The traditional 1 year anniversary gift is paper, and the modern alternative is a clock. In Britain the first year is usually paper too, although some British lists put cotton first. Paper is one of the oldest entries on the list, and it is the easiest to make personal: a letter, a print, a book or a pair of tickets all count.
What is the 1 year anniversary gift?
There are three lists in common use, and for the first year they mostly agree.
| List | 1st anniversary gift |
|---|---|
| Traditional (US) | Paper |
| Modern (US) | Clocks |
| British | Paper; some lists give cotton |
The British entry needs a note. Debrett's, the British etiquette publisher, gives paper for year one and cotton for year two, the same as the American list. Other British lists swap the two. If you are buying for someone in the UK, either material is defensible.
Pick any year in the tool to compare all three lists and see a few ideas at each price level.
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Why is paper the first anniversary gift?
Because it has been for a very long time, and because early anniversaries were never meant to be expensive. According to TIME, an American almanac of 1859 already said that "one year makes a paper wedding." When Emily Post listed wedding anniversaries in her 1922 book Etiquette, she named only eight, and paper for the first year opened the list.
Post was blunt about the early years. Paper, wooden and tin presents, she wrote, "are seldom anything but jokes." The serious gifts came later, with crystal, silver and gold. The materials grow in value with the length of the marriage, and paper is where the scale starts.
The usual explanation is that paper stands for a blank page, the start of a story two people write together. It is a later reading, and a pleasant one, but the old sources do not give it. Treat it as a nice thing to say in a card.
Why is the modern gift a clock?
The modern list came from the trade. In the 1920s and 1930s American jewelers worked on a longer list with a gift for many more years; 1937 is the date usually given for it. The list usually printed as the modern one today leans toward finished objects and jewelry, and for the first year it names clocks.
No early source explains the choice. The usual reading is the obvious one: a clock marks time, and you have just finished your first year of it.
Paper gift ideas by budget
Prices vary too much to list, so these are grouped by level.
Budget-friendly
- A handwritten letter about the year you just had, or a set of sealed letters to open on future dates.
- A printed photo from the wedding or the honeymoon in a simple frame.
- A paperback you loved, with a note written inside the cover.
- A homemade book of coupons for things only the two of you would want.
Mid-range
- A custom print: a map of the place you met, the night sky on your wedding date, or your vows set as a poster.
- A photo book of the first year.
- Tickets to a concert, a game or a play. They are paper, or they can be printed.
- Personalized stationery or a good notebook for a spouse who writes or sketches.
Splurge
- An original artwork on paper, such as a drawing, a watercolor or a signed print.
- A first edition or a fine binding of a favorite book.
- A trip, presented as printed tickets and an itinerary in an envelope.
Ideas for her, for him and for the two of you
The material is the same for everyone. What changes is the person.
- For her: a framed print of the wedding venue, a year-long subscription to a magazine she already reads, a bound collection of the messages you sent each other while dating, or a sturdy desk clock for her workspace.
- For him: a signed copy of a book by an author he follows, a vintage map of a city he loves, a ticket to see his team, or a wall clock for the room where he spends his mornings.
- For the two of you: a shared journal with one line per day, a recipe book you fill in together, or a paper calendar with twelve dates already planned.
A clock and a card cover both lists at once.
If paper is not their thing
You have three honest alternatives.
- The modern list. A clock is useful, lasts for years and can be engraved.
- Cotton. It is the second-year material in the United States and the first-year one on some British lists, so nobody can call it wrong.
- Gold. The Gemological Institute of America notes that there is no single authoritative list of anniversary gems. Its own list gives gold jewelry for the first year and suggests yellow gems, including citrine, yellow sapphire and amber, as alternatives.
None of these lists is binding. They are customs that have been revised many times, and a gift the person will use beats a gift that only matches a chart.
What to write in a first anniversary card
A card is paper, so the message can be the gift. Three short examples to adapt:
- "One year in, and you are still my favorite person to come home to. Happy anniversary."
- "Paper for year one. I plan to be here for the gold. Happy first anniversary."
- "365 days married, and I would choose you again on every one of them."
Next up is the cotton anniversary in year two. For the whole chart, from paper to gold, see gifts for every anniversary year.