Anniversary Gift Guide – Modern and Traditional Gifts for Celebrating Each Year of Your Marriage
Written by Kathryn D'Imperio Wednesday, 24 September 2008 14:35
As you prepare to celebrate your wedding anniversary, don’t forget about selecting the perfect gift – no matter if it is your first anniversary or your 50th. If you want to give your husband or wife a special gift according to the traditional wedding anniversary gift themes or the modern wedding anniversary gift themes, this anniversary gift guide will help you to select an item that is a good match for your mate.
Celebrate each year of your marriage with a special anniversary gift according to the traditional themes or the contemporary gift themes. It can become a fun tradition for you and your sweetheart to see who comes up with what kind of great ideas for celebrating according to the year of your marriage. Even if you have another special anniversary gift in mind for your spouse, you can still accent the gift with a present selected according to the traditional or modern themed anniversary gift list.
If you find that you still cannot decide upon the perfect gift for your husband or wife in the traditional theme or contemporary theme, there is nothing wrong with going out on your own to find a gift that better suits your sweetheart’s personality, interests, or needs. Remember, in gift giving – even for anniversaries – it is the thought that counts!
Here is a list of the traditional anniversary gifts and the more contemporary wedding anniversary gifts:
| Anniversary Year | Traditional Themes | Contemporary / Modern Themes |
1st | Paper | Clocks |
| 2nd | Cotton | China |
| 3rd | Leather | Crystal / Glass |
| 4th | Fruit / Flowers | Appliances |
| 5th | Wood | Silverware |
| 6th | Sugar, Candy, Iron | Candy / Iron |
| 7th | Copper / Wool | Desk sets |
| 8th | Bronze / Pottery | Bronze / Pottery |
| 9th | Pottery / Willow | Linen / Lace |
| 10th | Tin | Leather |
| 11th | Steel | Jewelry |
| 12th | Silk / Linen | Pearls |
| 13th | Lace | Textiles / Fur |
| 14th | Ivory | Gold Jewelry |
| 15th | Crystal | Watches |
| 20th | China | Platinum |
| 25th | Silver | Silver |
| 30th | Pearl | Diamond |
| 35th | Coral | Jade |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby |
| 45th | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| 50th | Gold | Gold |
| 55th | Emerald | Emerald |
| 60th | Diamond | Diamond Jubilee |
The First Year: Your First Wedding Anniversary!
Wow – where did all the time go? It seems that only yesterday you were planning your wedding, and now here you are getting ready to celebrate your first wedding anniversary! Time goes by when you’re having fun, as they say, and now you’ve got a major decision on your hands. How will you set the stage for your future years of swapping anniversary gifts?
To celebrate your first wedding anniversary, consider a gift that shows your spouse how much he or she means to you. You can offer a traditional first wedding anniversary gift of paper, such as artwork or travel vouchers, or you can select a modern first wedding anniversary gift such as a wall clock or desk clock.
If you can’t find an appropriate paper anniversary gift to celebrate your first year together – or if you just don’t want to follow these traditions – you can easily find a great gift for your partner with a little creativity and a bit of shopping. Just don’t forget that first anniversary greeting card!
Traditional 1st Wedding Anniversary Gifts – Paper:
Paper is earmarked as the gift to give for your first wedding anniversary. You can take this gift theme literally, or spin it creatively for your convenience. Consider the following paper anniversary gift ideas for your first wedding anniversary.
Artwork: Artwork offers a creative and functional first wedding anniversary paper gift idea. Artwork truly is a gift that both partners can enjoy for a lifetime to come. From portraits to paintings and everything in between, consider accenting your paper anniversary with artwork.
Silhouettes - Paperworks by Patty
Eternalize your love with a timeless silhouette portrait. Patty creates silhouettes by hand and customizes them for each order, offering a selection of colors and patterned papers for a modern look or simple black and white for a traditional look. All silhouettes cost $25, so this is an affordable anniversary gift option for anyone. In fact, no matter what you decide to get for your spouse’s first wedding anniversary gift, you can always add in a lovely and thoughtful handmade silhouette portrait to personalize your present.
Patty’s most popular silhouettes feature pets, people, places, and things. Those interested in having a silhouette created will send a favorite photo to Patty for her creation process. For more information or to work with Patty to create your own special silhouette, please see: http://paperworksbypatty.com.
HOT DEAL: Life Love Beauty readers will receive a 15% discount by ordering via Patty’s contact form and mentioning this article!
The Grey Parrot Gallery
The Grey Parrot Gallery specializes in rare, signed, or first edition literature, historical maps, and prints from across the globe. These documents and publications make wonderful and unique paper themed anniversary gifts for the history buff, the literature enthusiast, and just about anyone. Most of the items they sell are one-of-a-kind or limited edition prints, making them all the more special as first wedding anniversary gifts.
Prices for these items vary widely from $10 at the lowest to $250,000 at the most, with most signed books coming in around $100, so chances are fairly good that you can find something appropriate for your spouse. If you would like to see the different documents and books The Grey Parrot Gallery offers, please visit their site: http://www.greyparrotgallery.com.
Travel Certificates or Gift Certificates:
A gift certificate for travel offers the gift of free time, relaxation, excitement, and adventure. You and your loved one can spend your first anniversary making memories together and spending time together at a romantic destination, thanks to a thoughtful paper themed anniversary gift of a travel voucher.BnB Finder Travel Gift Certificates
BnB Finder is an online portal connecting to countless relaxing and exciting getaway destinations. You can order gift certificates for travel with BnB Finder and give your gift recipient the flexibility to choose his or her own destination, as BnB Finder’s travel certificates are accepted at more than 1500 locations. The certificates are delivered in high quality envelopes with classy seals, taking the paper anniversary to new levels.
BnB Finder provides access and gift certificates for many romantic destinations and accommodations, such as Melitta Station Inn and Spa, which is well known for being eco-friendly as a solar powered spa, or The Inn at Trails End and Phoenician Wellness Spa, located deep in the woods of Vermont, or finally Quintessentials, a retreat in East Marion, NY, known for its Japanese meditation garden, aromatherapy treatments, and a modern approach to healing. For more information, visit BnB Finder online.
Some additional ideas for paper themed first wedding anniversary gifts may include:
• A photo book or scrapbook that you design or compile yourself
• A large, framed portrait from your wedding day to hang in a special place
• Coupon book that you create, giving your partner special things to cash in
• Jigsaw puzzle featuring one of your favorite wedding or honeymoon photos
• Tickets to a show, a play, a favorite sporting event, or concert
Modern 1st Wedding Anniversary Gifts - Clocks:
Give your spouse a gift that shows how much you believe the two of you will be together for all time. A special clock can represent the time you’ve spent together thus far, the future time to come, and all the precious moments in between. Consider these clocks as an example of the great first anniversary gifts at your disposal.
Things Remembered offers this classy clock, which can be engraved with a name, anniversary date, or a special message. Recognize your first year as the time of your lives, or a very special time that will only grow better and better with the passing years. This bevel anniversary clock features beveled glass with brass accents, and also makes a great gift for the special couple from a family member or friend. View more information at www.thingsremembered.com.
Bedol Wall Wave Clock:
Bedol features professional, fun, and edgy clocks, such as water-powered clocks, weather clocks, and clocks telling world time, not to mention countless other devices and gift items. We especially like the Wall Wave Clock, which offers a contemporary design in die-cast steel boasting an easy to read LCD with display of time, weather forecast, humidity and atmospheric pressure, and visual images to remind you to bring your umbrella or your sunglasses when appropriate. 
To see more innovative clock designs or other Bedol creations, check out www.bedolwhatsnext.com.
Getting off the Hook…
Even if you don’t want to go ahead with the full traditional wedding anniversary present theme, you can still get yourself off the hook by accenting whatever gift you choose with a handwritten love letter or quite simply, a sentimental greeting card. Hey, envelopes and cards count as paper too!
Gift ideas for other wedding anniversaries to follow!
Bookmark this page:
