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Weddings

28 thoughtful 1-year wedding anniversary gift ideas

You’ll only be together for your first year once!

(left) An entryway with wallpaper. (center) a wedding photo album. (right) a bottle of perfume. Credit: Magnolia Home By Joanna Gaines / Artifact Uprising / Maison Margiela

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Looking for the perfect wedding anniversary gift to commemorate your first year of marriage? The traditional first-anniversary gift is paper, and while it might not sound exciting at first, it’s a very special anniversary—it all depends on what you make of it. Paper represents a number of symbolic elements that touch on marriage—fragility, delicacy, endless opportunities, and colorful possibilities. Your paper anniversary is about writing the story and memories of your life together.

We’ve put together a gift guide to make this an anniversary to remember. Whether your partner loves reading, cooking, or traveling, there are many unique gifts to choose from. We are recommending products already tried and tested by our experts, as well as those highly rated by online reviewers. For your first anniversary, we’ll make sure you can get a gift your special person is both surprised and delighted by—and perhaps some that will give a little chuckle.

Here are 28 of the best paper anniversary gifts you can give to your partner.

1. For the sentimental one: A personalized calendar

Show your loved ones how much you love them with this calendar that makes the perfect anniversary gift from Minted.
Credit: Minted

Show your loved ones how much you love them with this calendar that makes the perfect anniversary gift from Minted.

Don't just dedicate your anniversary to celebrate your love, celebrate it every single day with this personalized calendar. Retell your love story by selecting 12 pictures to headline the start of each month. Available in 2 sizes, Standard (8” x 11.5”) and Grand (11.5” x 14”) with chic rounded corners and spiral binding, it's one of the best buys.

Get the Serenity Calendar from Minted starting at $29

2. For the one you’re always buying flowers for: Wildflower Bouquet

A bouquet of paper flowers in a vase.
Credit: Lovepop

These paper flowers won't wilt.

Buying a bouquet of flowers might have been the first thing that popped into your mind, but why not buy paper flowers that will last forever? Lovepop's 5-star card pops up and serves as a beautiful, standalone centerpiece that will never fade. There are a variety of bouquet cards to choose from, so be sure to take a look around Lovepop’s website.

Get the Wildflower Bouquet from Lovepop Cards for $24

3. For someone who loves to tell the story about how you both met: Our Story Print

An Our Story Print telling the love story of a couple.
Credit: LolaandElvis

Customize how you tell your love story.

Everyone’s story about how they met is unique, and this print would be an incredibly memorable gift to tell that story and display through a variety of adorable images. With plenty of ways to tell your story, you can pick the size, icons, and color of your story image for your partner, making it look incredible for your home together when it’s framed.

Get the Personalised Our Story Print from LolaandElvis for $14.17

4. For the adventurous one: Book tickets for an event

A selection of musical and play posters from Today Tix.
Credit: Today Tix

Create a small scrapbook with your show tickets.

Plan an experience you can both enjoy together. Whether it’s a certificate for a massage with dinner later or an incredible concert, save the ticket and keep a paper trail of your night together. You can create a small scrapbook of the experience with receipts or just frame the original ticket. For the homebodies, you can book an experience through Today Tix and still have a great time sitting on your couch together.

Shop tickets at TodayTix

5. For the person who loves family portraits: A custom family illustration

Two customized cartoon family portraits.
Credit: HenryJamesPaperGoods

These family portraits are customizable from the clothing to the pets.

It’s always nice to have a family photo, but what about a custom graphic design? These custom family illustrations are customizable down to the clothing and pets and are a welcome addition to the home’s photo gallery. Some reviewers have purchased multiple illustrations to document milestones throughout a family’s life—so this gift might make for a wonderful encore next year!

Get the Custom Family Illustration from HenryJamesPaperGoods for $98

6. For the storyteller: Scribbler subscription box

A subscription box from Scribbler meant to inspire writers.
Credit: Scribbler

This subscription box is perfect for writers.

If your partner is a writer, this subscription box is for them. One review says opening this box every month is like Christmas morning. Scribbler sends all kinds of goodies for writers every month in a themed box, including teaching booklets from bestselling authors, books, and snacks. With the variety of items and catered experience for writers, this box won’t disappoint.

Get the Scribbler subscription box from Scribbler for $28.33

7. For someone who loves surprises: Decorative paper lantern

A lit paper lantern in a dark room.
Credit: Paper Lantern Store

These paper lanterns are budget-friendly additions to your home.

If you want to make a big event out of your one-year anniversary, these paper lanterns will really set the scene. With a 5-star rating and smashing reviews, you can’t really beat the price. Have these budget-friendly lanterns hang above a homemade dinner outside at night, and your partner will surely be romanced.

Get the 20" White Round Paper Lantern from The Paper Lantern Store for $3.06

8. For someone who needs more time to relax: Secret Garden Adult Coloring Book

A coloring book and colored pencils pack.
Credit: Laurence King Publishing / Prismacolor

Unwind by filling in between the lines.

Adult coloring books have been all the rage, and this is one of the top sellers with over 12,000 reviewers that give it 4.5 stars. This is a great project for you and your husband or wife to do together after work is done, and it will help you both relax while doing a project together. You can also pair this with a nice set of markers or colored pencils for a special touch.

Get the Secret Garden Adult Coloring Book from Amazon for $9.99

9. For the audiophile: Soundwave art

A sound wave piece of art.
Credit: ArtsyVoicePrint

This voice print is a unique piece of art.

This soundwave art makes a sound clip the centerpiece. Whether it’s the audio of your vow, a special song, their child’s first word, or just you saying “I love you,” it’s a unique piece of art that can hold a layer of meanings for them. With various sizes and colors available, this art will be unique with not just audio clip’s distinctive dips and waves, but the color and font of your choosing.

Get Soundwave Art from ArtsyVoicePrint starting at $34.95

10. For the sentimental one: Origami stars for hopes and dreams

Multicolored origami hearts in a group.
Credit: Bubu

Add some whimsey with origami.

Learn how to make origami stars and write the dreams you share with your partner, whether it be vacations you hope to take together or eventually buying a dream home. Put these paper stars in a jar and let your partner open them when you both need a boost.

Get origami paper from Amazon for $6.99

11. For the one with a full camera roll: A special photo album

A photo album commemorating a wedding.
Credit: Artifact Uprising

Make your camera roll a keepsake.

Whether you want to capture photos from your wedding day or just everyday photography from both of your camera rolls, this photo album lays these moments out beautifully in a panoramic, lay flat spread. You can customize the book cover, photo sizes, and the layout of each page in the book, making it extra personal as a gift for your husband or wife.

Get the Layflat Photo Album from Artifact Uprising for $152

12. For the person who’s always taking a rain check: Lover’s coupons

A pack of lover's coupons.
Credit: Knock Knock

Make demands with a bit of humor.

These cute coupons have 20 pages of ways to express your affection, whether it’s a candlelit bath or just giving your partner alone time. They also give specific instructions—like determining food delivery to be within a reasonable distance—which just adds adorable detail to these vouchers.

Get the Knock Knock Vouchers for Lovers from Amazon for $10.60

13. For the stationery addict: Personalized stationery

Personalized stationery and business card with floral designs.
Credit: Rifle Paper Company

Personalized stationery adds personality to your correspondence.

If your partner loves writing letters, get them personalized stationery that they can call their own. Rifle Paper Company provides beautiful flat notes in a handful of selections that includes colorful hydrangeas, roses, and more. There’s also a selection of font colors and greetings to choose from to make the flat notes a touch more curated for your loved one.

Get the Personalized Flat Notes from Rifle Paper Company for $65

14. For the interior designer: Removable wallpaper

Floral wallpaper in an entryway.
Credit: Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines

This removable wallpaper is great for renters.

With removable wallpaper, you can redesign a whole room and surprise your partner, or you can gift them this beautiful roll and leave them to it! Our testers reviewed this wallpaper and found it to be great for renters—so this gift is perfect even if you’re both still dreaming about buying your forever home.

Get the Floral Paper Pre-Pasted Strippable Wallpaper Roll from Home Depot for $72.05

15. For the one who loves puzzles: A custom photo puzzle

A customized photo puzzle of a couple.
Credit: Minted

This puzzle is an adorable, personalized addition to your games.

Buying a puzzle as a gift is a great idea, but why not one you’ve designed yourself? With Minted, you can design a puzzle for your one-year gift using a memorable photograph. We’ve already created a step-by-step guide for designing your puzzle on Minted, so it’s easy to create this adorable, personalized gift for your love.

Get The Big Picture Puzzle from Minted for $42

16. For someone who already has all the books they want: Book art

A personalized piece of book art with a date.
Credit: LucianaFrigerio

This sentimental piece of art will look right at home on your bookshelf.

Commemorate your anniversary date with this amazing book art. This is wonderful for a reader who you know you can’t buy another book for—they’ve already purchased all the books on their to-buy list, of course—and it will look right at home on their bookshelf. It can be tucked between books or used as a bookend to make for hidden art between your lover’s favorite reads.

Get the Folded Book Art from LucianaFrigerio for $90

17. For the constant wayfarer: Lonely Planet guidebooks

Three Lonely Planet guidebooks exploring the United States.
Credit: Lonely Planet

Plan your next big trip together.

If your partner has talked about going to Europe or exploring the U.S. national parks, Lonely Planet’s guidebooks could be a great gift for planning a trip together. Buy a book, circle some memorable places, and give them the book with the promise to set a date for a trip in the future.

Get the Lonely Planet Guidebooks from Lonely Planet

18. For someone who loves architecture: A house or wedding venue portrait

A minimalist still life of a building.
Credit: BBIllustration

These minimalist building portraits can memorialize your wedding venue, first abode, or anywhere you love.

These house portraits are so cute and simple, it’s easy to imagine them hanging up in any household with the assortment of colors and sizes available. You can pick any meaningful “place” that means something to your husband or wife, whether it’s your wedding venue or the house you just moved into. The portrait will be based on any picture you send the artist and will be as detailed as the day you both saw the structure in person.

Get the Custom House Illustration from BBIllustration for $77.96

19. For a true-crime devotee: Hunt a Killer subscription box

A murder-mystery party pack with clues and evidence.
Credit: Hunt a Killer

This mystery subscription box is perfect for anyone who is constantly listening to true-crime podcasts.

This subscription box is perfect for a person who loves thrillers, mysteries, and true crime. It’s one of our subscription box favorites. You can choose to get your partner a one-time box for them to try or order a whole series of them for them to have a long storyline to look forward to.

Get the Hunt a Killer from Hunt a Killer for $30

20. For the calligrapher: A calligraphy and handwriting set

Two calligraphy and handwriting sets with pens and inks.
Credit: Trustela

Practice your John Hancock with this calligraphy set.

Perhaps your partner has been wanting to practice their handwriting or they’ve been watching calligraphers on YouTube. This set encourages them to try their new hobby with a beautiful wood dip pen, ink, and nib set. If they get enough practice in, they’ll be sure to write you a thank you note with the same pen and ink.

Get the Calligraphy Set for Beginners from Trustela starting at $21.40

21. For the nostalgic dreamer: A journal filled with your letters

Three leather-bound journals.
Credit: Rustico

Write notes they'll always treaure.

Give them a journal with the promise you’ll write in it every day for the next year. You can write about how much you appreciate them, your hopes for the future, or just gratitude that you get to spend time with them. They can look at the journal anytime. This will show your commitment to them and your everyday recognition for their being in your life.

Get the Writer’s Log from Rustico for $48

22. For the writer: An online masterclass

Masterclass portraits from Issa Rae, David Sedaris, and Shonda Rhimes.
Credit: Masterclass

Learn from noteworthy writers like Issa Rae, David Sedaris, and Shonda Rhimes.

Give them the gift of knowledge by buying them a Masterclass taught by their favorite writer. With teachers like Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, and Roxane Gay, you can’t really go wrong with what Masterclass offers. And best of all, your partner doesn’t have to leave their home when they use it—so you can even join them in learning.

Get Masterclass for $15/month

23. For someone who wants to put their phone away: How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price

The cover of How to Break Up with Your Phone.
Credit: Ten Speed Press

Learn how to unplug and unwind.

If you and your partner both struggle to set time aside throughout the day to do things together—whether it’s the hobbies you love or just spending time together—this book might be for both of you. You can purchase this book as a gift with the idea that the 30-day plan can be something you both can pursue together. Price lays out a fantastic, fun, intentional plan so you and your partner can put aside your phone and stop scrolling through Twitter.

Get the How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price from Amazon for $11.29

24. For the one still humming your wedding song: Wedding song print

A stack of sheet music in various sizes.
Credit: SheetsyBoutique

You'll always remember your wedding song with this sheet music.

This print eternalizes your wedding song in a beautiful way: with cotton fiber paper and a velvet texture, SheetsyBoutique ensures that the music is authentic with every note. Your names and wedding date will appear on the bottom in a gorgeous script. This piece also includes a solid wood frame so you won’t have to go searching for one once the print arrives.

Get the Your Wedding Song Print from SheetsyBoutique for $19.95

25. For the librarian: Custom embosser stamp

A person embosses a page in a book.
Credit: EmilyCraftSupplies

Never lose track of the contents of your library with this embosser stamp.

When you have a partner who is always collecting books, you can buy them something that makes those tomes feel especially theirs. This embosser stamp has a unique selection of options to choose from, so you can pick a stamp icon that will suit their personality perfectly. If you own a library together, you can put both of your names on the embosser—but make sure they’re willing to put your name on their books!

Get the Custom Embosser Stamp from EmilyCraftSupplies for $16.38

26. For someone who has the photo albums filled: A painted portrait

A commissioned customizable portrait inspired by a photograph.
Credit: Paint Your Life

You can commission a portrait in a variety of styles and mediums.

For your anniversary, commission an artist to paint a portrait of both of you together. Commissioning an artist for a custom portrait doesn’t have to be an intense process since we’ve reviewed Paint Your Life and found the ordering process, turnaround time, and products to be impressive. You can have a portrait commissioned in a variety of styles and mediums, including oils, pastels, and watercolors, so the possibilities are endless.

Get a portrait from Paint Your Life starting at $189

27. For the traveler: Custom city map

A minimalist and modern customizable map.
Credit: DanielsFineArtCo

This customizable map will add a minimalist and modern touch to your home.

If your husband or wife finds meaning in a certain city or place, this map might be perfect for them. Perhaps they’ve just moved to a new town, or they’ve been in a city for many, many years: This piece will showcase a city of your choosing on a highly-detailed map with professional-grade paper. Although the map is highly detailed, this map gives a minimalist, modern look and would suit any household wall as a framed piece.

Get the Custom City Vintage Map from DanielsFineArtCo for $29.70

28. For the bookworm: Book of the Month subscription

A Book of the Month subscription box and a stack of novels.
Credit: Book of the Month

This book subscription box is perfect for your favorite bookworm.

The best gift of all for a bookworm is more books! Book of the Month allows the subscriber to pick from five books and sends the book of their choosing to their home every month. You can’t go wrong with this one—if they love to read and books are piled about your home, this is it.

Get Book of the Month starting at $9.99 with coupon code BEMINE

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