Unveil the origins of age-old wedding anniversary traditions
You’ve had the BIG DAY, and you’re left with magical memories, photographs and a whole life together. But, there’s one more wedding tradition that lasts a lifetime; the age-old tradition of giving gifts as each anniversary passes. It might start innocently with paper, but as the years stretch by, wood and tin turn into emeralds and rubies and take on a significance of their own.
Lets delve a little into what lies ahead…
Wedding anniversary traditions have very old and ancient roots and although they have evolved over time, they can be traced back thousands of years. It’s fascinating to think that ancient Romans were having golden wedding anniversary celebrations just like we do now.
The tradition of gifting paper on the first anniversary can be traced back to the 19th Century in the UK, where paper symbolised a blank page representing a new chapter of the couple’s life together.
Gift ideas
Paper is one of the easiest materials to make or find a meaningful present. Why not track down your partner’s favourite book in a limited edition or a newspaper front page from the day you were married? Etsy has lots of map-inspired gifts where you can find the location of where you met, or your wedding day location and have it printed onto a map.
DIY
Why not fill a glass jar with date night ideas - if you can manage one for every week of the year (52 in total) you can pull one out each week and try to complete the task.
Cut up 52 rectangles of paper to put in your jar
Write a challenge, a love note, a task or an outing on each bit of paper
They can be simple - for example: ‘have a backyard picnic under the stars’, ‘have a game night - Monopoly vs Scrabble marathon’.
One of the notes could say, ‘write a love letter to each other’. Keep it simple, as you’ll be more likely to give each idea a go.
Each week, pull one piece of paper from the jar and try to complete the task as a couple.
Cotton is strong and durable, yet soft and pliable and represents two years of being married. Cotton is one of the easiest anniversary traditions, here are some of our faves:
Gift Ideas
Is it time to refresh the linen on your bed? Egyptian cotton bed linen is best, but why? Egyptian cotton is hand-picked, preventing stress on the fibres, so keeps the highest level of purity. When you hand-pick cotton it helps the cotton last longer so your linen will have longevity after years of washing. A general rule of thumb is, the higher the thread count the purer the cotton, so a 1000 thread count will give you exquisite cotton but will also dent your bank account!
DIY
Pack up a hamper for your partner with gifts made from 100% cotton. Think T shirts, socks, aprons and blankets. If clothes aren’t your thing, how about choosing something made with the byproduct of cotton:
Baseball centers are wrapped in three types of yarn before being covered in leather - can you organise a baseball game to celebrate with family and friends?
Most banknotes worldwide were made from cotton (yep, we didn’t know this either!). Paper banknotes are made using a mould process, where the watermark and thread is incorporated when the paper is formed. Many countries have now switched to using Polymer (plastic) banknotes to prevent counterfeiting. We still hanker after the old paper notes… Pop a lottery ticket into your anniversary card - fingers crossed for some money!
Treat yourselves to a luxurious DIY pamper day at home with a set of soft cotton towels, bathrobes, and sheet face masks (these are typically made from cotton because they are soft and breathable, allowing for better absorption of the mask's serum into the skin).
Leather is the traditional third year anniversary gift, because it represents durability, flexibility and strength. Leather can withstand wear and tear, whilst maintaining its quality - just like three years of marriage!
Gift Ideas
Monogramed leather notebooks, or leather board games like backgammon make great third year anniversary presents. How about reprinting your favourite shot from your wedding day (try to find one that you don’t have on the mantlepiece), and frame it in a leather bound frame.
DIY
Why not go completely off-piste when celebrating three years together and book a horse riding trek for the two of you. And the leather? The horse’s saddle of course!
This anniversary is often referred to as the ‘fruit and flowers’ anniversary, however fruit and flowers is the tradition for the US, whereas in the UK its linen and silk. Will you stick to tradition here, or mix and match from different countries? Flowers and silk please!
Gift ideas
Celebrate your anniversary by visiting the nearby botanical gardens and enjoying a romantic picnic amidst the blooming flowers. Don't forget to pack chocolate-covered fruits, a delightful treat that perfectly combines both elements of this years tradition.
How about making a fruit infused cocktail for your partner? We like a sloe gin, especially as it works as a great drink, whatever the month and it’s a great alternative to a hamper of fruit!
DIY
Challenge time! Can you both make a complicated origami flower in 15 minutes? Whose looks best and whose is a crumpled mess! Try this simple rose as a starter challenge. You can find harder origami if you both find this too easy.
Wood represents strength, stability and durability. After five years together a couple will have a strong foundation and resilience.
Gift Ideas
We love the idea of an engraved wooden board with your names and date of your wedding, as a meaningful gift. Lots of photo companies can print photos onto wood - this would be a great way to evolve your traditional wedding photographs into a five-year wedding anniversary present. Photobox can print any photo you have onto all manner of things, and their wood photo blocks are great and inexpensive.
Other fun ideas for gift include: cheeseboards, surfboards or chessboards! You can get lots of these items personalised. Why not create a cheese and charcuterie board and pair it with a DIY wine tasting - from your partner’s favourite region?
DIY
If you love the game JENGA (the wooden block stacking game), why not buy a new set and write a question, activity or challenge on each block. Every time you pull a block you have to answer or do what is written on it, if it’s an activity you’re in charge of planning it. Make sure to keep some blocks blank.
Tin or aluminium symbolises flexibility, but also the pliability needed to adapt through ten years of marriage. It also very much signifies strength. And if you’re ten-year anniversary is coming up we hope you’re planning a party to celebrate!
Gift Ideas
Find some unique jewellery made of tin or pewter to celebrate ten years. You could also find some retro enamel homeware with your initials printed on.
DIY
Fill a large tin with all the food your partner likes best. Try to find sweets from their childhood and items they can’t usually get hold of - something they enjoyed in a different country for instance. Don’t forget to add a tin of vegetables as a token ‘tin’ present!
Gift Ideas for Year by Year
Pottery - Can you find a pottery class or ceramic workshop to do together, or find a pottery DIY kit you can create at home.
Pearl - Is it time to book that once-in-a-lifetime scuba diving holiday, searching for pearls?
Ivory - Search up events that take place at your nearest zoo. Are there Elephants and can you contribute to an Elephant fund as a cool present?
Crystals - Can you find a set of healing crystals that would be a welcome gift for your partner? There are many crystals that represent happiness, love, calmness and strength which would be a really lovely gift for an anniversary.
Coral - buying coral is a big no-no - they are an important feature of marine life and ecosystem. That doesn’t stop you from looking for a beautiful painting of a coral reef or attempting one yourself!
Remembering Your Special Day
Remembering your wedding day, as each year passes, helps couples to take a step back from the daily grind and reminisce about the day which started your journey together. Go ahead, get out your old wedding pictures, find your notes of wedding vows and re-watch your wedding video together. We hope we have inspired you to make that upcoming wedding anniversary just that little bit special and a little bit different.
