Choosing a Wedding Anniversary Gift

How to find something special

It’s customary to give a couple a wedding anniversary gift each year as an ongoing celebration of the day they were joined in marriage. Generally, the occasion is marked by the couple themselves and close family members, but certain milestone anniversaries such as a silver anniversary can call for wider celebrations.

If you’re having difficulty coming up with an idea for a wedding anniversary gift, then there is a solution. Tradition dictates that certain materials be used for specific anniversaries.  For instance, a first wedding anniversary gift should be made of paper. This could be a book, art print or perhaps tickets for an event.  The second anniversary is cotton, the third leather, the fourth fruit or flowers, and so on. In recent times a new list has been added, giving modern alternatives to the traditional gifts. So a first wedding anniversary gift can be a clock, a second anniversary china, a third glass or crystal, and a fourth appliances. After the fifteenth anniversary (crystal or watches) they go up in 5-year increments. There are lots of websites online which give you a list of traditional and modern gift ideas. However, most of the major wedding anniversary gifts remain unchanged, such as diamond for 50 years or silver for 25 years.

Of course, you don’t have to follow the wedding anniversary gift customs, be they modern or traditional. You may want to get something a bit different.  For instance, you may want, as a very special gift, to book a vacation for the couple. Some travel agencies arrange celebratory wedding anniversary trips that are sure to leave happy memories. Another idea is to treat your special couple to a night out. Perhaps there’s a restaurant they’ve always wanted to visit, or a show they want to see. Giving them this type of wedding anniversary gift shows that you’ve put some thought and planning into the gift.

There are many online stores specializing in unique, personalized wedding anniversary gifts. These can include hand-crafted items with family photographs on them; poems written especially for the couple; etched glassware; framed pictures and many more.

With such a wide variety to choose from you should find it easy to get the special couple an extra-special wedding anniversary gift.