Congratulations! You (or someone you know) are preparing to celebrate one year of marriage and I bet it has flown by! Whether you are one half of the couple or one of the family and friends, I bet it only seems five minutes since you were preparing for the ‘big day’ and now it’s a whole year on.
Traditionally, the symbol of a first anniversary is ‘paper’. Obviously you wouldn’t just give over an A4 sheet of white that you would stick in your printer, but use your imagination and suddenly there are endless options and possibilities relating to this theme!
If you are one half of the couple, maybe you could write a romantic love letter or note on perfume/aftershave spritzed paper to your partner or draw up a coupon or token for something nice for them to redeem within the year before your second anniversary. Another written gift suggestion is to make a note of what you do on each anniversary so you can remember all the lovely things to look back on in the future! It’s good to start as you mean to go on. It might even me nice to keep a box for the list and for any letters or trinkets you want to keep privately.
Are they more arty or cultured? If they are, I think great first wedding anniversary gifts for them would be to book tickets somewhere or to see something. Or maybe a painting or canvas of something that means something to them. If you’re particularly creative, you could even sketch or paint something yourself as a really special gift. A great paper related idea is to decoupage something which could be anything from a frame to a piece of furniture. It doesn’t have to be an old fashioned pattern as it can sometimes be perceived. Instead, find images that the couple may like and arrange these on the item!
Alternatively, there are more simple but equally as effective first wedding anniversary gifts solutions on offer, all in a ‘paper’ theme. You could get a book they like or you think they may like; some nice stationery that you could even get personalised for an unusual and individual touch; posters or calendars or maybe even a board game for them to have a simple but enjoyable date night. There are also his and hers t-shirts, mugs and key holders or personalised champagne, chocolate bars and Christmas keepsake baubles!
The traditional gemstones representing a first anniversary are Gold, Pearl and Peridot, so you could go for a piece of jewellery incorporating one or more of these, or go for a decorative frame with a picture of the couple from some point in their first year of marriage.