Reaching a one year milestone is always a very momentous and moving moment, whether personal or professional, and none more so than the first wedding anniversary! Almost all cultures associate a symbol with this landmark, like soft cotton, clocks, mother of pearl, carnations, and paper. Of course, the latter is the most exciting one for me! I love the idea of the first year being akin to a blank sheet, with so many chapters yet to be written.
I’ve put together some paper-inspired gift ideas to celebrate a first wedding anniversary, and I hope you enjoy them!
Cards
Of course, my top pick is to surprise the recipient with a really special card! Why not ask a stationer to create a completely personal design for your partner, or even a pack of ‘reasons why I love you’ or date night cards?
A small message in a bottle is a cute way to tell your loved one how much they mean to you. You can also have a fun certificate designed, or mini cards to send your other half on a personalised treasure hunt. Bespoke wine collars are another great option, which you can then gift alongside your favourite wine or champagne.
Journals and Notebooks
Many companies now offer beautiful personalised leather journals, which make a stylish and useful first wedding anniversary gift. They are perfect for someone full of creative ideas, someone who enjoys sketching, or a busy bee with lots of to do lists!
Photo Albums
Albums and collages are a lovely way of collating photos and souvenirs from the past year and turning them into a special gift. For newly married couples, the one year anniversary is often a fun time to look back on wedding photos and select favourites to create an album to share with friends and family. You can personalise these with your names and wedding date for something bespoke.
Prints and Artwork
Having a print designed can be a very heartfelt and personal gift, and one to treasure for many years to come. You could choose lyrics from your first dance, an illustration of your venue or bouquet, one of the ceremony readings, or perhaps a map or luggage tag with stamps of your honeymoon destination.
You could also have your stationer create an infographic of all the milestones that happened throughout the year (e.g. moved house, had a baby, learned to cook a new recipe), and pick a beautiful frame for your home.
Books
Bookworms will always love receiving books as gifts! Think about maybe looking for a rare first edition of a favourite book, or buy them a new read with a note describing what you loved about it.
Travel books are a great option. For example, books on upcoming or recent destinations that you know played a meaningful part throughout your journey together.
A Calendar or Diary
Depending on the date of the anniversary, a calendar can be a lovely and extremely useful paper gift. You could also mark out some special days or jot down some personal messages before handing it over.
Diaries are also lovely keepsakes, especially for people who love organisation and stationery. Opt for a normal daily or weekly diary, or maybe find something more relevant to their interests, like a happiness, fitness, or business planner.
Colouring Books
Colouring books aren’t just for children any more. Colour therapy has been shown to be a great way to calm minds and take some time out of busy days. Perfect for creative minds!
Vouchers
A fun twist on the paper first wedding anniversary gift could be to buy a voucher for something special, like an experience day, cocktails or dinner.
You could print the voucher on special paper — something thick, textured or foiled, for example — and hand it over in a bespoke calligraphy envelope.
Accessories
Another way to let paper inspire your first anniversary gift is to think about items that share a connection with it. Perhaps a paper airplane shaped necklace or cufflinks, or a designer fountain pen?
I hope these ideas have given you some great ideas for paper first year wedding anniversary gifts.
Guest post by Vaishali Shah of Ananya
Images from…
Message in a Bottle: Pixabay
Boxed Album: Ananya
Hardback Book: Unsplash
