Buying Wedding Anniversay Presents

Wedding anniversary presents don’t have to be elaborate, expensive, or painstaking to find and buy. Especially now that we have access to all of the products, services, ideas, and guidelines the internet affords, we can get the most traditional or most unusual of wedding anniversary presents.

For starters, we can consult the traditions list, searching for the wedding anniversary presents that meet the appropriate material criteria:

1st First year: paper
2nd Second year: cotton/straw/calico
3rd Third year: leather
4th Fourth year: fruit/flowers
5th Fifth year: wood
6th Sixth year: candy/iron
7th Seventh year: wool/copper
8th Eighth year: bronze/pottery
9th Ninth year: pottery
10th Tenth year: tin
11th Eleventh year: steel
12th Twelfth year: silk/linen
13th Thirteenth year: lace
14th Fourteenth year: ivory
15th Fifteenth year: crystal
20th Twentieth year: china
25th Twenty-fifth year: silver
30th Thirtieth year: pearl
35th Thirty-fifth year: coral
40th Fortieth year: ruby
45th Forty-fifth year: sapphire
50th Fiftieth year: gold
60th Sixtieth year: diamond

Next, we can consider all of the possibilities that fall within that range if we want to buy a gift already produced and packed—one that is generic, but still thoughtful, that is.

BUYING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS

Given the above list, it is easy to find the gift that is best for the hallmark anniversary. For instance, a silver frame, to include a photo of the anniversary couple, is classic for the 25-year anniversary. Or a money tree is still a great no-brainer for the first year—not only because money is made of paper, but the first year marrieds can likely use that extra money!

So accordingly, here are a few of the many possibilities for wedding anniversary gift ideas:

1st First year: paper – okay, besides money, how about tickets to something?
2nd Second year: cotton/straw/calico – how about “pretend” straw? One company makes a thatch bowl that is actually ceramic but looks like straw.
3rd Third year: leather – faux leather might be better these days, so what about a leather stuffed animal?
4th Fourth year: fruit/flowers – do you really want your inlaws to hate you for sending cases and cases of prickly pears, that arrive every month for a year? How about a lemon tree for the back yard?
5th Fifth year: wood – What culture does the couple identify with? A wooden menorah in December or a pair of decorator dutch shoes filled with potpourri might work nicely.
6th Sixth year: candy/iron – The couples favorite candy, arranged in an iron (or simulated iron) vase?
7th Seventh year: wool/copper – Mittens with the surname initial? A copper engraving by their favorite artist?
8th Eighth year: bronze/pottery – Find the local potter; can he/she craft something special for the anniversary couple?

IDEAS for MAKING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS

If you go with more personalized, home-crafted items, you may wish to still use the traditional materials but customize the gift (or have it customized if you don’t feel all that artsy):

20th Twentieth year: china – get the signatures of the guest book (signatures of all the guests at the wedding who are now at the anniversary party) by handing them a glass marker (pen that marks on anything and doesn’t erase—like a Sharpie®) and having them sign the china platter you bought.

25th Twenty-fifth year: silver – use silver embroidery thread to embellish one of their favorite materials/clothing items/bedding items.

30th Thirtieth year: pearl – you could buy an Egyptian-made mother of pearl backgammon board, or you could buy the pearl (opalescent paint and cover the pawns of a chess game with it. Neatly, of course.

35th Thirty-fifth year: coral – How about buying a painting of coral reefs (or of anything, really) and gluing to it some lovely coral from the pet fish store or arts and crafts store—making a beautiful 3-D piece?

50th Fiftieth year: gold - There are gold yarns and threads—great for matching gold sweaters, mittens, or throws. What else could you use gold yarn in? How about gold flakes? What could you put the flakes in? On?

You get the idea. Now have fun coming up with more of your own!

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