The Best 1st Anniversary Gift Ideas – Gifts They’ll Absolutely Love

1st anniversary gift ideas

Every anniversary deserves to be celebrated, but the 1st anniversary will feel a little extra special. It’s often said to be one of the hardest years of a relationship, especially a marriage, which is why it’s so important to celebrate getting through it successfully. Your 1st anniversary gifts should be personal, heartwarming, and unique if you really wan to wow your partner.

Every anniversary year is marked by a tradition item, symbol, color, and flower. It’s a lot to keep track of, and not everyone is aware of all of these special items, but we’ve got your back. Knowing this information can make your anniversary even more special.

Traditionally, the symbol for the first wedding anniversary gift is paper. Paper is a blank slate, a fresh start, and also an item that’s waiting to be filled with new possibilities. You can incorporate paper into your 1st anniversary gift by writing a heartfelt handwritten note. There are also a number of gifts listed below that incorporate paper as well.

A great 1st anniversary gift will set the bar high for the following anniversaries to come. Read on to find great gifts for all the symbols, flowers, and gemstones of this special anniversary.


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Paper Gifts

1. Keepsake Anniversary Journal

paper first anniversary gift

Starting a keepsake journal on your 1st anniversary is a great tradition to keep going for the rest of your lives together. It’s nice to be able to reflect on each year, and write down your highs and lows. This 1st anniversary gift can also be a great keepsake to give to your children or grandchildren. 

2. Travel Map Scratch Off Map

paper 1st anniversary gift

If you hope to do a lot of traveling in your life, then this could be the perfect 1st anniversary gift to give your significant other. Every time you visit a new state or country, you can scratch it off with a coin to keep visual track of where you’ve been. 

3. Letter Press Wedding Vows

paper 1st anniversary gift
Photo courtesy of Shutterfly

Keep your wedding vows in view so that you never forget them with this beautiful print. It’s a great reminder to stay true to your vows every day of the year. 

4. Paper Bouquet

paper first anniversary gift
Photo courtesy of ForTheLoveOfBookShop

Since the 1st anniversary is the paper anniversary, this paper bouquet could be a nice nod to the tradition. 

5. One Line a Day Journal

paper first anniversary gift

One line a day journal is a great 1st anniversary gift for people who don’t really love the idea of writing a page long journal entry each day. It’s a compact and thoughtful gift to give. 

6. 100 Dates Scratch Off Poster

Coming up with different date ideas will never be a challenge again with this 100 dates scratch-off poster. It gives you 100 date night ideas that you can scratch off once complete to keep track of all you’ve done. 

7. What I Love About You Fill-In Journal

Who doesn’t love to hear positive things about themselves from the person they love? If you want to really encourage the person you love and remind them of how special they are, you can gift them this neat book that you fill in yourself. 

8. First Dance Sheet Music Print

Photo Courtesy of AllThingsCottonPaper

Your first dance song was specifically chosen to be a special memory. Now, you can keep that memory alive by having the sheet music framed on beautiful cotton paper. It’s a wonderful keepsake gift that will mean a lot. 

9. Love Lingual Card Game

Good communication is they key to any good relationship, and this game helps to encourage good communication between romantic partners. 

10. Customized Star Map

If you want to remember your wedding day in an extra special way, you can give your significant other a customized star map. This map will give you a visual of what the stars looked like on the day of your wedding. It’s pretty cool. 

Clocks are another, more modern symbol for a 1st anniversary gift. They symbolize the time you’ve spent together and the time you hope to spend together in the future. Take a look at these clock 1st anniversary gifts for some more ideas!

Clock Gifts

11. Engraved Compass

An engraved compass is a great anniversary gift for him. It can be easily kept in a pocket or bag, and be very helpful for outdoor excursions. 

12. Apple Watch

An Apple Watch is a very useful gift to give for 1st anniversaries, as it has so many awesome capabilities. Aside from telling you the time, it can also receive phone calls and text messages, keep track of your heart rate, and count your overall steps from the day. 

13. Hour Glass

clock 1st anniversary gift

An hourglass has an old timey feel to it that is pretty romantic if you ask us. This hour glass would make a great 1st anniversary gift that you can keep on display all year round. 

14. Personalized Clock

This personalized clock can be made to have your anniversary day on it, as well as your names. 

15. Watch for Him

A great anniversary gift for him would be a high-quality watch that he can wear every day. This Micheal Kors watch is timeless.

16. Watch for Her

1st anniversary gifts for her can be difficult to come up with, but this watch will go over well with nearly anyone. It’s really a gorgeous piece. 

The 1st anniversary is also known as the Peridot anniversary, which is green colored gemstone. Here are a few 1st anniversary gift ideas that feature peridot stones.

Peridot Gifts

17. Peridot Tree of Life

This peridot tree of life’s a great symbol of life and growth. It would look great on a mantle. 

18. Peridot Necklace

You can’t go wrong with jewelry as an anniversary gift, and a gorgeous period necklace like this one will feel extra intentional. 

19. Crystal Wands

If your significant other loves gemstones, then they’ll really appreciate this small peridot towers as a symbol of your affection. 

20. Bracelet

Photo Courtesy of Macys

A bracelet is a gift that’s easy to wear. This one in particular is a really vibrant green peridot and would work perfectly with any outfit. 

21. Earrings

Photo courtesy of Alex and Ani

Earrings are another easy to love 1st anniversary gift. They can pair well with another peridot piece of jewelry if you have the budget for it this year. 

The official flower for 1st anniversaries is the Carnation. It’s a youthful flower that blooms fully, making it a great representation of a still new relationship with great potential.

Carnation Gifts

22. Carnation Necklace

If your significant other isn’t too into receiving actual flowers for your anniversary, you can still incorporate the 1st anniversary flower into your gift. One example is this carnation imprinted necklace. 

23. Bouquet

Photo courtesy of Send Flowers

If your significant does like to receive flowers, then a bouquet of carnations and roses would be a great gift to send to their job as a surprise. This website does flower deliveries and helps to make that much easier to give the gift of flowers. 

24. Carnation Scented Candle

Photo Courtesy of Yankee Candle

A carnation scented flower is another way to incorporate carnations without actually giving the flower as a present. It’s a gorgeous pink color as well, making it feel extra romantic. 

25. Perfume

Photo courtesy of SouthernEsscents

Lastly, a carnation scented perfume would make a great carnation 1st anniversary gift. This one is handmade by an Etsy seller.

If you want to go off the beaten path and not do a traditional themed 1st anniversary gift, more power to you! Here are a few gift ideas that flip the switch a little and are sure to go over well with your significant other!

1st Anniversary Gift Ideas

26. Keepsake Hands

If you want to keep your hands frozen in time, well, we can’t exactly help you with that. We can, however, offer you the next best thing, which is this Keepsake Hands Plaster Statue Kit.Much like you would plaster a pregnant belly, this keepsake hand kit works similarly. It’s a pretty cool gift, and a fun activity to do together. 

27. Picture Frame

A picture frame is a classic 1st anniversary gift that everyone will love. This one is really cute, and feature the mathematical times that go into being together for an entire year. 

28. Personalized Cutting Board

1st anniversary gift

If your significant other loves to be in the kitchen, then they’ll really appreciate this personalized cutting board. It can feature your names on it as well as your anniversary date. 

29. Sculpture

1st anniversary gift

A beautiful sculpture could make a sweet 1st anniversary gift. This one features a man and a woman kissing under an umbrella. So romantic!

30. Crystal Picture Engraved Heart

1st anniversary gift

Our last 1st anniversary gift is this crystal picture engraved heart. It’s a really special gift, that lights up, and would be a great item to display in your new home. 


Your first anniversary will be as special as you choose to make it. Picking the perfect gift is just one part of the equation. Make sure to shower your significant other with love on this special day, and every other. For more anniversary gift ideas, check out Good Gift Lists!