Comments on: 1st Anniversary Gift

Question: 1st Anniversary Gift

tichance — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:33:28 -0800

It's my one year wedding anniversary and I'm struggling with what to get my wife. I know the traditional one year anniversary gift is paper, what are some creative interpretations of that?

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:35:44 -0800

A big, big box stuffed with... crumpled paper?

It'd be a laugh at least. Especially if there was an actual gift buried somewhere in there.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:39:43 -0800

The traditional gift for a first anniversary is paper, but the modern one is "clocks".

Would she like a nice watch?

Or, my husband is eyeing an alarm clock for Christmas that has an iPod dock in it...would that be a possibility?

Engraved stationary is a nice gift, and there are some really cute and funky makers out there. It seems that letters are a dying art and I hardly ever use letter paper anymore, but I use note cards frequently. And I'd love some personalized recipe cards, since I like to cook.

A handmade journal might be a nice gift, with a good pen.

By: AwkwardPause

AwkwardPause — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:41:07 -0800

Plane tickets.

By: leapingsheep

leapingsheep — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:41:09 -0800

The origami boulder or some fine origami paper with an easy to follow book of project ideas, or any book, really.

By: amarynth

amarynth — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:42:55 -0800

There are a bunch of suggestions here.

By: DakotaPaul

DakotaPaul — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:45:59 -0800

I recently asked the same question prior to our first anniversary. I did a small ad in the announcements/engagements section of the local newspaper. It was a short love letter with one of our favorite wedding photos. She flipped out when she saw it. She was just tickled pink. Bonus points for me: I became the premier Romantic Dude among her friends and co-workers.

By: DakotaPaul

DakotaPaul — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:46:18 -0800

D'oh!

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:49:47 -0800

An octagigamultitude of amazing things can be printed on paper.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:02:12 -0800

Oooh, now DakotaPaul gets DOUBLE bonus points!

That's a totally sweet idea.

By: roundrock

roundrock — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:13:39 -0800

Money was tight our first year, so I gave my husband several books, a homemade coupon book (good for head massages, a day as his errand girl, breakfast in bed, etc), and a booklet listing 365 reasons (yes, a year's worth - and this takes some time) "why I love you."

He gave me a gift certificate for a prenatal massage (we're expecting our first) and put together a scavenger hunt (with a funny or romantic card for each clue) that took us through the city in which we were married, including stops for appetizers at our rehearsal dinner site, a dance at our reception site's ballroom, etc.

I also love DakotaPaul's idea of the newspaper announcement - that's a new (and wonderful) one!! I think tickets for a sporting event/show are also a good idea -- and if you have the money to spend, plane tickets to a surprise romantic destination would be a real winner!

Good luck - and happy anniversary!

By: cup

cup — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:27:32 -0800

The traditional gift for a first anniversary is paper, but the modern one is "clocks".

If your wife is Chinese, I would avoid giving her a clock. The phrase 'to give a clock' sounds exactly the same as the word 'to send someone off' (as in funeral).

Stick with paper (traditional is still in). Make it fun for her and uber romantic. Good luck!

By: phrits

phrits — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:51:19 -0800

My wife was in the hospital after delivering our son, and I gave her a microwave cookbook. "But we don't have a microwave!" "We do now." It's what she really, really wanted, and I got brownie points for being romantic and clever.

Kenmore is a good brand. 13 years later, it was working fine when she took it with her after fucking a "friend" of mine.

By: librarina

librarina — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:46:46 -0800

Paper clock kit! And you can make it together so it's paper AND clocks AND a date!

By: user92371

user92371 — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:36:25 -0800

Walt Disney Pictures presents ... "Blank Check."

By: smartypanties

smartypanties — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 19:43:51 -0800

I know! Make a collage of meaningful images! I'd love that myself. Or a buy/make a paper mache animal (her chinese sign? her favorite animal? a giant penis?) and fill it with something she likes. Happy Day!

By: brujita

brujita — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 21:17:13 -0800

Tickets to something you both like.

By: mdiskin

mdiskin — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 04:25:58 -0800

Engraved stationery is just lovely. Crane's has tradtional designs as well as some surprisingly hip newer ones -- if you have a Crane's or a decent stationery store in town you end up flipping through some huge books that show size/colors and motifs.

The single-sheet cards are supposedly the most useful since they don't necessitate long missives and can be useful for brief thank-yous or short screeds. I like the fold-over notes. If you take this route, keep it simple -- the salmon initials on thick cream paper are just dandy.

By: chill

chill — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 05:49:06 -0800

The traditional gift for a first anniversary is paper, but the modern one is "clocks".
Sorry to derail slightly, but does anyone know how the modern list came about? I ask, because it just seems really really bizarre, and utterely unromantic. For example, year 4, - appliances, 7 - desk sets.

By: dlugoczaj

dlugoczaj — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 06:05:04 -0800

We had no money on our first anniversary (just bought a house), so I told my husband not to buy anything. He made me some pretty origami things (a couple tulips, a dove and a crane) from bright-colored sheets. I like the idea that someone above had about giving the book and some sheets, if you have more money than we did.

By: nekton

nekton — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 08:43:09 -0800

I gave my husband a tree, which is sort of like "future paper that got a pardon". It's great because it will always be there growing and looking nice.

(It's an apple tree, the symbol of love.)

By: shoepal

shoepal — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 14:07:41 -0800

phrits, man, that's horrible.