Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year

We are approaching three years of being married, and while it feels like yesterday we were planning our wedding, so many life events have happened that have easily filled up three years. We’ve moved across the country. We’ve bought a house. We’ve changed jobs. We’ve dealt with loss. We’ve celebrate immense joys. I am happy to say that my love for my husband and my marriage has only grown stronger and deeper as time has gone on.

Which brings me to traditional wedding anniversary gifts, a tradition we started on year ONE. It’s been really fun to keep up, so I imagine we will continue following the traditional gift themes.

Traditional anniversary gifts are meant to get stronger with every year, symbolizing the growth and strength of your relationship. There are modern gift lists out there too, but we’ve stuck with traditional thus far and I like the uniqueness of each year. The beauty is often in the simplicity of the gift and the interpretation of what that year’s theme can mean.

Read on for a comprehensive list, as well as my gift guides for years one through three.

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Year One: Paper

A simple paper gift symbolizes the delicacy of a new relationship. A blank canvas of the life story as a couple just beginning. A clean slate as an opportunity to write your future together. Knowledge gained in the first year of marriage. Berto had the sheet music of our first dance framed. I gifted him a watercolor that reminded me of the journey of our first year of marriage.

Here are a few other paper gift ideas:

• Custom House Portrait

• Custom Stationery

• Paper Journal

• Personalized First Dance Sheet Music

• Meaningful Watercolor Art

• Personalized Comic Book

Year Two: Cotton

Cotton is a material that is interwoven, symbolizing how marriage brings a couple closer together. It’s a strong yet flexible material, meaning that after two years of marriage, the couple has adapted to each other and become stronger for it. We had just purchased our first home and funds were tight, so we went very simple. Berto gifted me a cotton outdoor blanket for me to enjoy in our new yard. I gifted him a couple of soft, cotton t-shirts in colors I knew he’d look extra handsome in.

Here are a few other cotton gift ideas:

• Cotton Throw Blanket

• Soft Cotton Clothing

• Cotton Sheets/Bedding

• Plush Robe

• Cozy Slippers

• Custom Sweatshirts

• Cotton Towels

• Cotton Scented Candle

Year Three: Leather

Symbolizing strength, flexibility and resilience, leather is the traditional gift for year three of marriage. It is durable, can protect you, and when treated properly, it can stay beautiful forever. Leather represents a couple’s commitment to continue the journey of life together. And that is the year we are on currently! We both decided to gift each other leather shoes - Birkenstocks for me, and leather sneakers for him - and went shopping together for a little date night to purchase them.

Here are additional leather gifts ideas:

• Leather Shoes

• Leather Jacket

• Overnighter/Weekender Bag

• Leather Picture Frame

• Leather Fragrance

• Leather Coasters

• Monogrammed Leather Toiletry Bag

As the years unfold, I’m forever grateful to have him by my side. Let the adventures continue, the memories blossom, and the love continuously overflow.