Top 14 Paper Anniversary gifts from classic to the 21st century

Your wedding anniversary is around the corner and you are probably stressing about what to get him or her. You want the gift that you give your loved one to be as special and as meaningful as when you stood side by side to profess your undying love to each other and the world.
 
Well, the good news is your anniversary gift can be extra special without you having to go overboard with the expense.

A paper gift makes a great first anniversary which is what we will focus on. The reason for this is that traditionally the first-anniversary is called the ‘Paper Anniversary,’ which means that you are supposed to gift your loved one something made out of paper. While we focus on the first anniversary, the recommendations below are also good for the other anniversaries that you will celebrate with years to come.

It may seem a little strange that the anniversary gift is made of pape. A paper gift doesn’t seem to be strong or that valuable anyway.  There is no relevant explanation as to why the paper has been chosen for an anniversary gift but some of the theories surrounding the tradition and the symbolism of using paper do seem to tick the right boxes.

One of the most popular theories is the wood pulp fibers of the paper. When the fibers are separated from wood they are meaningless, but when woven together they create beautiful sheets of paper. It is a strong reminder that when you said your vows, you chose to intertwine your lives to create a strong and beautiful future together. 

Just like the first pages or first chapters of a book, your anniversary is important. The first few pages or the first chapter of any book have to be interesting enough to hold the attention of the reader, so too the first year of marriage.

The first year of your marriage is still a fragile time like paper. If the blank sheets are filled with love and strong bonds, then like papyrus (ancient paper), your love story will become timeless as you write a new chapter every year.

The raw material that paper comes from adds to the symbolism of the first anniversary too. The fragile sheet of paper that you see before you have been made from a strong sturdy tree that took years to grow. Marriage too if fed with the right doses of love and understanding will grow stronger every day and bear beautiful fruit. 

Now that you know the symbolism behind the paper anniversary, it will be much easier for you to go out and choose that meaningful gift. Below are a few suggestions to help you decide on the perfect paper anniversary gift. 

It’s not always easy choosing a meaningful gift for him. Most of the time he’s so practical and a little awkward about accepting gifts from you but these personalized paper gifts will definitely warm his heart. 

Why a map? Men and maps seem to go together. Give a man a map and tell him to point out places to you and he’ll be only too happy to oblige you a full geography lesson. However, this map will be special because it will be about your journey together. A map highlighting the place that you met, your wedding venue, your honeymoon, and any other important place will make a meaningful first-anniversary gift. 

A meaningful gift for him to hang on his office wall. You can personalize this clock with your names or a message especially for him to show him that your marriage is timeless and that your love will stand the test of time. 

Pick out photos of all your special moments over the year, beginning with your wedding and honeymoon and get it printed on a calendar, which he can place on his desk with a special message for each month. He will be reminded every day of your togetherness till it’s time for the next anniversary. 

If your spouse is into card games, he’ll love this specially customized pack. Choose one of your favorite photos and get them printed on the back or face of a pack of cards so that every time he takes these cards out to play, the game will be even more special. 

The way to strengthen your ties is to bond over some of his favorite activities. If his favorite band is playing somewhere or his favorite team has a game in your city, what better way to spend this memorable evening than to gift him something he’ll love doing! The links below are great for finding concerts or sporting events in your area.

You love the way her eyes light up when you give her something special and so you’re quite determined to get her that perfect gift for your first anniversary. These personalized paper gifts will undoubtedly bring a smile to her lips and a glow to her eyes.

This elegant bouquet of a dozen paper flowers will definitely touch her heart and add that magic to your anniversary. These flowers will last her a lifetime and help her reminisce about the good times over the years. You can personalize the bouquet with a message of your own. 

She’s written you over a stack of letters and probably sent you hundreds of messages during your time together but how many have you written? Surprise her and fill her heart with a classic handwritten letter on customized stationary or better still if you want to go the distance, use these 12 templates to write her a love note that has made your relationship memorable. 

This one is bending the rules a good bit on the traditional paper gift but it’s something she’s just going to love. When she receives this gift, she’s going to think that it’s just another book to add to her collection but surprise, surprise, when she finds the little trinkets or her favorite chocolates hidden under the customized cover. 

The first wedding anniversary is undoubtedly special as you go through periods of trial and error with each other as you learn to adjust to sharing every moment of your life with someone else. What better way to immortalize that journey with this anniversary journal which will help her record memorable moments of the first thirty anniversaries that you have together. 

To add that special touch and to make the gift more meaningful why not make it yourself? You’ll need to plan this gift well in advance as you would definitely need time on your hands to make these.  The tutorials that accompany the suggestions will make things easier for you to create.  

Weddings are all about fresh flowers – the flowers that will make up the bouquets, the groom’s boutonniere, table decorations, and the flowers at the venues. If you have time on your hands why not recapture the moment with these DIY flowers? You could liven up your living room or bedroom with these beautiful flowers.

Get creative and personal with this tiny box which looks simplistic on the outside but conceals a treasure inside. Use poems, pictures, love notes and anything else you would like to put into the box. 

Source: Better Together

The first anniversary is always going to be extra special but there will be more to follow. Creating this time capsule will allow you to view how your marriage has progressed over the years from the paper anniversary onwards. 

All you need for this is a box (which you can embellish and personalize) and some personalized writing stationery that will go into the box.  Date the letters for the next ten years or the milestone that you want to set, and sit down to write something personal at the end of the day. The letters that the two write will be sealed and opened after ten years. You can add movie ticket stubs or dinner receipts of the day to the envelope. 

Recreate the magic of that special night with these special lanterns that you can design the way you like. Place an LED tealight or an aroma candle (inside a glass votive) inside the lamps and turn off the lights to set the romantic tone for the night. 

Everything is digitalized these days but flipping through a photo album still has its own charm. You can download and choose the best photos of your year together to create a photo album with a twist or even create and print an album of your Instagram photos.

Whatever gift you ultimately choose for your partner on your first anniversary, don’t forget to add that extra touch of romance to the day to rekindle the magic. Just like you don’t have to go over the top in gifting (you can if you want to- who doesn’t want to be spoilt rotten!), you can choose something to do that is exclusively about the two of you.