Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts: Years 1-5

"The passing of another year together marks a deepening of the couple's commitment, an accumulation of time irreplaceable. To help in celebrating these occasions are special gifts, one assigned to each anniversary and each with its own material and symbolic value. In the United States, the wedding anniversary symbols begin simply, with paper and flowers, and gradually increase in substance and value. The order of gifts reflects the investment that the couple gives of themselves to each other. In Germany, by comparison, couples use a list of symbols that represent the progressive strengthening of the marriage relationship."
Source: Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field, The Meaning of Wedding Anniversaries, page 7.

With the passing of mine and my husband's 9th wedding anniversary this past Wednesday, June 1st, it had me thinking of what to get him for a gift. I like the idea of marking each year with a traditional anniversary gift, as I imagined my great grandparents did and their parents before them. Through the years, modern elements have been incorporated into the yearly gift giving, so to please those you don't care to be so "traditional".

For the very 1st Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Paper. Some suggestions would be...

a special note or letter on anything made of paper.....a matchbook from the restaurant or bar where you went on your first date or a ticket to a sporting event you both love or a movie or broadway show. Another romantic suggestion, would be to write a "message in a bottle" to your husband or wife, and let it go in your favorite body of water together. The more modern gift for the 1st wedding anniversary is a Clock. Which could mean a personal wrist watch or decorative clock for your home.

For the 2nd Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Cotton. Some suggestions would be...

Oh how I'd love this cozy hammock to snuggle up in with my hubby.....or matching monogrammed bathrobes like the fancy hotel you stayed in once before....
The more modern suggestion for the 2nd wedding anniversary, is China. A suggestion would be to add a piece to your wedding china that you may not have received yet or that is new to the collection.

For the 3rd Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Leather. Some suggestions would be...

A classic leather belt would be a gift my husband would love.....but isn't this leather bound journal pretty special too?  A more modern gift for the 3rd wedding anniversary, would be Crystal/Glass. I suggest big beautiful wine glasses....or a unique piece of seaglass jewelry.

For the 4th Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Fruit or Flowers. Some suggestions would be...

a beautiful bouquet of flowers reminisent of your wedding bouquet.....like this one is of mine.....is very thoughtful. Or....a plant that has flowering fruits....like this strawberry bush.

A more modern gift for the 4th wedding annivesary would be given in the form of Linen or Silk. Perhaps a piece of Linen clothing (which I would love)....or actual linens, like new towels or bedsheets. Silk lingerie is a must for the hopeless romantics out there too!

For the 5th Wedding Anniversary, the traditional gift is Wood. Some suggestions would be....

A wood gallery of frames with family photos placed in them is a nice idea.....or a piece of wood furniture, homemade or bought. Or you could simply plant a tree together in your yard or a local park or school.....
The modern gift idea for the 5th wedding anniversary is silverware. This could include silver place settings, silver jewelry.....or this idea that would bring the traditional "wood" of a tree and the silver together....

Stay tuned next year for the traditional gifts for Wedding Anniversaries 6-10. It'll be my big 1-0 Wedding Anniversary, so it'll mark the occassion. Wishing you many many years of wedded bliss!!!

                        Kirsten