How to write a loving tribute to your spouse or partner
Whether you want to write a personal love letter for Valentine’s Day or an extended tribute to your spouse for a milestone anniversary, the writing prompts below will give you ideas for sharing your love on the page.
Read through the list of prompts and mark the ones that resonate the most—then start there with your writing. Some of the prompts may yield long stories while others might only spark a phrase or sentence; that’s okay. Our relationships are as unique as our signatures—honor what makes yours special!
One tip before you begin: Don’t put pressure on yourself to sound like anything other than you. Think of your writing as an extended letter to the one you love and let your voice come through.
14 thematic memory prompts to help write about your love
THE SETUP
How, when, and where did you meet? Tell the story of your first meeting, your courtship, and your favorite memories from the early days of your relationship.
CUTE QUIRKS
Share some of your partner’s quirks that make them them. Does she twist her hair around her finger when deep in thought? Does he put post-it notes all over the house to remind him of mundane things? Hone in on their character traits that are unique and lovable and…specific.
ADVENTURES OF A LIFETIME
Take this prompt in any direction you wish: Perhaps your biggest (ongoing?!) adventure has been parenthood—write about that. What other adventures have you been on together? Think travel destinations, new skills you endeavored to learn together, and passions you’ve developed over the years.
SAYINGS & PET NAMES
Do you have a special way of saying “I love you”? What about terms of endearment for one another? If there’s a fun story here, then of course tell it; otherwise simply weave your sayings and pet names throughout your writing.
HEARTH & HOME
How do you define home? Is it a more ephemeral notion of being together, or have you built spaces to live that embody your family philosophy? Describe the first place you lived together, the most challenging place you called home, and the home where you find yourselves now.
LOVING LIST
This one’s fun and invites creativity and playfulness: Write a list of “50 Things I Love About You” that includes everything you can think of, from seemingly obvious-yet-true things such as the color of their hair or the feel of them in bed beside you to more personal-and-unexpected things like “the way you set out a mug and a Splenda packet for me when you make coffee in the morning,” “the way you croon country music in the car,” or “the fact that you’re still trying to convert me to someone who will be on time.” The more specific here, the better!
MISHAPS & MISDEMEANORS
Write about “that time” you made a wrong turn and ended up weekending in a different town than you expected, or accidentally missing a birthday—little things that may have gone wrong that you weathered together (and maybe even ended up enjoying).
INSIDE JOKES
Do you and your partner glance across a crowded room and know exactly what the other is thinking? Are there inside jokes that you’ve shared for years? Write about your secret language of laughter and, well, just knowing what the other may need.
ROLE REVERSAL
How are you two different? Write about how you at times complement one another and at other times clash. Try to find the humor or the life lessons in your differences. Find the stories and also some underlying wisdom.
OFFER GRATITUDE
What are you most thankful for in your relationship? Think about your partner’s qualities that you appreciate, but also ways you mesh and make your way through the world together. Like with each of these memory prompts, try to hone in on some specific details or moments that come to mind when you think about gratitude.
GOING DEEP
Aim to write the most epic love letter, including thoughtful reflections such as:
times you missed your partner or wished they were near
ways your spouse has changed you or impacted your outlook on life
why you consider your partnership a successful one
your favorite romantic gestures from your years together
how you have manifested being there for one another “through good times and bad, through sickness and health.”
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Did you save early handwritten letters your partner sent you? How about everyday notes or even emails? Unearth these and consider including one or quotes from a few in your tribute.
BONUS REVEAL
You’ve been writing about your beloved all this time, but remember that sometimes the real gift is sharing a bit of YOURSELF. Consider telling them something they may not know about you yet. It could be a silly anecdote from your childhood or a deep-seated fear you’ve held for decades. No matter what you decide to share, allow yourself to be vulnerable.
BUCKET LIST
Perhaps you’ve been married for 25 years and you’re celebrating a host of favorite memories in this book. For this prompt, turn your attention to the memories you’d yet like to make. What’s still on your to-do list? What dreams do you hold for your future together?
Remember that your efforts to create something meaningful for the person you love is gift enough—this really is one occasion where “it’s the thought that counts.” So have fun with this, be thoughtful as you write, and you’re sure to craft a gift that your partner will cherish!
And if you need help packaging your extended love letter into an heirloom book, please reach out to see how we can work together.
Good writing prompts will rid you of blank-page anxiety—and you can easily write your own! Here, 5 steps to drafting a library of personalized memoir prompts.