to get to CSS.
Thanks in advance for your help!!!

[Soonerfans]

OMG you are just the bomb jtlooney24!!! She is going to be so shocked and so surprised and she is one of the luckiest woman out there!! I love all that you are doing for her and applaude any man that thinks the way you do and follows thru with it! Good luck to you and I'm sure it will be all that you think it will be!!!

[sherrynchuck]

Contact the romance concierge at CSS and they'll help you arrange something.

[jtlooney24]

Thanks alot Soonerfans! That was a really nice post. Although... I would have to say that I am the lucky one! I really looking forward to getting there and giving it to her. Thanks again!

[johnirene]

WOW!! What a thoughtful, considerate romantic you are - as Soonerfans says - your wife is a very lucky woman!!

As for when and how to present your special gift, anywhere in CSS is romantic. Champagne on your balcony first thing in the morning? Organise an ice bucket and bottle of champagne to be in one of the many romantic and secret places in the grounds of CSS and then surprise her with the champagne and present? I'm sure you'll get lots of advice on this board (probably more romantic or inventive than mine!) or when you arrive you will discover the perfect opportunity and place. Contragrats on your Anniversary.

[Soonerfans]

ok jtlooney24 you are the lucky one but she is too and sounds like you guys have a wonderful life together!! I'm getting married 12/12/12 and that will be my first stay at a Couples resort(which I am soooo excited) and I have met a really wonderful man and praying that he is as romantic as you are!!! LOL He's pretty darn close!!
Happy 10 year Anniversay and cant wait to hear how it all goes!!

[Billy_Audra]

Look into a private dinner on the beach. I did one for my wife year before last at CTI. She absolutely loved it. I sent down what I wanted to do ahead of time and they handled everything else. In short, I had a menu style printed piece of cardstock delivered with each course. The staff went out of their way to decorate it and put all the right touches to it. The first one listed the seven greatest places we have visited in the world. The second listed the seven greatest places we have been together in the United States. The Third listed the seven greatest places we had visited in Texas (we are from Texas). The last one listed "The Seven True Wonders of My World"...things like her laugh when I say something stupid, her true love of animals, the way my heart beats when she holds my hand, etc. The last thing on that list was "The look in your eyes as you finish reading this card!"

Whatever you do, SHE WILL BE BLOWN AWAY!!!!

Good Luck!

Respect,
Billy

[jimcarol]

How about giving it to her at a private dinner at the gazibo ?

[rjammin]

How about renewing your vows at CSS?
What I did wasn't quite as elaborate as what you're planning (and spending) but back in '06, we renewed our vows at CN for our 25th and I surprised my wife with a diamond necklace in place of a ring at the service. Prior to going to CN, she made me promise not to buy her anything and that we were stricktly going to renew our vows and that the trip to CN was our gift to each other. She was mad at me for about one second.
The vow renewal is still a very special memory for us and I'm sure it would add an even greater memory for the two of you. CSS is the most beautiful and romantic of all the Couples resorts, you can't go wrong no matter where you present it to her. Great idea too, I thought I was good, you rule!

[Coloradojuli]

I am so impressed. What a romantic. Do you give lessons? I love my husband dearly, but the poor guy doesn't have a romantic bone in his body.

You should contact the Romance Concierge, they can help you figure out something very special to do. You've picked the most romantic resort to go to.

Congrats!

[jtlooney24]

Thanks for the ideas so far and the kind words!
We have talked about renewing our vows while there and/or doing a private dinner.
I really don't know what all is done or the procedures of a vow renewal. I've never seen one, so if someone can shed some light on this for me I would appreciate it.
I thought about doing the private dinner and having the waiter bring the new ring out at some point during the dinner.
Another thought I had was leaving it on the bed when we leave the room so I would be waiting on her when we returned, but I didn't want house keeping to mistake it for a tip. lol
Even though I've promised over and over again that I won't buy her anything for our anniversary, she knows me and knows I probably will anyway. Therefore, I keep trying to think of a time or way that might be a little less obvious. I guess just to increase the surprise factor.
I welcome any other ideas or thoughts.
Thanks again to everybody!

[sherrynchuck]

I like the renewal of vows idea...makes the new ring part of a special ceremony you two will always remember.

[randymon]

jtlooney24,

I would be happy to read your love letter to your wife. If interested, post here again and I will contact you offline. Check out the following thread:

http://couples.com/mb/showthread.php...t=love+letters

[jtlooney24]

Hey Randymon,
That sounds like an awesome idea! Please contact me and fill me in on what I need to do. I really appriciate it!

[kathymjollie]

What a wonderful guy! There have been terrific suggestions in previous posts (thanks, randymon, for your offer of help...you also rock!). It warms my heart to know that there are husbands out there as romantic as mine. Four years ago John went down on one knee on a very busy beach in Montego Bayand asked me to marry him. We were married on the same beach exactly one year later. The memory of him on his knee expressing his love and asking that we stay together forever will stay with me for the rest of my life. I know that it will be the same for your wife no matter what you chose to do.

[razzldazzlme]

Oh good grief. Where's my box of Kleenex? Your wife will be surprised and over the moon. However this works out, she will love you even more and will never forget this anniversary trip. Congratulations! Razzl.

[BrendaandBruce.PA]

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you do it the beginning of the week so she can enjoy wearing it and showing it off on your wonderful vacation. If she is anything like me, she is going to miss it. We renewed our vows for our 30th anniversay at CN and it was wonderful. You could renew your vows and slip the new ring on her finger.

[melody]

Good thinking on the pendant. A lot of companies advertise a trade in program for the old diamond and that would be really devastating to many people. I know I would be really upset if the old diamond were just gone all of a sudden.

I like the vow renewal too. I think she might get a little anxiety about not having her ring for the renewal but if the wedding band is separate that would probably be ok. If you do that you might want to get some photos from the resort photographer. I would let him know what the plan is so he can be ready to catch her reaction. If you don't want to spend the money on that I am sure you could get someone else to get a few photos. When we did our vow renewal the person who helped us get to the right place and run everything took my camera and used that to get some extra photos for us. I am sure they would do the same thing at CSS.

[meganfritz]

Nothing elaborate, but what my husband did certainly "wowed" me. We were getting ready for dinner and had stored our jewelry in the safe during the time on the beach, etc. I asked him to grab my ring for me (which obviously won't work exactly for you, but...) and he then presented me with a new ring. He knelt and went through the thought behind each ring: the engagement ring - wanting to marry me; the wedding band - wanting to spend the rest of his life with me; and the new ring - reinforcing what the last 18 years had meant to him and how he was looking forward to more. (I don't remember exactly what he said because I was so busy crying.) It was perfect for us, because it was private and very heartfelt. May not be what you're looking for, but maybe it will help?
Have fun! You are going to our favorite resort!

[Irie at CN]

I got my DH a new ring one year and put it one of my ring boxes. While on the plane to MBJ and then Couples, I acted like I was trying to find something in my carry-on bag. (That's nothing new, I can never find what I'm looking for in there.) So, I started handing him random objects - my book, a bag of munchies, deck of cards, a ring box, a pack of tissues etc. - you get the idea. Then I said 'can you make sure that is my ...., I can't remember which box I put it in'. Then, my dutiful DH opened the box, his mouth hung open and he just looked at me. Of course he knew that wasn't my ring at all. He was so surprised and gave the required 'but I thought we were giving each-other this trip for our present?' Well, it was a very nice way to surprise him, I didn't have to think about when and where and would it be a surprise, because it was, he wore it the rest of the trip and hasn't taken it off since.

[housefinch]

Personally I'd not worry about the renewal of vows yet. Maybe at your 15th or 20th anniversary, you'd want to do that. I would, however, go for the private dinner set up on the beach when you give them to her. That, in itself, will make her love you all the more!

[jtlooney24]

I want to say "thank you" to all of you! I really appriciate all the wonderful ideas and advise and would gladly accept any new ideas you may come up with. I'm still undecided as of right now. I'm waiting to talk to Randymon about the love letter reading. That sounds like something I'd be interested in. Without a doubt... you guys have given me some great ideas that I could never go wrong with. So, thanks again!