And what better way to celebrate your first year of marriage with your spouse (or first year with a committed partner) than with a thoughtful gift to commemorate how far you’ve come so far? Gift-giving is an art, so to get you inspired, we rounded up 19 great gifts—including paper gifts, nonmaterial options, and more—for husbands, wives, and spouses, or whoever the special someone is in your life. The idea is that the material of the gifts becomes stronger each year. The first anniversary, for example, is paper, while the 25th year is silver, and the 50th, gold. Another theme sometimes associated with first anniversaries is clocks, which symbolize the passage of time. But if neither paper nor a clock feels fitting, you certainly don’t have to stick to themed gifts. “Gift-giving can be really special, even if it’s not one of your love languages,” she says, adding, “the thing people care about is the meaning behind it.” If they’re big on quality time, for example, it might make more sense to gift them an experience you can do together rather than an expensive piece of jewelry. “It’s really about knowing your person,” Richmond says. “So, is it time with you? Is it something you’ve made? Is it something only you know about them? The personal aspect of it just really makes us feel seen, heard, validated, and accepted for who we are.” Rather than focusing on the price tag, focus on making it personal and special to them. “I find that meaningful, thoughtful, personalized gifts go so much further than an expensive gift,” she says. Because at the end of the day, it’s not so much about the gift itself but what it says about your connection and how much you care.
