What to buy your husband for the first year wedding anniversary

For a special date like your first anniversary, you may be fretting over what to get your husband. Likely, you’ve had your ups and downs together and want something to convey the meaning of what you share. This can be a challenge, especially if your husband is the type of guy that buys what he wants when he wants it or claims to need nor want anything. Below, we look at a few classic ideas for a first anniversary.

A Timepiece

As the clock is the modern first anniversary gift it's worth taking some time to think about finding a unique clock for your husband. There’s a reason that clocks and watches are common anniversary gifts; they require knowledge of your partner’s preferences and are often thoughtful with engravings. Clocks (and other time-tellers) are usually luxurious items, and the investment of money into them can convey the importance of the gift. Although money isn’t everything and your gift should come from the heart, a gift that indirectly shows that you don’t care to spend money on a day meant to celebrate the both of you can come off as thoughtless.

A clock is an essential component in your home and something that your husband will likely look at often. Choosing a clock that is beautiful and suits his taste will remind him each time he sees it of the thought and care you put into the gift, and ultimately that you’ll put into your marriage. Bramwell Brown Weather Clock is whimsical, classic, and can be a fantastic gift for such a special occasion. With their little theatre of moving clouds, the clock displays a forecast of the day’s weather. It is a lovely timepiece that he’ll enjoy looking at and can be passed onto future generations, should you both choose for it to be an heirloom clock.

If you’re into the symbolism of a clock and want something sentimental but more practical, you could consider a watch as well. This is something that will be on your husband every day, that he’ll be referring to throughout the day for the time. It’s a perfect opportunity to have a sweet message engraved on the back to represent the time that you share together as you grow and tackle challenges together as a couple.

Shared Experience

The traditional first anniversary gift is paper, which represents how delicate your first year together can be. Paper represents importance as you begin to grow as a couple, weaving your lives together. But you may be thinking, how can you give your husband a piece of paper and have it imbued with all the meaning of your early marriage?

Consider a shared experience for you to do as a couple. Maybe it’s something you’ve never done before and always wanted to, or something that you did a long time ago and would like to revisit. A gift certificate for a retreat or plane tickets to a place you would love to go are ways that paper can convey the importance that you want. The paper is symbolic in this sense and is a placeholder for the real experience to strengthen your relationship.

If you’re looking for a paper gift idea that will last (beyond the ticket stubs), consider having your vows done as an art print that you can frame and hang up. This is also a great way to keep both of you accountable to the promises made to each other and a lovely way to display your intentions. You can pair this with your experience gift, or give it on its own in a pretty frame. Don’t tell anyone, but it’s also a gift with half of your work already done for you!

Invest in His Hobby

Source: Luis Villasmil

This is a truly selfless gift and one that he’ll appreciate a lot, as it shows that you care about his happiness and wellbeing as one of your top priorities. Consider taking the time and effort to help him indulge in his hobbies. Maybe this means getting him an upgrade on what he normally uses, or something to make his time spent on his hobby even more engaging. Another idea is to learn about what he loves in order for you to partake and join in.

There are a lot of ideas to explore here for a wonderful anniversary gift. If your husband is into rock climbing, maybe you could get him that set of climbing shoes he has his eye on or lessons to learn to lead climb if he is looking to advance in the sport. Perhaps motorcycling is one of his true passions, whether you are cheering him on or hoping he doesn’t get hurt, motorcycle gear can be a perfect gift. Gear like protective jackets, pants and helmets are essentials that are often expensive--you may be able to get him that jacket he’s wanted for a while. 

Maybe his hobby is one that you are interested in joining as well, and it’s a way for you to bond over the same thing together. You could take lessons or learn so that he is surprised when you ask to join in and know more than just the basics. If he’s into woodworking or programming electronics, there are beginner classes that you can take. Even if you don’t end up loving it or going far into his hobby, you’ve still taken the time to learn and can now appreciate what it is that he does when he talks about his hobby.

Between traditional gifts like paper and a modern gift like a clock, there are a lot of things to consider for the ideal first anniversary wedding gift. You likely know what he would appreciate but if you’re still stuck, it never hurts to ask for some hints. A gift doesn’t necessarily need to be a surprise, and he is going to love that you put thought and effort and asked him what he wanted rather than made a guess on something that may or may not land well. 

Whether you get his explicit input or not, take time to consider what it is that he loves and what values he holds dear and that should be a good start toward getting an anniversary gift that he will treasure!

A fantastic gift or addition to any home: take a look at our Weather Clocks