The Best Gifts for Celebrating a 1st Wedding Anniversary

Paper

The traditional material for gifting a 1-year anniversary is paper, as the threads within the makeup of paper symbolise the connection of your still blossoming relationship. Your marriage is still in its infancy and paper represents a clean, blank slate, with the potential to be filled with memories and the remainder of a love story yet to be written.

No gifting occasion is customary, and it's completely down to the those celebrating the milestone whether they want to shower or be showered with gifts or not. Whether you and your significant other have decided to gift to one another or not, first anniversary gifts are supposed to be sweet, sentimental, and definitely doesn't need to be lavish. This is merely a commemoration of the best day of your life, and a celebration of one whole year of marriage, with many exciting chapters yet to happen.

While there are no gifting theme rules for a first wedding anniversary, it's usually always recommended to go down a sentimental route. After all, you're reliving that magic of a very special day with the giving of gifts. Many give a gift of reflection on the day, by incorporating something that featured heavily in the ceremony. Here are some great gift ideas for reflecting on the big day and the first year you've been married:

1. A frame containing your wedding invitation or order of service in memory of how special the day was

2. A scrapbook full of photos and memoirs from your wedding day to look back on together

3. A print, painting, or illustration of your wedding venue to capture the magic of the environment

An even more unique way to add some sentimentality to your gift is to make it yourself. Not only does this make it super special, it can also be more affordable. If paper is the theme of your gift, grab some luxurious sheets and get crafting! Here are some sweet gifts you can handmake from some paper lying around your house:

1. Pen a romantic poem about your partner, or about your relationship and marriage so far

2. Make an origami swan or heart decoration, as both symbolise everlasting love and connection

3. Make your own or source a lovely card and write a sweet message of appreciation inside

If you're looking to treat your wife to something special in commemoration of a whole year of married bliss, you may be feeling like the more lavish a gift, the better. But going down a more statement gifting route when you're wanting to keep the theme to ‘paper’ can be tricky. With this in mind, a paper-based gift with a lot of heart, effort, and thought will likely go a long way. After all, she'll want to feel loved, appreciated, and celebrated, and just as special as you made her feel the day you said ‘I do’. We've put together a few ideas that incorporate your memories of the wedding day, while also reminding her just how strong your connection is. 

1. A frame containing the original copy of your wedding vows or reception speech so she can relive your wonderful words

2. An old-school love letter, detailing everything you love about her and how much you've enjoyed the first year married to her

3. A box or jar filled with small cards or slips of paper with date night ideas such as dinner cooked for her, or a massage

If you're happy to stray away from the paper theme, we have a great range of anniversary gifts for her that she's bound to adore.

If you're not into material gifts but you'd still love to celebrate that special anniversary, an experience will always be a winner. Get creative with ideas and draw on what you know your partner loves to do. If they're a wine drinker, they may love to do a wine tasting with you on your anniversary, so you can clink glasses and cheer to a year of you both, or if they love to get out and explore, a punt along a canal or a hike in a stunning part of the country can be a fabulous way to reconnect with both nature and each other. You can even combine the ‘paper' theme with an experience gift by gift wrapping tickets to a concert, museum, attraction, theatre show, cinema, or even a flight for a weekend away. We've pulled together a list of wonderful date night experiences you could arrange to do on or near your 1st wedding anniversary, so all you have to do is book:

1. A romantic beach picnic 

2. Dinner out in a fancy restaurant

3. Home-cooking your wedding breakfast

4. A spa day with pre-booked couples treatments

5. A vineyard stroll paired with a wine-tasting experience

6. A live music concert of your joint favourite musician

7. A culture day in a favourite city complete with museum trips

8. A revisit of your wedding venue paired with a photoshoot