Reaching a one year milestone is always a very momentous and moving moment, whether personal or professional, and none more so than the first wedding anniversary! Almost all cultures associate a symbol with this landmark - like soft cotton, clocks, mother of pearl, carnations, and paper – but of course the latter is the most exciting one for us here at Ananya! We love the idea of the first year being akin to a blank sheet, with so many chapters yet to be written. We’ve gathered here for you some paper-inspired ideas for gifts to celebrate your first year together, and we hope you enjoy them!
Cards. Of course, our top pick is to surprise the recipient with a really special card! Why not ask a stationer to create a completely personal design for your partner – or even a pack of “reasons why I love you” or date night cards. A small message in a bottle can also be a really cute way to tell your loved one just how much they mean to you! You can also have a fun certificate designed, or mini cards to send your other half on a personalised treasure hunt. Perhaps even a couple or wedding hashtag! Bespoke wine collars can also be really great options, which can then be gifted alongside your favourite wine or champagne.
Journals and Notebooks. A number of companies now offer beautiful personalised leather journals, which make for stylish and useful gifts to mark a first anniversary. A perfect gift for someone full of creative ideas, someone who enjoys sketching, or a busy bee with lots of to do lists!
Photo Albums. Albums and collagesare a lovely way of collating photos and souvenirs from the past year, and turning them into an extra special gift. For newly married couples, the one year mark is often a fun time to look back on wedding photos and select favourites to create an album to share with friends and family – these can even be personalised with names and wedding date for something really bespoke.
Prints and Artwork. Having a print designed can be a very heartfelt and personal gift, and one that can be treasured for many years to come in a beautiful frame. You could choose lyrics of the first dance, an illustration of the venue or bouquet, one of the ceremony readings, or perhaps a map or luggage tag with stamps of the honeymoon destination. You could also have your stationer create an infographic of all the milestones that happened throughout the year (e.g. moved house, had a baby, learned to cook a new recipe), and pick a beautiful frame for your home.
Books. Bookworms will always love receiving books as gifts! Think about maybe looking for a rare first edition of a favourite book, or buy them a new read with a note describing what you loved about it. Travel books are also great option, for example of upcoming or recent destinations that you know played a meaningful part throughout your journey together.
A Calendar or Diary. Depending upon the date of the anniversary, a calendar can be a lovely and extremely useful paper gift. You can even mark out some special days or jot down some personal messages before handing it over! Diaries are also lovely keepsakes, especially for people who love organisation and stationery. You can either opt for a normal daily or weekly diary, or maybe find something more relevant to their interests, like a happiness planner, a fitness planner, or a business planner.
Colouring Books. Colouring books aren’t just for children anymore and colour therapy has been shown to be a great way to calm minds and take some time out of busy days. Perfect for creative minds!
Vouchers. A fun twist on the paper gift could be to purchase a voucher for something special, like an experience day, cocktails, cocktails, or dinner. The voucher could be printed on special paper, like something thick, textured, or foiled for example, and handed over in a bespoke calligraphy envelope.
Accessories. Another way to let paper inspire you for gifts is to think about items that share a connection with it, such as paper-airplane shaped cufflinks or necklace, or a designer fountain pen.
We hope these ideas have inspired you on some great ideas for first year anniversary gifts inspired by paper. If you’d like to discuss bespoke stationery commissions, like cards, journals, notebooks, coasters, and much more, get in touch!
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