Author: Phil Rendell

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Inspirational Words for your Wedding Anniversary

Words to inspire you

A wedding anniversary is traditionally a time to celebrate the joy of a marriage, but more and more these days people are trying to divorce before the gold has even worn off their wedding rings. Thankfully, for those couples that have made it through some of the toughest times in their love lives and those that are hoping to last forever, here are some inspirational messages to help you find the right words on your wedding anniversary.

  • A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. – Mignon McLaughlin
  • A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. – Paul Sweeney
  • Anniversary is the day you remember that both of you committed to a lifetime of love and relationship. Cheers then for remembering!
  • Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. – Lao Tzu
  • Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years. – Simone Signoret
  • Every year with you is sweeter than the last. You are my endless love.
  • Grant me a sense of humour, Lord. The saving grace to see a joke, to win some happiness from life, and pass it on to other folk. – Old Irish toast
  • All my love for you free. Wishing you a very happy anniversary!
  • Hoping that the love you shared years ago, is still as strong today. Then bringing you much joy, love and happiness to celebrate again.
  • If I know what love is, it is because of you. – Herman Hesse
  • It’s not where you go or what you do, it’s who you take along with you.
  • I’m as happy as a Frenchman who’s invented a pair of self-removing trousers – Prince George, Blackadder III
  • Have a happy anniversary. A day that’s filled with fun. And remember the day that you two became one!
  • I’ve learned that you can’t make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they’ll panic and give in. – Emo Philips.
  • Let us celebrate the love we share, and the days that we will keep loving each other till the end.
  • Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved. – Victor Hugo
  • Love brought you together as husband and wife, and gave each of you a best friend for life.
  • Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  • Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. – Aristotle
  • Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over Philadelphia. – Judith Viorst.
  • Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
  • Love one another and you will be happy. It is as simple and as difficult as that. – Michael Leunig
  • Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. – Mark Twain
  • Many special memories shared, Many more memories to make.
  • Marriage is a three ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering. – Anonymous
  • Marriage is a work in progress with a lifetime contract. – Phyllis Koss
  • Marriage is that relation between man and women in which the independence is equal, the dependence mutual, and the obligation reciprocal.
  • Marriage isn’t that big a deal any more ’cause it’s so easy to get divorced. You want commitment? Buy a house. Nothing says love like thirty years of debt together. – Tom Pecora.
  • Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking. – Chinese Proverb
  • Marry me and you’ll be farting through silk for the rest of your life – Robert Mitchum.
  • May love continuously rule your relationship, as you rule each other with patience and care. Wishing you a lifetime of wonderful years together.
  • May today be filled with happy memories of the past and bright hopes for the future.
  • Nothing in this world could ever be as wonderful as the love you’ve given me. Your love makes my days so very bright, just knowing you’re my darling wife.
  • On this our anniversary, we may not have wealth, but we do have each other and that is worth more than all the money in the world. – Catherine Pulsifer
  • Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. – Gene Perret
  • The goal of our life should not be to find joy in marriage, but to bring more love and truth into the world. – Leo Tolstoy
  • The highest happiness on earth is marriage. – William Lyon Phelps
  • The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.
  • The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret. – Henry Youngman
  • The secret to having a good marriage is to understand that marriage must be total, it must be permanent and it must be equal. – Frank Pittman
  • There is no feeling more comforting and consoling than knowing you are right next to the one you love.
  • There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.- Martin Luther
  • To the beautiful couple in all the land, May your anniversary be Happy and Grand.
  • To the couple who found love and live with it.
  • True love stories never have endings. – Richard Bach
  • Two souls with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one. – Friedrich Halm
  • Where there is love there is no darkness. – Burundi Proverb
  • You don’t marry someone you can live with. You marry the person who you cannot live without.
  • Your love makes my days happy and bright. Into my world you brought pure delight. Joy beyond reason you’ve given me. Our love is true, this I can see.

I hope that you enjoyed this collection of love quotes and sayings. I tried to include a wide variety of different types of quotes, so hopefully there is something here for everyone. If you have any other suggestions please feel free to leave a comment below..

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50th Anniversary Gifts for your Parents

50th
50th Wedding Anniversary Gifts

If you’re looking for some great gift ideas for your parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, we’ve got you covered.

The 50th anniversary is also known as the golden wedding because it’s traditionally celebrated with gold gifts. This makes it relatively easy to find a gift for your mum, but a bit more difficult for your dad or when you’re buying a joint present. Follow the links for some of our ideas that are great 50th wedding anniversary gifts for your mum and dad. The ideas should enable both your parents to enjoy the gift.

For more ideas check out our 50th Anniversary Gifts page. If you want more details on the actual anniversary check out our 50th Wedding Anniversary page.

Table of contents

Golden Wedding Gift Ideas

The term “Golden Wedding” is traditional—it’s commonly used to refer to the 50th wedding anniversary celebration. But you can also use it to describe any golden-themed item that will make a great gift!

It’s easy to make your Golden Wedding gifts extra special by adding personal touches like photos of your loved ones or their favorite hobbies. If they’re into sports, get some sports memorabilia or tickets to a game—they’ll love it!

Modern 50th Anniversary Gifts

50th wedding anniversary gifts can be tricky. The traditional theme is gold, but the modern gift list theme has a slight variation, and suggests gold jewelry.

If you’re looking for a gift that will impress your loved ones, try a set of gold pens, or a pair of complementary bracelets. You could also get a necklace set or watches for each other!

Golden Wedding History

The earliest recorded celebrations show the Husband presents his wife with a Gold Garland to wear. This was normally at a family celebration. Celebrating 50 years also maps into the biblical events of their second jubilee as each jubilee traditionally lasted 25 years.

Gold also replaces the gemstone gift theme. Thus you could take the opportunity to have a gold themed day. Spending time together with gold being used throughout the day. As you can eat gold leaf, you could have a nice meal with gold leaf making an appearance or you could simply be content with some beautiful gold jewellery such as updated wedding rings.

There are few people in this world who deserve to be celebrated on their 50th anniversary as much as your parents. They’ve raised you and given up so much over the years, and now it’s time for you to give back. That being said, there’s no one-size-fits-all gift for a parent’s 50th anniversary. While some people might prefer that you give them something valuable like jewelry or artworks, others might enjoy something more personal like framed pictures from their past together or even some new clothes from a trip they can remember. In any case, here are some ideas for gifts that will make your parents feel special:

50th Anniversary Gift ideas

Personalized marriage certificate

A personalised marriage certificate is one of the best gifts you can give your parents. For example, if your parents live in Florida, you could have the certificate printed on beach-themed paper and frame it as part of a decorating scheme for their new home. Likewise, if they live in California, you could have the document printed on Hollywood Boulevard street signs.

Additionally, if your parents are getting married or renewing their vows this year (or even if they aren’t), a personalized marriage certificate makes an excellent wedding anniversary gift! This keepsake will remind them of how much love brought them together—and how much love continues to bind them to each other today.

Golden wedding logo clothing

If your parents are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, they will surely appreciate any gift that comes with a golden wedding logo. This rectangular piece of metal looks like an envelope and has “Golden Wedding” engraved on the front. You can purchase it from several different retailers, including Amazon and eBay, who will deliver the item directly to your parents’ home.

If you want to get really fancy with your present for Mom or Dad’s big day, consider buying them a set of cufflinks that bear their names (or even initials) as well as their anniversary date etched inside—this one has our vote!

Anniversary photo book

Making a photo book is an excellent way to show your love and appreciation for the years of their marriage. You can make it personal by including photos of you and them together, as well as any other family members who are important to both of you. A keepsake like this will be something they can look back on for years to come.

If you want more guidance in creating this gift, popular photo-book providers like Shutterfly and Snapfish offer easy tools for designing books from scratch or working with templates that are already made up for you (like our example).

Amore Golden 50th Anniversary Wedding Gifts Then & Now Photo Frame - 6

Amore Golden 50th Anniversary Wedding Gifts Then & Now Photo Frame – 6″x4″

Fine quality collectable keepsake photo frame from the Amore by Juliana gifts range. This lovely photo frame celebrates the special couple’s 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary. Cream engineered wood design with Silver script and a built-in stand. Lacquer coated, tarnish resistant. Simple but elegant, this makes an excellent present to give or to receive.

$29.99
Shop now

Reflections keepsake box

A keepsake box is a great way to celebrate a milestone anniversary, but it’s also a gift that can be treasured for years to come. When gifting a keepsake box, you want to make sure it’s personalized with photos and messages that are meaningful to the recipient. If your mom loves reading and cooking books from her childhood, then she would love something like this:

A custom-made book cover with her favorite author on it! You could even have it made in the shape of an old-fashioned library card so she can slide her favorite novel into her new book jacket.

This would be perfect for dad who likes collecting vinyl records or CDs. You could get him one of those fancy record players where you can put all your old music in front of you so they’re easier to access—and maybe even play some tunes while he’s working on his next project at home!

Mugs

Mugs are a great 50th anniversary gift idea. You can personalise the mug with photos, sayings and dates of your parents’ wedding day. If you want to make it extra special, consider buying a mug that is shaped like a wedding ring or one with the 50th anniversary logo on it.

Poster showing every year of their marriage

You can make a poster to show every year of their marriage. Take a picture of them every year and put them in chronological order. This is a great way to show how much they have changed over the years, and you can use the photos to make a video too!

Art from their wedding vows

Your parents have been together for 50 years and they’re still in love. You can make this a special moment by giving them a personal gift that reflects their love. A wedding vow is a promise to love each other forever, be faithful to each other, support each other, and always be there for each other.

Record a CD of memories from important people in their lives

Have the important people in their lives record a CD of memories and stories. They can talk about how they met your parents. How they feel about them now, and what makes your parents special to them.

You should also include pictures of each person as they are today so that your parents will know what they look like as well as when they were younger. A photo collage is a great way to show this off! If you don’t have access to any photos from childhood or before, try taking some yourself—just make sure it’s not blurry or out of focus!

To make things easier for those who may not remember everything clearly anymore (or who just aren’t very good at remembering details), give them an outline with some prompts that include questions such as: What was my favorite food when I was five years old? What did we do together most often during our vacations? How long have we known each other? This will help jog their memory when it comes time for recording their thoughts on tape or CD.

Create a ‘story of your life’ book for them.

As a kid, I always thought my parents were the most interesting and amazing people in the world. They had such interesting stories and they knew so much! By creating a book about their life together and sharing those stories with them, you can relive those memories and make new memories along with them. The best part is that this may be done by hand or on computer – however you want to do it! You could make it as long or short as you wish depending on how much time/money/skillz you have!

If possible, include pictures from when your parents were younger as well as photos of things that happened throughout several years of their marriage. Letters from friends are also fun to read through later on because they give insight into what life was like back then without having been there yourself (like letters between my grandparents when they first started dating). Think about other mementos that would represent important moments in their lives – artwork created by them while dating? A song written by one parent for another? A bracelet given out to all family members at Christmas every year? Those things will become even more special when put into this book because they’re part of something greater than just one person’s experience; they’re part of an entire family’s history – which makes up who we all are today!

Take them out to dinner with family and friends and organise a small gift.

Take your parents out to dinner and arrange a gift that they can open together with you. This is a great way to spend time with your parents and celebrate the occasion. Make sure you organise something special by asking everyone to wear their best clothes. Even hire a photographer if there are children attending.

Before booking any venues for the occasion, make sure you can open gifts in front of the family members present. While it may be tempting to just go out for dinner at their favourite restaurant (and then get them an edible gift), why not treat them with something unique instead?

The finest quality 24k gold jewellery being displayed on a table with a vase full of Violets , highly-detailed
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary with Gold and Violets

A framed letter from you expressing how much they mean to you.

A framed letter from you expressing how much they mean to you. Along with this perhaps, photos of the two of you together over the years.

The best 50th anniversary gifts are those are often ones you personalize, are meaningful and special. A framed letter is a great way to show your parents how much they mean to you and what an impact they’ve had on your life. You can also include photos of yourself as a child growing up with them. This so they have a visual reminder of what it was like when they were raising their children together.

In Conclusion

One of the best things about these gifts is that they don’t have to be expensive. You can find most of them online at affordable prices and you can make them yourself if you’re crafty enough. If you want something more elaborate, then buying an album or a framed letter might be a better option – but either way, we hope that you find something here that will help your parents celebrate their big day.

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When is Mary & Joseph’s Wedding Anniversary

I noticed today (23rd January) on Twitter someone put forward the fact that it is Mary & Joseph’s Wedding Anniversary. Given the level of fake news around I figured I’d at least check this before blindly retweeting. Oh boy, I wish I hadn’t.

Firstly, religious scholars differ on whether they were married when Jesus was born and if you can’t agree on this fact how can you decide when they were actually married!

The things that can be determined seem to come mostly from the gospels of Matthew and Luke. The details get blurred when translations from ancient languages to modern struggle with the intent of words. For example, the ancient word to describe a wife can in certain contexts also simply refer to a woman.

The whole basis of the difference seems to be on whether betrothed is a state of marriage in ancient Hebrew scriptures means they were engaged or married.

There are plenty of resources, if you search, discussing these points however none address the actual date of when they married and thus their actual wedding anniversary. From our perspective it would seem they were married before Jesus was born, otherwise, why would Mary travel to Bethlehem with Joseph for the Census? He was from there and she was not thus would have travelled to her town if not married to him.

The Marriage of the Virgin (Raphael)

It is all a bit frustrating as we cannot confirm what date even if they wed before or after Jesus was born and the closest we came was someone declaring that they married in 2BC based on the latest astronomical calculations. No day through! Some photos would be good, sadly though the earliest know image was not produced until the 5th Century and it had no babies in it!

Given the slow decline in the quality of material available through the search engines I suspect we’ll not easily find an answer to this question so cannot endorse this being their wedding anniversary. I would love to hear any thoughts on their specific marriage day, feel free to comment.

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How to make your first Valentine’s Day as a couple a success!

your first Valentine's Day as a couple

If you’ve been together for a while but married for only a short time, your first Valentine’s Day as a couple can be an emotional time. You have this common experience to share with each other. But it’s also something new: A marriage makes everything more serious. After all, you’re now a “we” instead of just an “I.” And what does that mean about your relationship? Are you ready for all the ways that can change your lives?

As with any major life change, like getting married. You need to take some time and reflect on how things will go forward. Here are some questions to ask yourself as we transition into this new era of our love story:

  • What will our common Valentine’s Day traditions be?
  • Should we have a shared box of chocolates?
  • A romantic dinner out?
  • A special gift for each other?

This is the time to decide what you want your relationship to look like.

Saint Valentines Day

You’ve been together on previous Valentine’s Days, but now you’re married.

If you’ve been together on previous Valentine’s Days, but now you’re married. You know that you are married and that your relationship has changed—you are now a team. There are new responsibilities and expectations that come with being married to your spouse. Take them in your stride, they are for your sole mate after all!

There are also new opportunities for love and romance. You can still have fun together, but now you can do it as a married couple!

You may have had a long-term relationship, but your Valentine’s Day traditions may not have been firmly established.

Valentine’s Day is a good opportunity to get to know each other better romantically. Talk about what you want out of your relationship. It can be a time for you both to share your hopes and dreams. Or it can be used as a catalyst for deeper discussions about the future.

You may have had a long-term relationship before getting married, but celebrating Valentine’s Day together as newlyweds gives you another chance to talk about what it means for both of you.

St Valentine's Day

Going for the heavy romance is probably going to feel weird before it feels good.

I know it’s hard to think about Valentine’s Day when you’re in the thick of things, but I think it’s important that you do. This is your first one as a married couple, and it might feel weird before it feels good.

Valentine’s Day can be a fun time for couples who’ve been together for some time. This is because they have their own rhythm and routine. But if you’re still feeling out your new dynamic, then going for the heavy romance may feel weird before it feels good.

You might not know what to do or how to make it special. This can make even simple gestures feel like overwhelming tasks on this day of all days. If your partner isn’t feeling especially romantic either, then things could get worse. The best solution, as always, is to have a discussion in advance of Valentine’s day.

If you have the resources to do something nice, by all means, go for it.

If you can’t do something big and romantic, don’t worry about it. You’re married! If you have the resources to do something nice, by all means, go for it. But if not, that’s okay too.

For example:

  • You can have a silly time with friends and family (think dollar store crafts and pizza).
  • You can get away from the city lights on some nature walk or hike through a nearby park. (You don’t even need to bring food—just your appetite!).
  • Or if you’re feeling extra adventurous (or brave) take a trip somewhere warm and sunny where there’s lots of palm trees!
Valentine's Day

Don’t break the bank on your first Valentine’s Day as a couple.

Don’t worry about spending a lot of money on your Valentine’s Day gift. Save your cash for an event that is more personal to you as a couple such as your wedding anniversary!

  • If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, ask your spouse what they like or want. This will make it easier to give them a meaningful gift that they will enjoy.
  • Don’t buy things just because you think they’ll impress people. It can get expensive, and sometimes the gifts end up being things you don’t actually like or even use.

Keep it simple and affordable, but do something special.

I think it’s important to keep things simple and affordable. This is not the time to go reckless on your partner with expensive gifts or lavish plans for the evening.

There will be plenty of other opportunities for that later in life. Valentine’s Day is a good time to just focus on being together and enjoying each other’s company without having an agenda or expectation hanging over your heads.

That said, I think one thing that can really help make the day special is doing something you don’t normally do together. Going out on a date at an actual restaurant instead of ordering takeout home from work like we did this past year (yep).

If there are things you’ve been wanting to try as a couple but haven’t had time yet. Or if there are activities you want your partner around when trying them out—now may be the perfect opportunity!

But even though I’m saying all this stuff about making it simple and affordable…don’t let me discourage anyone from splurging on something especially nice for their beloved.

Discuss what your expectations are and understand theirs.

Take time to discuss whether you want to celebrate your new marriage on this day or just celebrate Valentine’s Day in general as you always have, or if you want to make sure you don’t celebrate at all (for whatever reason).

Many couples take the opportunity of their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple to celebrate the milestone with friends and family. It’s important that both partners are happy with how they choose to mark this day, so be sure that the discussion is respectful of each other’s wishes and feelings.

You can tell when something becomes too much for one partner or neither person really wants it but feels obligated because of pressure from others. If either of these situations apply, now is a good time to assess what matters most in your relationship.

Don’t let the holiday overwhelm you

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that can feel overwhelming, especially if you are new to being married. If you have never celebrated Valentine’s Day before as a couple. It can be hard to know what to do for the occasion.

There are many things that couples do for their significant others on this day: buying flowers, cooking dinner together at home, going out for dinner at a fancy restaurant or even hiring an expensive babysitter so that they can go away together as a couple without kids around.

It is important not to let these expectations get in the way of enjoying yourself during this holiday! You don’t have to spend lots of money or do something elaborate if you don’t want to – just focus on doing something nice for your sweetie (or vice versa).

And if all else fails? Take solace in knowing that this day isn’t nearly as important as the love between two people who share it together.

Valentines Day

Final Thoughts

We hope this has helped you think about what kind of Valentine’s Day you want to have and how to make it special for your new marriage. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just remember that this is supposed to be fun! Don’t stress about it too much. You’ll figure out what works best for the two of you and have a great time doing so!

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Anniversary Gift Ideas for your Wife

Anniversary Gifts for Her

Anniversary gifts symbolise many things. On your upcoming anniversary, she would love to receive the gift that also means you’re looking forward to the coming years of being by her side.

Shopping for an anniversary gift for your wife can be hard. There are so many things to consider, from what she likes to how much money you’re willing to spend. We’ve put together some great pointers based on their personality traits that will make this process a little easier.

Always Glamorous

Your wife is always glamorous. You can be sure that she will take her time to get ready, and it shows. A safe bet is to give her something that’s in line with the latest make-up fashions or styles. Look in her make-up bag for inspiration: if something has been used extensively, then a replenishment could be just what your wife needs!

Jewellery is always a great option for a glamorous lady. Check their wardrobe for the colors they prefer, select jewellery to match or contrast these colors, then add some personalization if you like (such as engraving).

Itchy Feet Traveller

Itchy Feet Traveller in the mountains on a summer's day

Traveling is a great way to spend time together. It keeps you both active and adventurous, which is something most people want in their lives.

Traveling can also be an incredible gift for your wife if you know where she wants to go. If she has been talking about visiting Paris, or Italy, or Spain—then surprise her with a trip! You could plan it at the last minute or book everything early on in advance for the best experience possible when traveling with your wife.

When thinking about how you want your wife to feel on this trip, keep in mind that it should be one of the best times of her life so far (if not THE best). Your wife will feel like royalty because of how much effort went into creating this wonderful experience for her!

The only thing left now is making sure that everything goes according to plan and she doesn’t suspect anything until after she’s been whisked away from home!

Sophisticated

It is important to know what your wife’s style is before you purchase a gift for her. If you don’t, then your gift will not be as appreciated or enjoyed. It would be like giving someone a shirt that they hate, but it was the only one you liked in the store.

Ask yourself these questions: What are her favorite designers? What are her favorite brands? What color(s) does she prefer? Does she wear accessories more often than clothes?

If you can answer these questions, then getting the right anniversary gift will be much easier on both of your parts!

Sentimental Signora 

If your wife is sentimental, then you will have to be extra careful when picking a gift. The best way to do this is by remembering the past.

Make her feel like she is special and that she has been there for you through thick and thin. Even if it means just spending some time together, do it with love and be more caring than before.

Also, remember to listen to her because she needs someone who will listen to every word of hers with great interest as well as care about what she says or how she feels at any given moment in time. These are very important things for both partners in a relationship regardless of whether they are married or not so always remember that even though it may seem simple at first glance but there’s more depth behind each action we take during our daily lives which makes them even more precious than anything else we could possibly imagine having around us; therefore try not losing sight of this precious commodity while making plans out there today because it may end up costing us dearly later on down the road if we don’t pay attention now when everything should still be okay between two people who share mutual feelings towards one another!

Gourmet Foodie

If your wife is a foodie, you can never go wrong with gourmet foodie gifts. This category of gifts is for the gourmand who loves good food and enjoys trying new things. If your wife falls into this category, then she will most certainly appreciate any of these gift ideas:

  • Foodie Gift Basket – A gift basket filled with all kinds of delicious treats that your wife can savor while watching television or reading a book after dinner is always a great choice. You could include crackers and cheese, chocolates, wine pairings, jams and jellies…the possibilities are endless!
  • Wine And Cheese Party In Your Own Home – Have an intimate gathering at home where you serve up some fabulous wines paired with some tasty cheeses (if you choose to use imported cheeses). The best part about this idea is that it doesn’t cost much money but allows everyone attending to feel like they’re at some fancy restaurant in France!

Always make it Special

  • Make it special. If you want to make an impact, the best thing you can do is go above and beyond. Make sure your wife has a memorable day, one that she’ll always remember.
  • Be creative. Don’t be afraid of being different or original, as this is what will set your gift apart from the rest! Don’t just get her a box of chocolates or flowers; think outside the box and give her something that she knows means more than just money spent on it (if there even is such a thing).
  • Don’t be afraid to spend more than usual. As long as your budget allows for it, try getting her something really good by spending more than usual—she’s worth it! You don’t need to go overboard with expensive gifts all the time though—just once in awhile will suffice if done right 🙂

Final thoughts

If you’re looking to make her happy on an Anniversary, then I hope you found what you needed here.

We’ve covered everything from the most common gifts to more unique ones that are sure to surprise. This list is full of ideas for your wife–and if one of them sounds like something she would love, go for it! You deserve only the best on your special day 🙂

Happy Anniversary!

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First Wedding Anniversary Gifts

1 year anniversary gifts

Are you looking for first anniversary gifts? Well, look no further! Our selection of first anniversary gift ideas has everything you need to celebrate your first year of marriage. From traditional symbols to more modern themes, we have something for everyone. So take a look at our lists and find the perfect gift for your spouse!

Contents.

How Do I Celebrate My 1st Wedding Anniversary?

There are many ways to celebrate your wedding anniversary. You could have a party, go on a holiday, or just spend some time together at home.

How you choose to celebrate your first wedding anniversary will set the tone for many years of marriage. That’s why it’s important to take some time before making any final decisions about what you want to do.

Here are some things to think about:

  • Do you want to celebrate in an intimate way with just the two of you? Or do you want to invite family and friends?
  • What kind of food would be best? Should it be something traditional—like pizza or kebabs—or something more creative?
  • What kind of gift would be appropriate? Should it be paper-related, or should it have some other meaning for either of you?
celebration scene

If you are a party animal nothing is stopping you from having a party, getting your mates round, and watching the wedding video together over a take-away and a few beers. Given Paper is the traditional symbol the ideal food would be Pizza or kebabs in their takeaway wrapper as they are all served in some form of paper.

Resist the urge to give a paper book as the 4th anniversary has a traditional theme of books and if you’ve given it three years earlier then you could limit your choice.

Photographic paper to actually print your wedding photos which could give rise to a whole bout of events as you show your friends and relatives.

First year wedding anniversary presents

Several anniversary gift lists suggest the material or symbol to base a present on. The traditional gift list suggests Paper as the appropriate theme. This is also why it is known as the paper anniversary. There is also a modern gift list and this suggests the modern gift is themed on Clocks for the first anniversary.

Two other useful gift lists exist that are popular are the gemstone gift list and the flower gift list. The gemstone list recommends first anniversary gift ideas are based on Fresh Water Pearls and the appropriate flowers for the first anniversary are Pansies.

None of these gift lists are mandatory to follow, as the pirates say! “these be more guidelines.” They are provided to help you select that perfect anniversary gift and add some interest over the years to help you celebrate your special day. We hope we can help by providing you with the best anniversary gifts available on the internet today.

Paper Anniversary Gift Ideas

  • Anniversary Memories Book
  • 1st Anniversary Journal
  • Stationary printed with your initials.
  • Post Cards or Stamps.
  • Calendars
  • Newspaper or Magazine Subscriptions.
  • Origami Paper and instructional books.
  • Paper Mache Boxes.
  • Jigsaw puzzles (of the wedding.)
  • Paperweights and paper-related items such as paper clips, paper cutting dies.
  • Paper Flowers.
  • Framed sheet music (Your Song, First Dance, or something up to date)
anniversary gifts

Modern First Anniversary Gift Ideas

The one year anniversary gift has a theme of clocks. If you’re opting to buy a clock gift then opt for one to match your lifestyle.

  • Anniversary Clock
  • Mantle commemoration clock.
  • Alexa Clock
  • Picture Clock
  • Personalized Desk Clock
  • Egg Timer
  • Clock/Thermometer/Barometer
  • Time Trials (Motor Racing/Horse/Athletics)

Gemstone First Anniversary Ideas

Fresh Water Pearls are the appropriate gemstone as an anniversary gift.

  • Traditional Pearl Necklace,
  • Freshwater Pearl Cufflinks
  • Freshwater Pearl Bracelet
  • Signature Freshwater Pearl Pendant

First Anniversary Activity Ideas

Many people love to do something together for their 1st Anniversary, so we’ve pulled some ideas together that fit with the traditional theme of paper.

  • Paper Roadmap with a route marked to a romantic getaway.
  • Origami Paper and link to YouTube videos of instructional videos. e.g. Origami Heart
  • Paper tickets to an event be it sport, concert, or theatrical.
  • Fish and Chip supper by the Sea
  • Picnic with Paper table-covering and plates.

First Anniversary Gift ideas to each other

  • Books (Perhaps a personalized Wedding Album with their favorite photos)
  • An Anniversary Journal (great to record for future years)
  • Art Prints
  • Sheet Music (duets are ideal, that you could learn together)
  • Paper Flowers/Jewelry
  • Papier mache figurines
  • Road Atlas to a romantic hideaway

More first wedding anniversary gift ideas

Do you have first anniversary gift ideas? Great! Here are some first anniversary gifts to consider also.

– Paper Anniversary Gift. We have a wide variety of paper anniversary gifts, including cards and photo albums – the perfect way to commemorate your first year together

– Engraved One Year Anniversary Gifts. If you’re looking for first anniversary gifts that will last forever, we’ve got plenty of options for engraving on metal or wood, which is also an excellent way to commemorate this special occasion in life as well as celebrate your love with something beautiful

– A Personalized 1st Anniversary Gift. For first wedding anniversaries where it’s important to give something unique, we offer personalized gifts like custom-made books.

What’s a perfect first anniversary gift?

When it comes to picking out a gift, it’s always important to think about what the recipient will love the most. If your partner loves spending time in the kitchen, why not get them the newest cooking book? Or if your spouse is a bit of a homebody, give them some luxury bath products to show just how much they mean to you.

As long as you put some time into thinking about what your partner truly wants, you can find the perfect gift that will show them how special they are on their special occasion.

When is my first anniversary?

Now there are no silly questions here, and this is far from silly as it’s far from cut and dry!

Traditionally the day you wed, legally, is selected when you would celebrate your first anniversary. This is a calendar year after your wedding date when you swapped wedding vows in a formal legally binding ceremony.

Nowadays with the decline of traditional marriage, many couples are choosing to commemorate another day. The most common of these being, in no particular order:

  • First date,
  • Commitment Ceremony,
  • First swipe right!
  • First meaningful kiss,
  • When you first moved in together or
  • First night spent together.

Certain religions have two ceremonies, one religion and one civil/legal typically it is the first of these two ceremonies you would celebrate your year anniversary on.

What are 1 year anniversary ideas for my husband

Why are men so difficult to buy for! To be honest they’re not really, especially if you choose to follow the yearly tradition of using the themes to base a gift on. So for the one year anniversary gift, we’ve come up with the suggestions below:

  • Tickets to a sports event or favorite band.
  • Golf Club Membership or 
  • Gift voucher for the local garage/car service.
  • An interesting first edition book with special meaning.
  • A secret codebook is an amazing first anniversary gift idea for men who like to solve mysteries.
  • Newspaper or magazine subscription
  • paper related items such as paperweights
  • Origami Instructions and Paper.

Why is Paper the first anniversary gift?

The reason paper was chosen to represent the traditional first anniversary gift seems to have been lost in the mists of time. There are many reasons offered and the one we like the most is that like fine-quality paper, marriage is delicate. The use of Paper perfectly symbolizes the delicate relationship of the first year of marriage as you find your way together in life.

Do you give gifts for the 1 year dating anniversary?

Typically, no, although that does not mean to say you would not celebrate the event. Couples often mark major events in their life and if meeting the person you are currently dating classes as such then there is no written rule to say you can’t. It would also depend on how both of you feel about such commemorations. A discussion should be held to set expectations from both partners on the way forward.

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Attending an Anniversary celebration and gift giving

What’s the etiquette for anniversary gift giving? Here are some tips to help you decide.

Gold Jewellery Chains and necklaces as gift ideas
Gold Jewellery

Question. We are about to attend a 50th wedding anniversary. We are distant relatives. I realise the 50th is gold. We are wondering about a gift. Do we need to take one? Does it have to be gold?

Answer. Firstly, does the invitation give any clue, sometimes they say no gifts or similar. If not, then within your family circle if similar events occur are gifts given? Is the event formal or informal?

These may help answer your question on whether they would expect a gift. Etiquette experts are torn on this subject some will tell you that an invitation implies a gift should be presented unless explicitly stated no gifts. Whereas others state that an invitation does not mean a gift is mandatory. This , the argue, is dependent upon your family and social circle and their expectations.

As it is the 50th and as you stated it is the Golden Wedding this does not mean the gift has to be Gold. This is merely the symbol for the anniversary.

If you are a distant relative of the couple, it’s not expected that you give a gift. However, if you have a close relationship with them, then it’s always nice to give them something to show your appreciation.

What anniversary gift?

If you plan on giving them a gift, I would recommend going with something personal. An anniversary is all about celebrating the past and looking forward to the future, so I’d say try to find something that represents their relationship or marriage in some way.

If you don’t know what to get them, here are some ideas:

-A picture frame with photos of them throughout the years (more meaningful if they were taken by someone close to them)

-A bottle of wine from their wedding year (or an anniversary wine with their name on it)

Many other 50th anniversary gifts are available such as commemorative glasses, personalised gifts etc. These indicate the anniversary and are not gold. Mementos of the actually wedding are sometimes good or even a photographic history of their life since the marriage. My personal favourite especially for a major anniversary such as this is a bottle of fine wine or champagne bottled in the year they wed. Check our Golden Wedding gift section to see a range of gift ideas for any budget.

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What’s the difference between China, Pottery and Porcelain

We’ve been updating the gift ideas for our anniversary suggestions and wanted to clarify what the difference is between China, Pottery, Porcelain and Bone China. Each of these is a different wedding anniversary symbol.

Pottery

Potter at his wheel finishing a pot.

Pottery (Traditional 8th Wedding Anniversary gift symbol) is a very generic term.  It is generally used to refer to items made from clay.  Within this context, we think it refers to handmade items by the artisan, or craftsperson using their hands, moulds, or a potter’s wheel.

China

China

China, Traditional 20th Wedding anniversary gift symbol. In this context, it refers to dinnerware coming out of the country of China which is particularly fine and generally with a white base.  The mineral Kaolin is used to achieve this look. When originally defined the china symbol inferred good quality products and not the cheap mass-produced items that china produces nowadays. You can still find good quality china products in good quality stores.

Bone china

Bone china, which is a generic term as it has bone ash added to the clay and was the English response to china’s high-quality porcelain exports. Its characteristics give it whiteness and translucency which is often considered better than Chinese porcelain. However, its high manufacturing costs have always kept it in the luxury market rather than the broad spectrum some porcelains enjoy. Originally developed by Wedgewood the name is still synonymous with Bone China today.

Porcelain

Porcelain

Porcelain (Modern 18th Wedding anniversary gift symbol) refers to high-quality ceramics typically originating from the China region.  Kaolin is used in manufacturing. It is usually delicate however it is also somewhat resilient to knocks and rough use. With good-quality Porcelain, you should be able to see the shadow of your fingers if you hold it up to the light with your fingers behind it.

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Very early planning your 1st Anniversary

Anniversaries are important and should be well planned, so planning for your 1st anniversary is no exception. While it’s not a milestone like 5th or 10th anniversaries, it is still important enough to remember with a gift from you. That’s why you should start planning for the 1st marriage anniversary far in advance before the day itself arrives.

If you think you have a lot on your plate at the wedding, just wait until you’re married.

Okay, we’re kidding (sort of). However, it’s true that as you’re planning your wedding, there are some great things you can do during the run-up to the wedding day and immediately after to help make anniversaries more memorable—and maintain a healthy relationship with your partner.

Remembering simple things and jotting them down either on paper, in a blog or in your wedding planner will really help, believe us. After a year of what will be an extremely busy one likely to be full of change and acclimatisation to becoming one-half of a ‘couple’ there will be some details that you wished you had remembered for your 1st anniversary.

You know what we don’t think about enough? The details.

We’ve been married for 24 years, and we still forget to write down the most important things. Like what our first dance song was, or whether we had a DJ or a band. We also have no idea who officiated our wedding. We had three different people in charge of different parts of the ceremony!

So, as an aide memoire for other couples getting married—and because we’re weirdly nostalgic for our own wedding—we’ve put together a list below of some of the things people forget as an aide memoire. Use it as a list to store the details against.

  • First Song Danced to as a married couple.
  • Last song Danced to at the Wedding Celebration.
  • The Menu for the Wedding Breakfast meal.
  • What Champagne you toasted with.
  • What wine was served.
  • The Band or DJs Name.
  • The Official’s name (or their formal title.)
  • All your Guests.
  • The color theme for the wedding.

The Fundamental ones to remember

Someone pointed out that the list above had some glaring omissions on it, to be honest this is true! These are the fundamental ones that anyone should remember when planning for your 1st Wedding anniversary :

  • Who you married!
  • The date you Wed.
  • The time you Wed.
  • Where you Wed.
  • If you had a honeymoon, where it was
  • If you didn’t have a honeymoon, why not.

Is there something you wish you could remember from the actual wedding day? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list as a useful reminder for other couples.

Writing this 24 years on from the original wedding I can say the item I struggle with the most is the actual guest list. We found the photos taken at the time (and a magnifying glass) a great source for some of the info. For example, the wine and champagne.