Anniversary Gifts By Year: 10 Great Gift Ideas For Your Spouse
Check out these thoughtful, fun anniversary gift ideas for your first 10 years together.
In her 1922 book Etiquette, author Emily Post outlined gifts for first, fifth, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th wedding anniversaries. If you and your partner are committed to following traditional anniversary gift giving in the spirit of Post, these anniversary gifts by year make great gift ideas for your spouse. Post's first three recommendations, paper for the first anniversary, wood for the fifth, and tin for the 10th anniversary are meant to be lighted-lighthearted gestures.
"These [gifts] need not, however, be of value; in fact the paper, wooden and tin wedding presents are seldom anything but jokes. Crystal is the earliest that is likely to be taken seriously by the gift-bearers. Silver is always serious, and the golden wedding a quite sacred event," Post explained in Etiquette. That being said, you can definitely find romantic versions of all of these gifts to celebrate your continued love and commitment to each other if you value more thoughtful gift-giving gestures.
"The first anniversary is one of the most celebrated of all anniversaries and is celebrated by both dating and married couples. It is probably also one of the most romantic anniversaries. After only one year the honeymoon is not over yet and romantic feelings for each other are still strong," the website Anniversary Gift noted.
Aside from traditional gifts outlined by Post, there are also updated versions of anniversary gifts by year for those who prefer to move with the times. For example, for the first anniversary you can opt to give a clock to mark the passage of time. Rather than wood for the fifth anniversary, some couples choose silverware. And for the 10th anniversary, if tin is not your jam, diamonds are a 10th anniversary couple's best friend.
What's more, milestone anniversaries aren't the only ones with suggested gifts. If you want to honor tradition, there are suggested gifts for almost every year of your marriage. Need some inspiration? These anniversary gifts by year make great gift ideas for your spouse, and they're a perfect way to let them know you would say "I do" all over again.
1. Celebrate Having the Time of Your Lives: Love Spiral Origami Clock
If you want to go traditional and modern for your first wedding anniversary gift, this Love Spiral Origami Clock from Gifted Papers on Etsy is a perfect way to show your love and commitment. Get your names and anniversary date printed on elegant, light beige parchment paper in black ink. The clock also comes in maroon if you want to add a spot of color. According to The Knot, paper marks the first wedding anniversary because it's fragile just like the early stages of marriage. Clocks represent the passage of time and the challenges that come with the first year of marriage.
Overall, paper is a pretty easy gift to shop for. You can also choose books of poems or even a new book by your spouse's favorite author, a handwritten love letter sent in the mail (swoon), concert tickets — it's really up to you. If you do want to go with something truly unique for your first anniversary like this clock, reviewers have given it a five-star rating. One person even said: "This took my breath away. I cannot wait to give this gift."
2. Honor Your Connection: Cotton Spa Package
The traditional second anniversary gift is cotton, which symbolize the continued interweaving of your lives. If you want to honor the tradition of giving anniversary gifts by year, consider this Spa Gift Box with His and Hers Bathrobes. Book a spa day for your beloved or create your own romantic spa experience at home. This box comes packed with everything you need for a relaxing anniversary: two robes, a bamboo bathtub caddy, two champagne flutes, and six-piece gift set that includes shower gel, bath bombs, bubble bath, lotion, and essential oils.
The traditional color for second anniversaries is red, so be sure to cover the room with red rose petals for an extra romantic evening. "You know your partner a lot better than you did on your first anniversary and they know a lot more about you than they did after the first year. So the perfect gift for your significant other who has stood beside you for two years will be a gift that says thanks for putting up with me and I appreciate you more after two years than I did after the first year," Anniversary Gift noted. What's more appreciative than the gift of pure relaxation? Alternatively, if you want to go modern versus traditional, give a second anniversary gift of China.
3. Let There Be Leather: Personalized Passport Holder
By your third wedding anniversary, you're well into your adventure together as a married couple. If you're committed to sticking with traditional anniversary gifts by year, consider one of these personalized passport holders from Amazon. Life is a journey. Let your beloved know you're in for the long haul by gifting them with a leather passport holder adorned with their favorite travel poem or quote.
According to The Knot, leather is a symbol of security. Alternatively, you can opt for the modern third anniversary gift of crystal or glass, which symbolizes beauty and light. If you want to give your spouse both, buy two crystal champagne flutes and break out the bubbly right before you gift them with the leather passport. Then, toast to all of the places you plan to go together.
4. Love In Full Bloom: Succulent Collection
By your fourth anniversary, you and your beloved are well on your way to longevity. You've weathered the hurdles that come with the early years of marriage, and you're ready to celebrate your love in full bloom. The traditional fourth wedding anniversary gift is flowers or fruit. However, if your partner is into plants, a gift from Amazon's plant shop, like this succulent collection, is something they can grow and nurture just like your relationship.
If you want to go modern, a new appliance is the recommended gift. If you actually need appliances, this is a practical gift that will make both of you happy. If you don't need appliances, shower your love with flowers and plants to honor the commitment of growing your love today and every day.
5. I Would Say "I Do" Again: Art Photo Print on Wood
For the five-year milestone, let your partner know that you're in it for the long haul by giving the traditional five-year anniversary gift of wood. With almost 10,000 five-star reviews, this photo print on wood is a beautiful expression of love. Both elegant and rustic, your intended will love and cherish this gift today and every day of your marriage. Choose your favorite photo of you and your partner, select a size, and let Wedding Tree Guestbook on Etsy do the rest.
Choosing a gift made of wood for your five-year anniversary is a symbol of the strength and stability of your union, and a photo print on wood lets your partner know that you would say "I do" all over again. If you want to go modern, silverware is the updated five-year anniversary gift choice. Personally, I think thoughtful personalized gifts of wood are much more romantic.
6. How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You: Cheryl's Cookies
For your sixth wedding anniversary, get your sweetie something sweet. Traditionally, the sixth wedding anniversary is celebrated with iron, and modernists celebrate with sugar. I'd rather receive sugar, and buttercream frosted sugar cookies from Cheryl's Cookies are a gift I love to both give and receive. "Sugar is a nice touch for the sixth anniversary suggesting not only is the relationship strong and stable but that is remains sweet," Anniversary Gift noted.
Cheryl's Cookies are fresh baked, hand frosted, and individually wrapped so they're always fresh and sweet. If you're beloved has special dietary needs, you can choose gluten free, sugar free, or kosher desserts. Artfully packaged in decorative gift boxes, you can feel good about surprising your sweetie with cookies at work. While chocolates are always a nice choice for sweets, you likely give them on other occasions. Get these cookies. Trust me, they are hands down, the best cookies out there.
7. Commemorate Your Commitment: I Still Do Copper Keychain
What seven-year itch? It's been seven years and you and your partner are still committed to your journey together. Commemorate your commitment by giving the traditional seven-year anniversary gift of copper with this I Still Do Copper Keychain from Rostozzi Art on Etsy. Thoughtful and classic, this is a copper gift that your partner is guaranteed to love, and it's a perfect way to let them know you would marry them all over again.
"Lucky number seven is a wonderful anniversary. By now you are comfortable with your relationship and value the special bond you are lucky enough to have with your partner. Make sure you let your special someone know exactly how special they are to you with a thoughtful gift and celebration of your seventh anniversary," Anniversary Gift suggested. If you don't want to give a gift of copper, consider opting for the modern seven-year wedding gift of a desk set (I'd rather get the keychain).
8. Give a Symbol of Strength: By Your Side With Love Birds Sculpture
A symbol of your enduring strength, the traditional eight-year anniversary gift is bronze. Bronze wedding anniversary gifts usually trend toward art, sculptures, and plaques. Let your partner know that you're stronger together with this By Your Side Love Birds Sculpture from artist Yenny Cocq on Etsy. Choose from a variety of sculptures to find one that reflects you and your beloved. With five stars on Etsy, this anniversary gift is guaranteed to please.
One reviewer who gave her husband a sculpture for their anniversary said: "Absolutely stunning!! I got the sculpture by your side with love birds and I couldn't be more pleased." Another person noted: "Truly stunning! Sweethearts by Yenny Cocq represented the love I have shared with my love since high school. He loved gift!" If you're looking to give bronze for your eighth wedding anniversary, a sculpture from Yenny Cocq is a creative way to capture the strength of your union.
9. The Art of Give and Take: Handcrafted Green Semin Mug
Congratulations, you've been married for almost a decade and over the years you've learned the secret to a successful marriage is mastering the art of give and take. If you're sticking with tradition, the nine-year wedding anniversary gift is pottery to symbolize how you and your partner have molded your marriage. This eco-friendly handmade mug is a perfect choice. Whether your spouse fills it with coffee, tea or beer, it's an enduring symbol of partnership.
Alternatively, you can give the gift of willow, perhaps a plant, or the modern gift of leather. The gemstone lapis lazuli is also a popular choice for the nine-year anniversary, according to The Knot. "Often used in feng shui to balance negative and positive energies, lapis lazuli is said to encourage honesty as it protects your relationship from any dangers."
10. Focus On Forever: Feng Shui Chi Energy Chimes
It's your 10-year anniversary! Congratulations on this important milestone as a couple. Traditional gifts for the 10-year wedding anniversary are made of aluminum or tin. "Bend aluminum or tin any which way and they still won’t break or rust, meaning they won’t wear down. Their pliability and preservation is a symbol for how every successful marriage requires flexibility — especially by your 10th anniversary," The Knot noted.
If you want to not only celebrate 10 years together, but protect your union for another decade, these Feng Shui Chi Energy Chimes from UnCommon Gifts are a thoughtful and elegant gift. "Feng Shui means 'wind and water,' and these chimes negotiate the tension between the two elements beautifully, bringing calm and quiet style to any space," UncommonGoods explained. "Handmade from ash wood, anodized aluminum and various stones, the chime's understated design reflects its philosophical origins."
We hope you love these products! So you know, Livingly may collect a share of sales from links on this page.
