You've gone on your honeymoon, moved in together and spent your first holidays as a married couple, but now it's time to celebrate your first wedding anniversary. Whether you're gifting your partner or looking for something special for your coupled-up friends (especially if you missed out on their wedding registry), there are a few etiquette tips to keep in mind when cheersing to this milestone.
As you transition from newlyweds to a more established, long-term partnership, we found the best gifts to give your spouse after the first 365 days.
For her | For him | For couples | FAQs | Meet the experts
First anniversary gifts for her
The Ring Thing
If your wife doubles as a fitness fanatic and doesn't want to switch to the silicone ring during workouts, this waterproof, airtight travel jewelry holder is a quick solution. Simply place the accessory inside the container, put the lid on and secure it in place.
Spitfiregirl I F**king Love You Heart Dish
If she doesn't get it by now, she will certainly know when you gift her this ceramic dish. The expressive phrase and heart-shaped mini plate make the perfect combo to keep her favorite jewelry in sight.
Rarton Custom 3D Photo Lamp
Nothing says "I love you" quite like a personalized photo lamp. The lamp can be personalized with a picture of you, which comes with a 3D plate and an engraving on the base. Be forewarned, this custom photo gift might make your spouse cry as soon as she sees it.
Williams Sonoma Classic Solid Adult Apron
If she's the type that loves collecting kitchen tools and preparing fancy meals, gift your wife this personalized apron. She won't have to worry about occasional milk spills or stains any longer!
Gift Boxed Mugs & Glasses
For the woman who goes from coffee to wine o'clock, she will appreciate the pun on the board. This sarcastic yet useful gift is a great anniversary gift to keep the kitchen a bit more organized.
Oakdene Designs Personalised Pop Out Photo Album
This bestselling box comes with big surprises. She won't expect it's a pop-out photo album before opening it. Personalize it with your favorite memories and special moments.
"This photo book is perfect! It’s so cute and well made and unique, and it shipped so quickly!" one shopper said about its quality.
Luna Bean Keepsake Hands Casting Kit
This TikTok hidden gem is an artistic gift for the cultured, creative wife. All you need to do is dip your hands together or surprise her with a sculpture of your hand holding her engagement ring. This will bring back sweet memories to your wifey and maybe even make her shed a tear or two.
Personalized Bamboo Cheese Board Set
Elevate her hosting skills with this efficient charcuterie board set. You can personalize the board with your names and add even your wedding date. Aside from solving any small counter space issues, it also comes with initialed specialty knives, slates, markets and a wine opener.
Custom Engraved Single Bottle Wood Wine
Toast with some chardonnay or pinot noir for your anniversary, but make it extra special. This wooden wine box can be personalized with an engraving and her favorite bottle. You can also customize the piece with your own design for a more sentimental vibe.
Mark & Graham Vegan Leather Cosmetics Case
For the wife who leaves her makeup around, give her a chic cosmetic case to keep all her beauty essentials. With a timeless design, interior compartment and durable material, this makes the perfect makeup bag for the spouse that can't leave home without her skin care and lipstick collection.
Two Become One Wedding Personalized Books
Keep the memories alive with this personalized book set. The package comes with two books for each one of you and can be customized with photos, names and personality types. This is a great way to show your love for your partner while reminding them how you met.
The Bouqs Co. Lemonade
For the sweet woman with a passion for petals, this luxury floral arrangement will add a pop of color to her night table. The box features different sunny tones of classic flowers, including carnations, the traditional first anniversary flower symbolizing "the promise of young, passionate love."
Fortune & Frame Flowered Vines Fortune Locket
She'll feel super fortunate to have you when you give her this thoughtful necklace. Personalize it with a message or place an old fortune cookie paper she has saved.
10K Yellow Gold Infinity Name Necklace
Love her to infinity with this delicate gold necklace. This timeless piece comes with two custom inscriptions and is a personalized accessory that she will cherish for life. The necklace is made with 10K yellow gold and a beautiful chain.
First anniversary gifts for him
Personalized Gift Glass Art
If you share a special song with your spouse, remind him of the lyrics with this artistic gift. Add a special photo and personalize it with your wedding song or favorite album. This is one item that he will keep close to his desk.
Qalo Silicone Ring
For the husband who enjoys a good workout yet despises the damage done to his ring, gift him with this silicone ring that will still show off his married status while protecting his precious metal. Available in six different sizes, this ring is two millimeters thick, so it won't deteriorate no matter how hard the exercise.
OreoID Cookies Gift Box
For the man with a sweet tooth, give him something that'll perk up his palate. Pack a box of Oreos with special personalization of your first year with your names.
Mark & Graham Customizable Leather Money Clip Wallet
Most guys are still rocking with the wallet they got in high school or early college. Gift him with this more professional, grown-up looking leather one that can also be monogrammed with his initials.
Monogrammed Forged Steak Brand
For the husband who loves to stand by the grill, this exclusive steak brand will elevate his meals. Personalize it with his initials and make him feel special every time he cooks. Who knows? Maybe he will start his own steakhouse business.
Mark & Graham Outdoor Wine Bar Set
Cool down the Chardonnay in this wine bar set from Mark & Graham. You can personalize the ice bucket and wine glasses with his initials — a perfect combo for casual entertainment. Also, avoid spill accidents with the low center gravity of the glasses.
Home Wet Bar Oakmont Personalized Globe Decanter Set
Is your spouse into liquor? Update his home bar with this glamorous decanter set featuring a set of glasses. The item is definitely a conversation starter when guests start looking at the globe.
Personalization Mall To My Husband Engraved Sandalwood Watch
As a traditional anniversary gift, the watch will not only tell time but also a special note. Every time he takes it off, he will read your custom message on the back. The watch is made of sandalwood and comes with engraving options for your sweetheart.
First anniversary gifts to share
Questions for Couples Journal
Create meaningful conversations and build a connection with your partner through this journal. The book encompasses fun questions and topics for an insightful discussion with your spouse. Trust us, she will appreciate this thoughtful gift and the colorful graphics inside the pages.
"We’re a couple in our sixties, so this isn’t only for newlyweds, it's for ALL-weds. Highly recommend and a lot of the questions could be used to strengthen friendship and family relationships too," shared one verified reviewer.
We're Not Really Strangers Card Game Couples Edition
Now that you're one year into marriage, you may think that you're close with your partner, but put your knowledge and trust to the test with the couples edition of the hit card game "We're Not Really Strangers."
TableTopics Conversation Starter Cards
Share tidbits or anecdotes with your partner thanks to these conversation starter cards. With prompts such as "What do you love about your hometown?" and "What kind of business would you like to start?" you just might learn something new.
PuzzlesPrint Custom Puzzles
For stay-at-home nights, engage your man in a fun puzzle game. He will enjoy finding each piece to connect your smile and the memorable past. All you need is some wine and start connecting the tiny images.
Uncommon Goods Forever Together Photo Coasters
These fun marble coasters can be used for your glasses or as decor. The set can be personalized with your wedding photos or any other special memory. These will bring some nostalgia to your spouse while he relives all the fun times.
Simmered in Spice: Ethiopian Cooking Class
If one thing that you both love to do together is make a home-cooked dinner together, add more recipes to your arsenal after this authentic Ethiopian cooking class. Taught by chef and entrepreneur Eleni Woldeyes, you'll unpack the complex flavors of the Fragrant Region through three traditional meatless dishes over the hour-long class.
Personalization Mall Love Letter Personalized Weighted Blankets
Cuddle up with a sweet letter every night before bedtime. The weighted blanket has 10 lines to fill them with a meaningful message and is made with 70 percent glass beads. It's a gift that will bring him straight to bed after the show.
Uncommon Goods The Anniversary Journal
Commemorate your first year with this anniversary journal from Uncommon Goods. Place your favorite memories in this journal with custom photos of your ceremony or honeymoon. The journal also features additional pages to record romantic memories and aspirations.
Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 Instant Camera
The first few years are filled with plenty of memory-making events, occasions and small moments in between, so an instant camera is ideal for capturing the perfect vintage-inspired shot at any time.
Frequently asked questions about first year anniversary gifts
What does the first wedding anniversary represent?
While modern couples tend to cohabitate before marriage, the first anniversary sets the tone for future anniversaries. Paper is traditionally gifted for the first wedding anniversary because it symbolizes "the blank page your new marriage gives you," says event planner and creative director Jessica Sloane. More modern couples, however, tend to commemorate the occasion with a clock "to mark the time you've spent together," she adds.
When it comes to anniversary gifting, Sloane recommends highlighting the special day with a photo book or a personalized object. "For couples who wrote their own vows or had a meaningful reading during their ceremony, consider getting that framed," she adds.
Why is paper the first wedding anniversary?
Aside from tradition, paper is very symbolic and a major milestone in your relationship. "Paper is a fitting start because the material is delicate, just like the early stages of your marriage. It’s also symbolic — blank pages are a reminder of this new chapter of your life as a married duo," says executive editor and wedding expert at The Knot, Lauren Kay.
There are many ways to celebrate this traditional anniversary with paper-related items. Kay recommends gifting stationery, concert tickets, a book, a printed photo from your honeymoon or a heartfelt art object.
What else can you gift for your first anniversary?
You don't have to cling to traditional gifts! Couples can also reminisce with something more personal or splurge on a vacation.
"I’m a firm believer that [anything goes] as long as the gift is thoughtful, and therefore impactful," shares Jamie Kutchman Wynne, gift expert and founder of Marigold & Grey.
Kutchman Wynne noted that while most loved ones don't keep up with a couple's wedding anniversary after the ceremony and reception, giving them a unique gift to toast their first year together is a thoughtful move if the couple didn't have a wedding registry in the first place.
"They’re choosing gifts that most pertain to the couple and what they might enjoy versus being confined to gifting based on the number of years together."
Meet the experts
- Jessica Sloane is an event planner, creative director, designer and stylist based in Nashville.
- Jamie Kutchman Wynne is the founder and CEO of Marigold & Grey. She is based in Washington, D.C.
- Lauren Kay is the executive editor of The Knot and The Bump. She is based in New York City.
