It can always be a tricky task, finding the right anniversary gift for your loved ones, did you know that there are specific gifts relating to different anniversary years? This makes choosing gifts a little easier and more meaningful than the obligatory bunch of flowers year in and year out!
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Here’s a traditional gift guide to the first ten years of marriage.
Each year has a traditional and modern option to make choosing easier.
1st anniversary – The traditional theme for a first wedding anniversary is paper, the modern theme is clocks. Paper is obviously the most affordable, which may be convenient for strapped for cash newly weds! Gift ideas could include a newspaper relating to your wedding day, books, stationary or how about a jar filled with promises for the year ahead?
2nd anniversary – The traditional gift is cotton, which allows for a plethora of gift ideas. New bedding, cotton robes or cotton nightwear for starters. The modern theme is china, perhaps you could invest in some china cups or dinner sets that will be appreciated for years to come.
3rd anniversary – Leather, the traditional choice would be accommodated with gifts of wallets, purses or possibly a handbag. Crystal and glass are the modern theme.
4th anniversary – A luxury bouquet of flowers matches the traditional theme of fruit and flowers for a 4th anniversary. The modern option is an electrical appliance!
5th anniversary – Anything wooden is the traditional choice for a 5th celebration. You can buy lovely gifts made of wood such as carvings, furniture, sculptures or perhaps a wooden plaque declaring your love for each other. The modern alternative is silverware.
6th anniversary – The modern gift is wood, which we just read about for the traditional fifth. The traditional gift for the sixth is sugar or candy with iron as the alternative. Sugar options include chocolate, candy, afternoon tea and cake. Iron is perhaps a little more tricky and you may need to be creative in your search for an ornamental piece made of iron.
Please don’t buy your other half an actual clothes iron, as it may not be appreciated! But maybe a set of golf clubs?
7th anniversary – Your traditional options for a 7th anniversary are copper and wool. Gift ideas include knitwear, bedding, kitchenware and anything made from cashmere. Brass or a desk set are the modern options.
8th anniversary – Traditionally bronze is the gift of choice, there are many stunning ornamental gifts made from bronze. The modern theme is linen and lace, so perhaps more bedding?
9th anniversary – Pottery and willow allow for lovely traditional gift options, how about a picnic hamper, willow sculpture for the garden or a painting pots class? Leather is the modern alternative, so if you didn’t buy that handbag for your 3rd anniversary, now is your chance.
10th anniversary – Wow, you’ve been together for a whole decade! Celebrate traditionally with a gift made from tin. It sounds a little uninspiring however with a little creativity you could find something lovely for your garden or maybe fill a tin with something that your other half would love, a decade is an achievement after all. The modern theme is diamond jewelry, a nice antique diamond necklace would surely be appreciated!
This is a contributed post.
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Very Nice Article,
I appreciate your article. You have shared great specific ideas relating to different anniversary years. This article will help people to get creative ideas for celebrating their anniversary. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, my parents will have their 20th anniversary soon. I still have no clues on what to give them. Your article will be very useful to me! Thank you.
You’re welcome.
An anniversary sundial is a good idea, it is a clock that tells time using the sun. We have one that sits on the window sill and makes rainbows in the room when the sun shines. It was handmade just for us with a special date line that the time shadow follows on our anniversary day each year, and there is a mark on that line that the shadow touches at the actual moment of our ceremony. We’ve had it for several years and it works great – I think it is one of the best wedding or anniversary gifts that I have ever heard of!
What an amazing, priceless timepiece! I love this idea!