The 1st wedding anniversary is traditionally called the paper anniversary. If you are looking for a first wedding anniversary gift that works with the paper theme, or you are buying for a couple who have just reached their first year of marriage, here are some ideas worth considering, along with three paper anniversary gifts from A Year of Dates.
What is a paper anniversary?
The 1st wedding anniversary is called the paper anniversary. The tradition of naming each anniversary after a material goes back centuries, and paper is the one assigned to the first year. It is thought to represent the blank page at the start of a marriage: a story that has only just begun, and has everything still to be written. It is also a reminder that first years are fragile in the same way paper is. Worth handling carefully. The gift does not have to be a sheet of paper, but something that takes the paper theme seriously tends to feel more fitting for the occasion than something generic.
How to celebrate a 1st wedding anniversary
The first year of marriage is still relatively new, and most couples want to mark it in a way that feels personal to them. A few approaches that tend to work well:
- A night away, ideally somewhere new to both of them. The first anniversary is a reasonable occasion to go somewhere neither has been before.
- Recreating the first date. Simple, costs nothing to organise, and tends to mean more than an expensive gesture.
- A gift that looks back on the first year together, or gives them something to look forward to in the year ahead.
- Something personalised with their names and a meaningful date, to mark the occasion properly rather than with a generic buy.
1st wedding anniversary gift ideas
If you are buying a first wedding anniversary gift, here are three options from A Year of Dates. One looks back on the story so far. One gives the couple date ideas for the year ahead. And one gives them somewhere to keep everything worth keeping from their first year together.
1st wedding anniversary gift (paper)
Couples First Anniversary (Paper) Print
A personalised print that captures the key dates and places in the couple’s story: when they got together, where they met, their first date, first kiss, favourite place and wedding day. Printed on 250gsm premium matt paper in an 18cm x 40cm format, with a choice of script font and illustrated details. Available unframed (from £21) or with a black, oak or white frame. Printed in our UK studio and ready to hang. Free UK delivery, allow 6 working days for framed versions.
Shop the Anniversary Print
1st wedding anniversary gift
A Year of Dates: Anniversary Edition
A personalised black gift box with 12 sealed envelopes, each containing a surprise date idea for the couple to open one at a time through the year. There are also 2 blank cards to add their own ideas into the mix. Activities include stargazing, a live music night, ice cream sundaes and a trip to the theatre. Choose from cream, gold, red or silver foil, and add personalisation with the couple’s names and a message for an extra £4. Letterbox-sized, free UK delivery.
Shop the Anniversary Date Box
1st wedding anniversary gift
Busy Making Memories Couples Memory Box
A magnetic-close memory box personalised with the couple’s names and the year they met. Available in black or white, with a choice of black, white or pink print, and in three sizes: A4 (for cards and papers), Deep (22cm x 28.5cm, 11cm deep) and Extra Large (40cm x 30cm, 11cm deep). Supplied empty, ready to fill with tickets, photos, notes and anything from the first year worth keeping. From £18 with free UK delivery.
Shop the Memory BoxThe first wedding anniversary does not need a grand gesture. It needs something that fits the couple and the year they have just had. A personalised print that tells their story, a box of dates to work through together, or somewhere to keep everything from the year. Any of those says more than a card alone, and most are posted free straight to the door.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the traditional gift for a 1st wedding anniversary?
The traditional gift for a 1st wedding anniversary is paper. This does not have to mean a literal piece of paper. At A Year of Dates, the Couples First Anniversary Print is a personalised piece of wall art printed on 250gsm matt paper, with the couple’s names, key dates and meaningful places from their relationship. It is made to order in our UK studio and comes framed or unframed. The Anniversary Edition date box and the Busy Making Memories memory box are also well suited to a first anniversary, as gifts that give the couple something to use and keep in the year ahead.
What do you buy for a paper anniversary UK?
A personalised gift tends to feel more fitting than a generic one for a first anniversary. A print that captures the couple’s story (where they met, their first date, their wedding day) works well with the paper theme and is something they will put on the wall rather than put in a drawer. If you want something more experiential, the Anniversary Edition date box gives them 12 sealed date ideas to open one a month through the year, personalised with their names in your chosen foil colour.
Why is the 1st anniversary called the paper anniversary?
The tradition of naming each anniversary after a material goes back centuries. Paper was assigned to the first year because it represents the start of something: a blank page at the beginning of a life together. It also reflects the early years of a marriage, which are full of potential but still new. The gift does not need to be made of paper, but something that reflects that idea tends to mean more than something generic.
Is 1 year a significant wedding anniversary?
The first anniversary is the start of the named milestones and is worth marking properly. It is also the first chance most couples have had to step back and look at what they have built together. A gift that acknowledges that, with names and dates and something personal to them, tends to land better than something off a shelf.
Browse all anniversary gifts at A Year of Dates. Gifts for every year, from paper to gold.
