The 8 Best first Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Firstly, congratulations on your upcoming first wedding anniversary. Marking that first 365 days around the sun with your new life partner is a momentous occasion! You’ve made it through arguably the most difficult year of your relationship, with all the societal pressure testing you. It is super exciting and we hope you have a bottle of bubbly ready to pop open to celebrate!

Now, we need to talk about gift ideas. You may have heard that there is a theme for wedding anniversary gifts, with a different material or object assigned to each milestone number. For your first anniversary, the traditional theme is ‘paper’, which at first impression may seem boring, but there are so many beautiful options! Whether you go for a heartwarming gift or an entertaining one, the key to nailing your first wedding anniversary gift is opting for something that can be immortalised, even if only with photos. To support you in the difficult decision of picking the perfect gift, we have compiled 8 of the best anniversary gift ideas, 4 for her and 4 for him. No matter who you are buying for, we are sure there is the perfect gift for them:

Anniversary Gifts for Her

The key to nailing the perfect anniversary gift for her is proving that you know her. Get sentimental and remind her that you listen to her interests and enjoy spending every single day together. Be romantic, get a little cheesy, and do everything you can to make this day extra special for her.

1. Custom Wedding Portrait

It has been one whole year since you officially tied the knot. By now you would have your wedding photos digitally, and she might even have some printed out and framed. But have you thought about getting a talented artist to recreate some of those wedding photos for you to decorate your house with? Etsy is an awesome site to support independent artists and coordinate a unique gift. Getting her a custom wedding portrait is a beautiful way of immortalising the day and when you print it off to frame it, you’re paying homage to the paper theme.

2. Florigami - Etsy: Origami home decoration animals, handmade in Paris

It’s only been a year, but you probably haven’t looked at your vows since you spoke them on your wedding day. What better way to give them the attention they deserve than in a decorative manner? Once again, Etsy provides a beautiful option for a unique wedding anniversary gift for her, with the added beauty of being homemade. Florigami is a Parisian origami store, which accepts custom orders for their unique style of home decor. Pick an animal or object that resonates with your relationship, and organise your vows to be printed on paper and turned into a symbolic origami piece she can decorate her space with for the rest of eternity. 

3. Paper wedding bouquet replicas

Your wedding anniversary is one of those days that you never want to forget, with the stunning dress complimented by the perfect flowers captured in every photo. While the dress is everlasting, those flowers are unfortunately more than likely a little bit worse for wear a year after the occasion, so why not bring them back in an immortal way? Paper wedding bouquet replicas are a sweet way to tie in the theme of paper directly with your wedding memories. To go the extra mile, compliment the paper bouquet with a real bouquet of stunning roses to decorate the table for your romantic anniversary dinner. She’ll be telling all her friends about this one. 

4. Tickets to a show

Has she been talking about that very specific show that she really want to see for way too long now? Why don’t you surprise her with tickets for the two of you to go see that show together? It’s the perfect surprise gift on the day of your wedding anniversary and will make for a beautiful date when you attend. Even if she’s into musical theatre and you’re more of a rock fan, it’s going to be a fun event for the both of you to bond over a passion. Plus, you can totally get creative by framing the ticket and program to immortalise the event for years to come.

Anniversary Gifts for Him

Buying a gift for men can be hard, but even more so on a monumental occasion such as your first wedding anniversary. Keep it sentimental and you'll be fine - We recommend opting for a unique gift for men to help your gift offer the element of surprise and nail the brief.

1. Custom Star Map by Date Poster

You know that old saying  “when the stars align”? There’s no better way to describe the absolutely incredible way that you two crossed paths at the perfect time for each other. While astrology is a typically feminine interest, this beautiful way of immortalising the day you tied the knot is gender-neutral and sure to make him smile. A custom star map printed and framed will help you decorate your home and act as a constant reminder that you are in this big thing called life together. 

2. Make it fun with a couple’s bucket list game

You’re a year into marriage and more than likely a few years into being a couple, so there’s a good chance he’s running out of clever date ideas. Well what better anniversary gift for him than a fun set of paper prompts. From romantic dates to funny life goals, this couple’s bucket list prompts you to step outside your usual relationship routine and create new memories.

3. Your Vows as a Letterpress Art Print

Minimalist and memorable - that’s what you want for a gift for him. Getting your vows as a letterpress art print is perfectly sentimental without being cringe. You could choose to print only your own vows to remind him of your promises, or you could pair both of them together in complementary colours to decorate your house with. Minted offers a beautiful variety of colour themes and frame options to help you tailor the overall aesthetic to nail his style. 

4. Your first dance song immortalised in a custom print

The song you chose as your first dance as newlyweds had deep meaning to both of you. So, make it a strong memory with a physical reminder of the special song. This beautiful first dance song custom print made by a husband and wife team is a unique first anniversary wedding gift as it ties in the traditional theme of paper with a distinctly romantic wedding memory for the both of you. 

Plus, the star and constellation pattern in the centre of the poster is based on your specific date and location, which ties in idea number one in a sophisticated way!

A lot of these gift ideas are time specific and require adequate planning to ensure they are delivered by the special day. If you have left it a little late, you can still order the perfect gift and have it arrive a little later than preferable, and gift something special in the interim. 

Roses Only offers Same-Day delivery for London and Next-Day delivery UK-wide.