1st Anniversary Gifts - Starting a Tradition

A year has passed since one of the most important days of your life transpired, that’s right, your wedding day. Now the first anniversary of that date is coming up. A 1st anniversary gift is significant; it is a representation of the commitment and love in the marriage.

Bearing in mind the magnitude of this 1st wedding anniversary, shopping for an suitable gift is going to involve a lot more effort than just visiting the florist for a dozen roses. Red roses are a grand romantic present for many dates like birthdays and Valentines Day, but fall short of the attention to detail needed for a 1st anniversary gift.

As this is your first anniversary, now would be a good time to make a decision whether you desire to follow the “traditional” or “modern” anniversary gift list each year, or fashion your own tradition.

Shopping for a romantic gift while trying to follow the “traditional” anniversary gift list can be difficult. Which will make these gifts all that much more exceptional because of the consideration and resourcefulness that went into picking them?

The “traditional” wedding anniversary gift list starts with paper, for the first anniversary, and ends with the 75th anniversary and is diamond. The “modern” wedding anniversary gift list begins with clocks on the 1st year and stops with diamonds for the 75th anniversary. The modern list is much more specific in its suggestions, which makes it very hard if not impractical to find a romantic gift for some years like the 2nd and 4th years which are “china” and “appliances”; I don’t remember ever seeing a sexy blender or a romantic stove.

Not very well known or popular there are three other list for wedding anniversaries and their corresponding gifts, the anniversary gemstone, color & flower list. The anniversary gemstone and floral list are believed to have been created by jewelers and florist associations after the practice of gift giving on wedding anniversaries became very widespread.

The traditional anniversary gift list, states the 1st wedding anniversary gift is paper

No matter which list, if any that you choose to follow, remember that the 1st wedding anniversary is a milestone, so commemorate it with a gift of love and romance.

Should you decide to use the traditional anniversary gift list, it lists “paper” for the 1st anniversary. At first glance “paper” looks impossible to find a thoughtful and or romantic gift. But with a little imaginative thought and resourcefulness you’ll find there is a lot of potential in finding the ideal gift of paper.

Paper Roses, another great gift of paper. You get to stick with the “traditional list” and plus you have the romantic allure of roses. There are several websites where you can find paper roses; some places like The Anniversary Rose specialize in 1st anniversary gifts and can add personalization to them for you, with names, dates or even photos.

Artwork on paper, this can be anything from limited edition & numbered prints to posters, a pencil or charcoal rendering of a wedding photo would make a very special gift indeed.

Tickets, this could be as inexpensive as tickets to a local movie theater or elaborate as airline tickets to some exotic location.

Personalized poems or love letters, this a great gift idea of paper for any budget. Here’s a tip to help make this a truly special anniversary gift; personalize the letter or poem with your spouse’s name, and then print on fine stationary or parchment. Next roll the paper into a scroll and tie with a ribbon or yarn.

Books, these can be anything from common paper backs to a leather bound collector edition, a book signed from your loved ones favorite author could make a very special and memorable gift.

Photographs, framed photos from the wedding or other fond memory.

Treasure Map, this can simple or complex and is only limited to the imagination. The map can lead to gifts that you have placed around the house or a map to love and happiness, your heart, or a combination of both.

Message in a bottle, this is a simple idea, just take a personalized poem, romantic letter or treasure map and roll it tightly tying it off with ribbon or string. Next just insert into a bottle and cork the opening. Older or decorative bottles will add to the effect of this great gift idea.

Using the “traditional anniversary gift list” every year can be an enjoyable and challenging yearly tradition to start; you’ll be astonished at how simple it is to use the list with a little practice.