Anniversary Gifts

First Anniversary

Traditional – Paper

Modern – Plastic

Alternate – Clocks

Flower – Pansy

Alternate Stone – Gold

• Create a CD Of love songs, but create the CD case out of PAPER and photos of the two of you together.
• One “ONE”derful year makes one “ONE”der, what I ever did without you! Create a memoir made of letters on paper of your first year together.
• Give your man a new watch! This can totally be based on your budget. A fun dollar store watch, like the ones you try to get the balls in the holes (toy section) or the candy ones OR if your budget allows a nicer, new one!
• Going with the traditional gift of paper, create a calendar for him with all the big special date highlighted and significant moments together recorded on that day of the calendar.
• Combine paper and plastic by packing a picnic to celebrate your 1st year together! Use plastic utensils and paper plates to enjoy your meal at the park!
• Create a romantic Message in a Bottle of the reasons you’ve loved being married one year. Use this Message in a Bottle Paper to give it an amazing look!
• Budget tight? Create a giant card for your spouse out of paper telling them all the reasons you’ve loved being together the past year!
• For you crafty people, grab some paper and create a scrapbook of your wedding. Remember Tara’s Magazine for My Man? You could easily adapt the idea for an Our Wedding Magazine that would be treasured for years to come. If that is too overwhelming, create a paper message in a bottle telling him the reasons you love him. Leave it in the sink or bathtub for him to find.
• Since you’ve been together ONE year, put together a bouquet of ONE Dollar bills to use for a special date night.
• Put together a paper envelope decorated with mementos from your first year together (example – ticket stubs, receipts, letters, pictures, etc.) and put it somewhere to hold new mementos from your next year together.
• Get a new piece of gold jewelry and attach a note that says, “Our first year has been GOLDEN and I wouldn’t change a thing. Let’s keep moving forward to see what more years will bring!”

Second Anniversary

Traditional – Cotton

Modern – Cotton & Calico

Alternate – China

Flowers – Cosmos

• Create a special date night on the “TWO” of Hearts playing card theme. Wear Casino Royale shirts to go out that night. Attach an invite to the actual two of hearts card with the saying, “TWO hearts knit ‘TWO’gether for TWO years!”
• You’ve seen those fabulous pillows that say “YOU” and the other pillow says “+ME”? That would be adorable to celebrate the traditional gift of cotton! Have those pillowcases already on your pillows to surprise your sweetheart when you slip into bed.
• Go shopping together and pick out a cotton blanket to adore throughout the years – something that will last and become a family heirloom.
• Get personalized T-shirts that say each other’s names. Example – “I’m Joseph’s” and “I’m Cami’s”. Or create a cotton T-Shirt that says, “The Touch, the Feel of Cotton…The Fabric of our Love!”
• Grab each of you a new cotton robe and have a home Spa Night together!
• If money isn’t an issue, redo your bedroom and turn it into a love nest!
• Feeling crazy…go pick out new cotton Pajamas for each other and wear them out on a date!
• Purchase new towels for your bedroom…after two years, they could definitely use it!
• The alternate suggestion is China, so why not have a Chinese themed dinner. If you got China dishes for your wedding, serve the meal on them. Create special fortune cookies to the next year of marriage!

Third Anniversary

Traditional – Leather

Modern – Leather

Alternate – China

Flower – Fuchsia

Alternate Stones – Pearls

• Buy your man a new leather wallet! Don’t forget to put in some new pictures of you, the kids and 3 lucky dollar bills.
• Set-up a candlelit dinner using china dishes and HIS and HER goblets. Use Lisa M.’s tutorial here. Or engrave your names and anniversary in champagne glasses that you drink from every year on your anniversary.
• For the adventurous type, rent 3-wheelers and spend a day out together. Play up the whole number THREE and base your whole date off of the number.
• Purchase leather bound journals for each other and keep them to write down special moments between the two of you.
• A fun date night would be to watch the movie “Leatherheads” and then go play a game of “touch” football!
• Remember the leather bands you use to make at camp? Find a kit at the craft store and make personalized ones at home for each of you to wear.
• The number three makes you think of a triangle. The Marriage Triangle: Husband/Wife/God. Focus on strengthening a spiritual side of marriage and get new leather scriptures with your name embossed on them.
• Make both husband and wife happy – pearl earrings for her, new leather wallet for him!
• A crazy idea is a leather passport holder or a travel document holder which include tickets for a second honeymoon! OR if money is tight … create a passport to a FABULOUS date to celebrate your 3 years together.

Fourth Anniversary

Traditional – Fruit & Flowers

Modern – Linen, Silk, Nylon

Alternate – Appliances

Flower – Geranium

• If you are in the need for a new appliance, grab a blender and a bunch of fruit! Whip up some fruit smoothies and enjoy them in romantic wine glasses.
• Go for a fruit bouquet! Depending on your budget you could purchase or make one!
• Grab a watermelon and carve the number ’4′ in it (like a pumpkin.) Use the watermelon as a vase to hold a bunch of geraniums as your centerpiece for your ‘four’ course breakfast! Make your entire breakfast out of fruit – possibly even discovering 4 new fruits together that you’ve NEVER tried!
• For a romantic night, buy a set of silk sheets or new silk pajamas!
• Give your man a box of Chocolates with a tag, “You’re Sweeter Than Chocolate“.
• If you are looking for a themed night, how about a “FOURmal date within a FOURtress.” Set-up a romantic medieval thing and have your knight in shining armor serve a platter of fruit to his damsel in distress!
• Create a romantic evening by dressing your bed in new linens! Stage the bed with rose petals and a trail to the bedroom. And nothing sets the mood better than chocolate covered strawberries!
• Send your sweetheart on a little scavenger hunt and along the way they could find a certain flower with a note that tells them WHAT the flower represents (ex: friendship, romance, etc.) and then elaborate. Let them know WHY you feel they have that quality or why you feel that way towards him/her. (Find flower meanings here.)
• Check out more 4th anniversary date ideas here and here.

Fifth Anniversary

Traditional – Wood

Modern – Wood

Alternate – Silverware

Flower – Daisy

• Create or buy a wooden sign with your family establishment – your name and the year you were married!
• Wood Scrapbooked Picture Frame – Grab a wooden frame. Paint and stain the edges, and then scrapbook the middle of it with some modge podge. Insert a picture of you and your man for the perfect ‘wood’ gift!  Here is an example Tara made for her sis-in-law and here is another one.
• Pick out and purchase a new piece of furniture that you both love and will treasure forever! A dining table would be ideal adorned with a vase of daisies and brand new silverware! You could even include a cheesy note saying, “It’s been a handful of years since we said ‘I Do’, I’m so happy to be living this wonderful life with you!”
• Buy a wooden decorative clock to go in your home with your family name painted/engraved on it.
• Buy a new set of nice silverware to use together on special occasions.
• Get him some awesome cuff links that are made from actual baseball stadium seats (any die hard baseball fan would love that!) and a tree carved heart necklace for her.
• Carve your initials into a tree together, one where you can go back every so often to visit. Maybe buy small pocket knives and make a date out of carving something out of wood.

Sixth Anniversary

Traditional – Candy

Modern – Iron

Alternate – Wood

Flower – Calla Lily

• Get a beautiful bouquet of six calla lilies to give to your other half.
• Make your own candy labels to put on different candy bars with a cute message.
• Grab a poster board and make a giant candy gram message. Let him/her enjoy a message of your love with all their favorite candy treat!
• Celebrate the traditional gift of candy with a chocolate tasting date! Get lots of different chocolates and set it up on display. Enjoy picking your favorites!
• Set your date night around candy by watching the movie “Chocolat” and enjoying some chocolate fondue.
• Take a tour of a candy shoppe/factory and enjoy some sweets with your sweetie!
• Give your significant other some personalized M&M’s with your initials, wedding date, or faces.
• Make a candy bouquet with SIX of your spouses favorite candy bars attached to sticks and put together in a vase.
• Have a different candy delivered to your honey at work/church/school/somewhere not at home by various people for your whole anniversary week!
• A Cacophony of Candy! Get as many different types of your sweetie’s favorite candy as you can get your hands on. Package them beautifully and separately – a jar of gummy bears, a box of jelly beans, a basket full of Hershey kisses…then arrange for these little surprise packages to pop up everywhere throughout the day. Under the pillow, at their desk at work, a special delivery, at the cafe’ where they eat their lunch, tucked in a pocket of their jacket…what a sweet, sweet day!

Seventh Anniversary

Traditional – Copper & Wool

Modern – Brass

Alternate – Desk Sets

Flower – Jack-in-the-Pulpit

• Buy some comfy wool socks and take turns giving each others feet a good massage.
• Buy each other new wool scarves, hats, or gloves. Take it a step further by arranging to have a photo shoot of the two of you out in the snow (if the season permits) with your new scarves, hats or gloves. Has it been since your wedding since you’ve had pictures of the two of you done together? About time for some new ones!
• If you have the ability to knit or crochet, grab some wool yarn and make you and your hubby a woolen blanket that could become your ‘snuggle blanket’ when watching movies.
• Create a “Lucky #7″ Date. Go on a date that has a Vegas theme…even go to Las Vegas if possible! Whoever said there is such a thing as a ‘seven year itch’? The seventh year is ALL about you both getting lucky tonight!
• Make copper bracelets together to wear for the next year.
• Bring back some silly romance … Play 7 minutes in Heaven! Ya know, when you go in a closet and make out for 7 minutes…
• Create a card to give your spouse with a penny on the front with the message, “You are CENT-sational”

Eighth Anniversary

Traditional – Bronze

Modern – Pottery

Alternate – Linen

Flower – Clematis

• If you want to stick with the traditional gift of bronze, you could have a mold made of you and your spouse holding hands and then have it dipped in bronze to create a statue.
• With linens being the alternate gift, why not get some new bed sheets. Why not include an invitation to use them?!
• Play off the number ’8′ by creating a “D8 Night Coupon Book.” See here for ideas.
• Go stay at a hotel (you’ll be sleeping in different linens!) Even if you are in a hotel in your same town it will give you a change of scenery and make for a romantic night!
• Base your date night off of a Magic 8 Ball (these can be found in the toy section of most stores.) Have activities planned based around questions that you have to ask the magic eight ball.
• For a fun date night, go to a local pottery place and make/paint your own pottery! You could each do your own thing or pick a piece to work on together.
• For your anniversary date go to the store “Pottery Barn.” Buy something or just window shop for the fun of it.

Ninth Anniversary

Traditional – Pottery

Modern – Willow

Alternate – Leather

Flower – Poppy

• Line up 9 candles and have your spouse blow them out one at a time. Each time he blows one out have him say a great memory or reason he loves you. I’m sure by the 9th candle you’ll both be feeling the love!
• If you are in the home of your dreams, plant a willow tree in your yard. You can then watch it grow, right along with your life and love! Or if you are in a more temporary place, plant some poppies to watch bloom.
• Recreate the scene from the movie, Ghost, where they’re at the pottery wheel together and their hands are all muddy. Create something that you would want to giveaway (maybe to your in-laws) then laugh each time you see it at their house!
• Find a local pottery place to create or paint your own pottery. Each of you could do your own thing or pick a piece to work on together. It would also be fun to find a local pottery class where you could learn to throw your own pot.
• Visit a local art gallery.
• Buy each other something fun out of leather – jacket, wallet, belt, scriptures, purse, photo albums, or a leatherman.
• Make clouds out of paper or cotton and decorate a room with them. Then make a giant sign that says, “I’ve been on Cloud Nine ever since I married you!”

Tenth Anniversary

Traditional – Tin

Modern – Aluminum

Alternate – Diamond

Flower – Daffodil

• Fix up those rings (diamond) by having your husband’s engraved and yours cleaned and re-dipped if needed.
• Grab a 12 pack of your sweetie’s favorite soda (aluminum) and attach a note that says, “I CAN think of 12 reasons why I CAN love you forever!”
• Make a Top 10 List of your favorite things from that year together. Take it a step further by actually repeating the top 10 things on the list to relive the memories.
• Using a tin can as a lantern, create sweet messages to shine through with a hammer and nail.
• For you adventurous types, take a 10 mile hike (5 miles each way) to a gorgeous mountain spot and have a picnic with 10 of your favorite hor d’oeuvres or foods.
• Get ANY gift you’d like…just wrap it in aluminum foil!
• Create a book of the Top 10 Reasons you love your spouse.
• Use a tin can and create a Time Capsule to bury for the next 10 years.
• If you ask me, Ten is a BIG ONE! Diamonds should come all around! If it is in the budget get him a diamond watch and her diamond ANYTHING. If it isn’t in the budget, head to a baseball diamond for a fun night together cheering on your favorite team!
• Get a TIN can, decorate it to look cute, and turn it into a Memory Game. Use clip art for the pictures and make two sets of each (just like the traditional game of Memory.) For example, if on your honeymoon you got a flat tire in the middle of nowhere…find clip-art of a flat tire and shrink it down to the size you want. Print a bunch of silly things like that! Years later, you can pull it out to play and remember all of your “First 10 Years” of memories.

Twentieth Anniversary

Traditional – China

Modern – China

Alternate – Platinum

Flower – Day Lily

• Go on your dream vacation! Like Hawaii. You deserve to make a new fabulous memory to last the next 20 years.
• If it is possible, take a 20-day Vacation (stay-cation) and make a list of things you had hoped to do in the twenty years you were married. Try to accomplish those  20 things one day at a time…It could be little things like kissing in the rain or going to a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try but never have.
• Take a martial arts class together (something you would have learned as a child growing up in China.) Or take a trip to China if you’ve got the cash.
• Get a bouquet of 20 Day Lilies with a note attached of reasons you love your spouse or memories you have over the past 20 years.
• A funny little play on platinum is to get your hubby’s car a Platinum Car Wash! Spruce it up for a fabulous date out on the town that night.
• Gather a bunch of photos from different times in your lives/marriage. (Maybe focus on 20 since that is the year you are celebrating!) Put those pictures or little groups of pictures in different areas of the room you’ll be eating in. THEN – type up one word that explains how you feel about that memory and display it next to the photo it goes with. Take time that evening to go around the room, enjoy the pictures, talk about those fun times, and relive those memories! This is a BIG anniversary! Enjoy it.

Twenty-fifth Anniversary

Traditional – Silver

Modern – Silver

Alternate – Silver

Flower – Iris

• Create “Your Life on the Silver Screen!” Put together a DVD with photos throughout your life and marriage with background music that has meaning to you as a couple.
• 25 Reasons You are My Silver Lining! You could write down 25 reasons, put each one inside a SILVER balloon, and either put helium in them and have them loose in your bedroom …OR have them laying all over the floor with regular air.
• Create a book with the 25 reasons you’ve loved being married to them for the past 25 years.
• Pretend you are 25 years old again and take a trip or go to a place where you would have when you were that young!
• For her: a new silver necklace, and for him: an engraved silver pen or cuff links.
• Purchase a beautiful silver picture frame and put your favorite wedding photo in it.
• Give each other a quarter (25 cents) from the year that you were married or born. Include with it 25 reasons why the rest of eternity is going to be incredible!
• Renew your vows, decorate with the color silver and get new wedding rings.

Fiftieth Anniversary

Traditional – Gold

Modern – Gold

Alternate – Gold

Flower – Violet

• For a gift, give a gold Jewelry box with a new piece of golden jewelry hidden inside.
• Buy 50 gold coins, place them in a jar, and attach a note that says, “Another Day, Another Dollar. And it was all worth it having you by my side!”
• Purchase a gold locket with each of your pictures displayed inside or a gold watch for him.
• Have a party with Gold Decorations! 50 years of marriage deserves a party!
• Take a cruise and add in a relaxing spa package for two!
• Create a balloon bouquet of 50 gold and violet balloons – each having a separate gift inside.
• Take a trip down memory lane by writing a memoir about how golden life is because of your spouse.
• Throw a big bash with all of your friends and family! See if you can get 50 of them to write down a fond memory they have of the couple and compile them into a book for the lovebirds!
• Spray paint a gold box or chest, and put different memories in this box to open together. For instance…a photo, a trinket from a vacation, a love letter, things that have wonderful memories.