First Anniversary Gift Ideas for Your 1-Year Wedding Anniversary

Congratulations on this wonderful marriage milestone! You've officially been married for 365 days and it's time to celebrate your one-year wedding anniversary. You're likely preparing to cut into the top tier of your wedding cake that you've been saving for this special occasion, and you may even be searching for the perfect first anniversary gift.

While couples can certainly choose their own wedding anniversary gifts based on their partner's taste, many pairs choose to follow tradition and gift their beloved with a present that fits within the theme of traditional anniversary gifts.

Special occasions should be celebrated, and the first anniversary of your new marriage is certainly one to cherish. After all, it's the first anniversary celebration that you and your new spouse have had as a married couple!

Whether you're searching for a one-year anniversary gift for your beloved or you're gifting a special couple with a present to honor this moment in their young marriage, we're sharing some of our favorite first-anniversary gift ideas based on tradition.

What is a traditional one-year anniversary gift? 

Each year of marriage comes with a traditional anniversary gift theme that couples can choose to follow if they wish. As the anniversary years get larger, the themes typically become stronger. For the first year anniversary, the traditional gifting theme is paper.

Couples are encouraged to think outside the box by purchasing gifts personal to their relationship or even embarking on DIY projects to create a truly one-of-a-kind 1st anniversary gift. Need one-year anniversary gifts outside of paper flowers? Discover one-year anniversary gift ideas, below!

1st Anniversary Gift Ideas 

Whether you're going full-force on paper anniversary gifts or you're looking for a paper element to make your first-year anniversary gift in line with tradition, we're sharing 10 first anniversary gift ideas that will put a smile on your partner's face. Be inspired by the first-year anniversary gifts including personalized photo art gifts, below:

1. Personalized Stationery 

Even if you already have an anniversary gift in mind that isn't paper, a set of personalized stationery is an easy addition to your non-paper first-year anniversary gifts or your modern first anniversary gift to cover both traditions. It’s especially thoughtful knowing you designed stationery personally for your beloved, and it can also be exciting to receive stationery with a new married surname (if one was taken). 

From fun and colorful to timeless and classic, take a look at these stationery designs:

2. Framed Wedding Vows 

Enjoy life's biggest moments throughout your married life with wedding vows & quotes art. Fill your home with beautiful pieces of art featuring your wedding vows, love quotes, or even excerpts from some of your loved ones' wedding speeches. Paper gifts should be meaningful – the options are endless!

Browse some styles below – from letterpress to gold foil:

3. Wedding Album or First Anniversary Photo Book 

If your beloved is the sentimental type, the perfect anniversary gift will be a custom photo book filled with photos from your first year. If you haven't purchased a wedding album yet, an anniversary celebration is the perfect time to do so. As first year anniversary gifts are traditionally paper, a beautiful photo book or photo album to display on your bookshelf or coffee table is a great idea.

See a few of our favorites, below:

4. Custom Maps 

If you want to create a piece of art that's subtle yet meaningful, consider custom maps for one of your anniversary gifts. The perfect first anniversary gift, you can choose to customize the map with a special location that's dear to you both: the city where you reside, your wedding location, or even where you first met.

From classic letterpress styles for a timeless look to foil designs for a modern gift, browse some of our favorite custom map first anniversary gifts, below:

5. Personalized Journal 

If your beloved loves to write or even jot down notes on paper versus their phone or computer, then a personalized journal or anniversary journal will be a practical gift that goes along with the traditional theme of this major-milestone anniversary. Customize the journal with their name or even special photos to turn this traditional gift into one of the best anniversary gifts for your first anniversary.

Take a look at some of our favorite designs, below:

6. Framed Favorite Photos 

For couples who want their first anniversary gift to offer a memory of the wedding day, we love the idea of incorporating your favorite wedding photos into beautiful photo art for your home. Consider incorporating your vows, all of your favorite images from the big day (or experiences throughout the first year of marriage), or your wedding date for a piece of art that makes the perfect gift for your first anniversary.

See some ideas from Minted, below:

7. A Custom or Personalized Book 

The paper anniversary offers an excellent opportunity for couples to gift each other with a special book. Whether it's a first edition of their favorite novel, a customized book that reminisces on the events that occurred on your wedding day in years past, a collection of their favorite books, or even a coffee table book that's been personalized with their name, books are an excellent option for paper anniversary gifts.

Take a look at some options below:

8. Custom Portrait 

If you haven't framed any of your wedding photos, your first anniversary – known as the paper anniversary – offers the ultimate opportunity. For those couples who have already framed their wedding portraits, we love the idea of having a custom letterpress portrait made of your home.

Browse a few custom portrait first anniversary gifts, below:

9. Sweet Message or Love Letter on Paper 

Whether you're looking for paper anniversary gifts that will be stashed away in your love's drawer or displayed in your home, you can't go wrong with a classic love letter, a sweet message printed on a photo from your first year married or your wedding day, or a letter detailing your love during your first year of marriage in a beautiful frame.

For inspiration, view the first anniversary gift ideas, below:

10. Sentimental Keepsake of Wedding Day Memories 

If none of the above ideas are the right fit for your sweetheart, consider a 1st wedding anniversary gift that's entirely personal to you as a couple. Gift sheet music of your beloved's favorite song, have the lyrics to your first dance song printed in elegant script, have a custom puzzle made for a future at-home date night, or have a piece of custom art created in a modern theme that highlights the coordinates of a location special to you both.

See some sentimental first anniversary gift ideas, below:

Whatever you choose to gift your husband or wife for your first wedding anniversary, they'll honor and cherish it for years to come. As the first wedding anniversary gift you both will give, be sure to make it special and choose something from the heart. Congratulations to you both!

For more wedding ideas, browse unique wedding invitations, discover the best wedding invites you can buy online, discover rustic wedding invitation ideas, view some of our favorite save-the-date card ideas, view traditional wedding invitations we love, and see some of the best affordable wedding invitations!