Celebrating One Year Together

Terry and Anna, who are Australian natives, had achieved something commendable by making it through one year together as a couple. 2014 was when they marked the milestone in their relationship, and Terry faced the tough task of finding the perfect gift to commemorate the occasion.

Terry figured that he could combine the best of both worlds by crafting a handmade necklace and fusing it with some store-bought elements. However, he didn't stop there and decided to fashion his gift in a two-for-one type of deal that made it one-of-a-kind in every sense.

A Lasting Relationship

Relationships have different stages, and the three-month mark is the first important one. Toni Coleman, a relationship coach, and psychotherapist says that a couple should be ready to move from casual dating to transition to exclusivity by this time. It still varies from one relationship to the next based on how much time you spend together.

Michael Rosenfeld, a Stanford sociologist, tracked 3,000 people since 2009 and found that 70% of them didn't make it past the one or two year mark in their relationships. That is why Terry felt that the one year he had shared with Anna meant a lot and called for the perfect gift.

A Thoughtfully Crafted Gift

Terry had just gotten the bug to start working with wood, and that’s how he found himself crafting what he hoped would be the perfect gift for his girlfriend. He had everything he needed to piece together the necklace, and he went right to work to create the Talisman-type piece.

He used Tasmanian Huon pine to carve out a teardrop-shaped pendant and added an eye-catching detail using the inner spiral part of a shell. The result was a piece that was hollow inside, with everything glued together in place. He completed the necklace using a piece of string to serve as the chain holding the pendant.

A Hidden Surprise

The hollowed inner part of the pendant was empty, but Terry had stashed something inside it. Terry had taken a huge gamble, including the hidden surprise in the necklace, but it was yet another detail that made his handcrafted gift that much more special.

It hadn't taken him too much time to put everything together and come up with the necklace. He could only hope that Anna would appreciate the gift. But Terry knew that the hidden surprise might vindicate him in case she didn't like the necklace too much. Best yet, she wouldn't discover the valuable secret until much later.

Crowning The Occasion In Style

Couples mark anniversaries to celebrate how long they've been together, and it doesn't matter how long it's been, and some will even commemorate their first month together. Several more milestones in a relationship call for a celebration, including the first date, the time you made it official, moved in together, or even adopted a fur baby together.

Most couples celebrate the big milestone with a nice dinner at a good restaurant, and it wasn't any different for Terry and Anna. He took her out that evening to crown the occasion in style, but he couldn't help being nervous.

Presenting The Gift

Like any public holidays, anniversaries allow you to ditch your daily routine for more special plans. It doesn't have to be an expensive event, and commemorating the times shared with someone you have been dating for a while can be as simple as spending some quality time together.

For Terry and Anna, the dinner gave them time out of their usual routine to celebrate their relationship. The moment of truth came once they finished their meals. Terry finally handed Anna the necklace, and her reaction wasn't quite what Terry had expected.

Grateful Beyond Measure

Anna didn't just like the necklace, but she absolutely loved it. The piece was undoubtedly beautiful, and she appreciated the fact that Terry had taken the time to make it himself.  It served as a representation of their love, and Anna wore it immediately she received it.

Russell W. Belk and Gregory S. Coon's 1993 publication "Gift Giving as Agapic Love" set out to explore why people in relationships exchange presents. They found that motivations varied from emotional, symbolic, and pure transactional reasons. Overall, they found that gift-giving in relationships serves as an emotional expression.

A Gift That Speaks Volumes

According to Ming-Hui Huang and Shihti Yu's 2008 publication "Gifts in a Romantic Relationship," exchanging presents could go either way. The frequency and intensity in which couples exchange gifts during each stage of their relationship may either have positive or negative results.

For Terry and Anna, this set precedence for the expectation of their anniversaries going forward. Anna felt loved, and the necklace proved to be a gift that speaks volumes. Terry had the task of topping it off with an even better gift for their next anniversary. The best thing is that he had gotten the ball rolling.

Getting The Plan In Motion

The item that Terry had stashed inside the pendant was valuable, and he hadn't planned on telling Anna about it until the right time. He could only hope that Anna wouldn't discover it until the time he intended her to find out.

Anna loved the necklace so much that she wore it daily and went everywhere with it. She literally dangled Terry's hidden secret around her neck with each passing day, and Terry's biggest concern besides her finding out about it was that it wouldn't end on a sour note. If things didn’t go as planned, it would put their relationship in jeopardy.

Worried That Anna Would Discover The Hidden Secret

Keeping secrets, regardless of their nature, usually put a strain on a relationship. In Terry and Anna's situation, she was none the wiser about it, but that didn't stop Terry from worrying with each passing day. He stood to face the music if Anna found out that he had hidden something inside her necklace.

There were moments when he even feared that she would get rid of the necklace, and his secret would be lost. Terry recalled one occasion when they visited a market, and a blacksmith took a liking to the necklace. Anna, who had also taken a liking to the blacksmith's work, considered a trade but fortunately, it didn't happen.

Good At Hiding

There were several other close calls when it came to Anna parting ways with the necklace or discovering Terry's secret. Fortunately, up until that point, his secret had gone undiscovered. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Anna found out what he'd been hiding right under her nose.

Keeping a secret regardless of the weight often ends up burdening the person from who it's concealed. The emotional complexity of knowing that you were kept in the dark is what hurts most when a secret is revealed. However, Terry's hidden truth couldn't be that bad.

Months Go By

William Faulkner's timeless words about the human heart conflicting with itself rung true to Terry's predicament. Fortunately for him, the months flew by, and Anna still hadn't discovered the item hidden inside her necklace. It still didn't stop the guilt from eating away at Terry.

Some secrets are well-intentioned, leading up to a big reveal. They say that two people can't keep a secret, but in Terry's case, he was the only one in on it, but he didn't have it easy. Like with any hidden truth, he was willfully withholding information from Anna, and she undoubtedly wouldn't forget that fact once the secret came to light.

A Close Call At The Airport

Terry still had to live with the close calls, and the biggest one happened at the airport. Terry and Anna had always loved traveling, which is one of the things that they had in common right from when they met. Embarking on adventures together is part of what cemented their bond over time.

They even had a bucket list of some of the destinations they wanted to visit. Finally, they were able to visit one of their dream destinations, and it would end up changing their lives. It all started with catching a flight at the airport, which gave Terry even more to worry about.

Going Through Security Check

It was November 2016 when Terry and Anna set off to their dream vacation destination in Scotland. They both knew that it was a holiday they would never forget, but Anna couldn't have imagined the surprise that lay in wait.

They had to go through the security check at the airport, and that's where Terry faced his biggest concern yet. He worried that the necklace would raise the alarm, and that's how the item he had stashed inside would be discovered. He prepared for the worst as they inched closer to the security checkpoint.

Getting Through Undetected

When going through an airport security point, travelers know that they want to avoid setting off the metal detectors. That's why they'll typically take off belts, shoes, jackets, and any other metallic item they have on to get through the airport security check without incident. That also includes not carrying prohibited items that the TSA will discover when your luggage goes through X-ray screening.

Terry and Anna soon reached the security checkpoint, and they got through. Terry thanked his lucky stars that his secret remained undetected. He could finally relax and enjoy the romantic trip with Anna, but that didn't get him off the hook.

Creating-Lifelong Memories

A survey conducted by Exclusiveprivatevillas.com found that people generally thought that new couples should wait at least seven months before going on a vacation together. 1,500 UK citizens polled agreed that couples in new relationships didn’t know each other well enough to survive the problems that usually arise on such trips.

Thankfully, Terry and Anna were solid when it came to vacationing together. Terry and Anna savored every single moment of their trip. They were out to have a wonderful time, and that's precisely how the experience turned out. That was why Terry started considering exposing what he had stashed in Anna's necklace.

Inseparable With Her Necklace

Terry noted that Anna had become almost inseparable from the necklace right from the moment she slipped it on. That's why she didn't leave it behind and took it along for their vacation. Terry was devising a plan to get it away from Anna long enough to retrieve the item he had stashed inside.

The challenge was getting the necklace away from Anna long enough to sneak the item out of the necklace. He soon realized that things weren't going to go as planned, and he had to figure out another way about it.

D-Day Arrives

It was 18 months since Terry had given Anna the necklace on their first anniversary. The vacation helped to solidify their relationship, and Anna also knew that Terry had extended a lot of effort in the process of planning the trip.

They had set a day to walk along the beach to a secluded spot, and they both appreciated the seclusion. Anna enjoyed the moment, not knowing that for Terry, it was D-Day. She couldn't have anticipated what he had in mind all along and what would come out of it all.

The Perfect Location

Their journey took them to the Smoo Cave, located close to the Scottish village of Durness. The sea cave sits on the Scottish Highlands coast, and it is an idyllic destination for a romantic couple's getaway.

It was the destination Terry and Anna had talked about visiting since they met. Getting there somehow symbolized how far their relationship had progressed. It also proved to them that they could make plans together and accomplish them. Besides everything, it provided the perfect backdrop for the unveiling of what Terry had planned all along.

Terry Decides To Break The Necklace

To reveal what he had stashed inside the necklace meant breaking the pendant. It seemed like a cruel way to expose what hid inside it's hollowed interior, but Terry had factored it mind when he curved the pendant.

However, to Anna, who wasn't privy to the hidden secret, it would break her heart to see him destroy something she loved dearly. Terry had to find a way to work around it, but he didn't doubt that he wanted to go through with the plan. He just had to be crafty about it.

Ready For Things To Go Wrong

As they made their way to a particularly isolated yet beautiful cave, Terry caught a bout of nerves once again. His next steps would impact their relationship despite being something he had planned way before he even made Anna's necklace.

He thought about the worst scenario but knew that he was ready for Anna to see what was hidden inside her necklace regardless of the outcome. An idea cropped up in his mind, and it would easily solve the problem of getting the necklace from Anna's neck.

Photographs Save The Day

They were taking photographs to document their trip, and the Smoo Cave served as the best backdrop yet. Terry had an idea and told Anna that he wanted to take a few photos of the necklace set on top of some rocks.

Anna thought it was a great idea, and that's how Terry got her to slip the necklace off. Once he got a hold of it, they took a couple of photos of the beautiful necklace. Terry then proceeded to retrieve a knife he had with him, and she was taken aback.

Cracking The Gift Open

Terry proceeded to slip the knife into the pendant, and in one swift motion, he cracked it open. Anna watched in shock, trying to register what was happening. She asked him what he was doing in shock, and Terry simply handed her back the cracked up pendant.

Anna was still processing what had just happened while studying what was now two parts of her necklace. All the while, Terry had set their camera on a timer and positioned it to capture the moment. Anna turned hysterical once she spotted what was hidden inside the pendant.

The Gem Hidden In Her Necklace

As Anna studied the hidden gem, Terry had already gotten down on one knee.  Anna was still puzzled, but she knew what it was once she saw the glimmering object inside the wooden pendant. At that moment, several thoughts were running through her mind.

Fortunately, the camera Terry had set up kept flashing, capturing every single moment of what was yet another milestone in their relationship. The moment Terry had orchestrated was finally unraveling, and all he could do was wait to hear what Anna had to say about it.

The Perfect Proposal

It's a daunting experience for significant others who plan proposals. Women dream about that moment when they are asked THE question as much as they envision their big day. After all, it's the story the couple will re-tell a lot, and they always want to make it count.

Every couple knows when the time is right to pop the question, but you can never tell if the proposal will have a positive outcome. Knowing your partner and their interests helps in coming up with a good proposal. Terry combined everything that Anna loved in his proposal, and that's what made it the perfect proposal.

Realizing She Had The Engagement Ring All Along

All that time, Anna had a true gem hanging on her neck, and that was Terry's intention. He explained that he always loved the idea of gifting an item that would reveal its true value much later.

Anna didn't miss a beat saying, "Yes." She couldn't contain herself and lept into Terry's arms. Terry explained that by 11 months into their relationship, he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Terry's romantic gesture moved Anna, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook.

The Highlight Of Their Trip

It was indeed the highlight of their trip, but Terry also received an earful for it. Anna couldn't believe the ring had been hidden inside the necklace all the time. It didn't blind her enough from realizing what it meant to have carried the secret with her for nearly two years.

All the times she might have misplaced, lost, or damaged the necklace came back to mind when she told Terry in a joking tone that he was an idiot for trusting her not to lose it. Anna still felt like the luckiest woman in the world for having a thoughtful man like Terry in her life.

A Touching Story

People simply love relationship stories, and a proposal always captures most people's interest. It wasn't until 2017 that the world heard about Anna and Terry's touching proposal story. Like most emotional stories that remind us love does exist, their story went viral.

The video they had captured from the occasion also made rounds on the internet. The video garnered one million views one month after it first appeared online. The couple chose to keep their surnames anonymous as they started granting interviews for privacy reasons, but everyone who loves a good proposal story must have heard about Terry and Anna.

Happily Ever After

Anna and Terry shared that they had plans to purchase a home with a yard where they could host their friends and family on their big day. They wanted to have a relaxed wedding that reflected their personality rather than a huge, glamorous event.

Their private nature also explains why we haven't heard any updates about what the couple is up to, but we believe everything went well. Their beautiful story has touched many other people and us, and we do wish Anna and Terry all the best.