Every New Year is a time for reflection, and for looking back as well as forwards by recalling all the highs and lows of the last 12 months while also making plans and resolutions for the year ahead.

If you’re getting married in 2023, or have recently tied the knot during 2022, it’s a lovely idea to create some traditions as a couple for the New Year. It means that whatever you go through in the months to come, you will experience them together, and it signifies a commitment to your relationship.

They’re fun and sweet to do, and it is not hard to get the ball rolling……

Try these out as 2023 gets properly underway, and then make them something you sit down and do together every New Year’s Eve.

Where will you be heading off to this year?

With any luck, your partner should be your perfect travelling companion! Why not make a list of all the places you’d love to go over the coming 12 months? This can be anything from a few days away to a long-haul three-week trip. If you have special occasions already planned, from significant birthdays to friends’ or relatives’ weddings, or any other celebrations, plan your holiday calendar around those.

What have you learned in the year just gone?

What have you learned during 2022 and what, particularly, have you gained most from your relationship? Making it your annual tradition to reflect on this could do a great deal to keep you feeling close.

Set yourselves a challenge

As you review your lives, what are the things you can work on improving with your partner? Whether that’s a weekly date night, phone-free meals, a new activity or fitness challenge or simply more quality time alone, now is the time to set some realistic, achievable goals.

Create a New Year’s Eve ritual

There are many fun ways you can do this – but keep it light. Smash some (cheap!) plates, eat a grape for every chime of the clock as the New Year arrives (as they do in Spain), or walk around the house with suitcases and cash in your shoes to symobolise prosperity and travel in the coming months. Or, of course, come up with your own rituals and enjoy something that is uniquely yours.

Change your celebrations

Think of the milestones in the year ahead, from birthdays and promotions to anniversaries, and how you might mark them. Find new ways of celebrating that are different from anything you’ve done before, from watching live theatre to taking a salsa or cookery class, and make some new and different memories. For the occasions you particularly enjoy, store up the ideas and repeat.

It’s surprising how quickly these ritualistic traditions take root, and they’re meaningful because they’re yours alone.

If you’re resolved to tie the knot this year or indeed in 2024, talk to Pippa. Berkeley Castle offer the perfect luxury castle venue on the edge of the Cotswolds. You’ll get exclusive use for the weekend and can incorporate any wedding traditions you want. Then, in the years after the event, make it your ritual to toast and remember the occasion – you’ll have created some incredible memories. Do get in touch today to learn more.