A Modern Take On The Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gift Guide

Whether you’re celebrating your first or your fifth, your wedding anniversary is a truly special day. To mark the occasion, we take you through the traditional gift options for those first few years, with a few modern ideas to take inspiration from. P.S husbands take note of first year anniversary idea number two! Guaranteed to score you some serious brownie points 😉

1st Anniversary – Paper

  1. Love the lyrics to your first dance song, or do you have a recording of your vows being exchanged? A handmade custom sound wave is the perfect piece of art to frame for your new home. Sound Art By Brooke, €139.46 on Etsy.
  2. A bespoke fine art print of the bride or happy couple. Sketched painted and coloured by hand, we couldn’t think of a more sentimental gift for a first wedding anniversary. Commissioned on request by Alison B. Illustrations, you can email alisonbillustration@gmail.com to chat about your ideas and request pricing information. Alison will listen to your vision and work with you to create something truly unique and personal.
  3. Create a memory book of your first year as a married couple. Available from Not On The High Street, £19.

2nd Anniversary – Cotton

  1. We’re huge fans of Irish blogger Catherine Carton of Dainty Dress Diaries. Her handmade and totally adorable teddies and cushions make the perfect gift. Each item comes with a personalized message, and you could even use a sentimental item of clothing such as the groom’s wedding day shirt. The order book is currently closed at Designs By Dainty, due to huge demand. So watch this space over the coming months if you know someone with a special anniversary in the pipeline. If you’re lucky orders may be open again!
  2. A personalized cushion is ideal for a cuddle on the sofa. Available from Not On The High Street, £30.

3rd Anniversary – Leather

  1. What better way to plan all your worldly travels and exciting experiences together than with a beautiful explorer journal from Tremundo Journals. Available on Etsy, €23.24.
  2. . Hailing from Galway, Irish-owned Mishnóc sells only the finest quality leather goods like this rugged weekend bag for him, perfect for all those romantic getaways. Cowhide Leather Holdall from Mishnóc, €235.

5th Anniversary – Wood

  1. This one could double up as small wedding token. A personalized wine box, sealed and only to be opened on the couples third wedding anniversary. Swoon! Available on Gifts.ie, €24.95.
  2. A traditional nod to our Irish heritage, a wooden engraved family crest is a lovely gesture to symbolize two families coming together. Starting from €70.00 at Kirwan Craft.

Image Credit: via Caroline Attwood.

Social Team

The Social Team lives for Weddings.

WeddingDates Contributors
From Bands of Gold to Silverware, this couple won big!

They won big on a mild, early December day in 2022.