Your Cart is Empty
Shopping for 1st wedding anniversary gifts doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Your first wedding anniversary, also known as the paper anniversary, marks one full year of love, growth, and life as newlyweds. It’s a meaningful milestone that deserves a thoughtful and memorable gift. Whether you’re searching for traditional paper anniversary gifts, modern first anniversary gift ideas, or a sentimental one year anniversary keepsake, my first wedding anniversary gift guide makes it easy.
From personalized prints and wedding vow art to gold jewelry and custom clocks, I’ve curated the best 1st wedding anniversary gifts to help you celebrate your love story in a way that feels intentional and special. After 20+ years in the wedding industry helping thousands of brides find their perfect wedding garter, there’s one thing I know for sure, the first anniversary is a big deal and it’s important to take a minute and celebrate! So, that’s what I’m going to help you do.
After over 20 years in the wedding industry helping couples celebrate their biggest milestones, I’ve seen firsthand how meaningful the first wedding anniversary can be. Year one is filled with growth, change, and beautiful memories, and the right gift helps you relive it all.
In this edition of Garter Girl Loves, honor this major milestone in your marriage and relationship by gifting these top gifts for your first wedding anniversary. Let's make choosing the right first wedding anniversary gift simple with our gift guide no matter if you want to stick to tradition or go with something more unique for this milestone celebration in your life.
After the wedding, the photos, the dresses and the memories...you've lived a year of love that's worth celebrating with the perfect 1st wedding anniversary gifts so this curated list is just what you're looking for so you can relax and enjoy your anniversary without being stressed about what to get.
I’ve been helping couples across the U.S. celebrate weddings and anniversaries for over 20 years, and you might have questions about who buys the anniversary gifts and how the wedding anniversary is celebrated. If you're shopping for the perfect gift wedding anniversary gift, we've done the work for you below and name the different traditions and, of course, provided some shopping inspiration.
Tradition holds specific types of gifts for each wedding anniversary and the traditional gift for 1st wedding anniversaries is paper. For the first wedding anniversary gifts consider options like personalized stationery, journals and wall art.
One of our favorite paper gifts is to turn your wedding invitation suite into an ornament. Yes, save a copy of your wedding invitation, the inserts like the RSVP cards and envelop liners, and all of your day of the wedding paper goods like programs and menus, and have them custom made into an ornament. By far, this is the best wedding anniversary present idea - it combines paper and your wedding!
Tick tock it's time to shop....for your wedding anniversary gift! There are so many anniversary gift ideas and we just told you that traditionally paper is the customary gift idea. But, what about those modern and contemporary couples>
The modern 1st wedding anniversary gift is clocks. We’ve seen some amazing wall clocks that are even personalized with your names and wedding date – a great way to commemorate your wedding day within your home décor but still keep with the first wedding anniversary tradition of clocks.
In addition to modern and traditional gift ideas including paper and clocks, there is also a wedding anniversary gemstone and metal. Similar to birthday month gemstones (Mine is sapphire for September!). If you're shopping for wedding anniversary gifts, knowing the gemstone or metal that coordinates with your year anniversary is is a great source of inspiration
Each wedding anniversary also has an assigned metal or gemstone to help you celebrate your years of marriage. For first wedding anniversaries the metal of choice is gold! Yes, that's right you can have a golden first wedding anniversary and celebrate with gifts that have gold or are gold in color, like amber and topaz gemstones, or a gift made with actual gold like a picture frame or piece of jewelry.
When it comes to shopping for 1st wedding anniversary gifts, look no further than Etsy. Shops on Etsy offer unique gifts and personalized items you can’t find anywhere else. Each shop on Etsy is considered a small shop so shopping for anniversary gifts on Etsy also supports small businesses.
Whether you're looking for a topaz necklace with gold, shop these great gift ideas for 1st wedding anniversaries including personalized clocks, hand painted portraits and custom song lyric prints. Easily shop and checkout via Etsy to check this all-important gift off your list.
There’s no magic number when it comes to how much to spend on a first wedding anniversary gift. Some couples exchange small, sentimental paper gifts. Others choose something more elaborate. Both are completely right.
The best approach? Choose an amount that feels comfortable for this season of your life. Year one is about building your foundation together, and that means financially and emotionally. A thoughtful gift within your means will always feel better than something extravagant that creates stress. When in doubt, prioritize meaning over money.
The most memorable first anniversary gifts are intentional, personal, and rooted in your story, not in the price tag.
I love working with brides and their families to find wedding heirlooms, so I get lots of questions about how to keep the traditions going. Here are the most common questions that I get about first wedding anniversary gifts…
What is the traditional 1st wedding anniversary gift?What metal represents the first wedding anniversary?
Gold is the metal associated with a first wedding anniversary. Gold jewelry, gold-dipped roses, and home décor with gold accents are meaningful ways to celebrate year one.
Wow, so many amazing gift ideas for 1st wedding anniversaries! Items you’ll love and cherish for years to come, including personalized home décor or memory keepsakes from your wedding and first year of marriage.
Shopping Etsy for 1st wedding anniversary gifts not only supports small businesses but earns you some brownie points with these unique and handmade gift items you can’t find anywhere else.
For more of my wedding ideas and inspirations, be sure to check out my Garter Girl Loves blog series and you can shop all of my wedding garter designs right here.
With love, The Garter Girl
P.S. Some of the above product links are affiliate-connected and purchasing through these links helps to support the blog.
