Each year in your marriage marks another 365 days of surprises, adventures, challenges, triumphs, and, of course, L-O-V-E. Your story is irreplaceable, unrepeatable, and the stuff dreams are made of - it deserves to be celebrated. BIG TIME. Your marriage anniversary deserves the best gift and celebration.
After all, you only get so many chances to surprise your partner with how much you value and adore them. And just like when you said “I do,” why would you say yes to any less than the very best?
That’s why we’ve put together this wicked awesome list of anniversary gift ideas by year for the first decade of your marriage. Each idea honors traditional gifts but with a 2020 spin.
Get ready to be inspired. Here we go…!
Tokki was NOT paid by anyone for these opinions (even by ourselves as it turns out).
1 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Paper
Paper is the traditional first-year anniversary gift as it represents the blank pages upon which you will write your epic tale of love and partnership. Share a paper-inspired gift this year to celebrate and honor the story still to come.
2020 Version:
Let this custom split-heart map wall art represent the individual road you each walked until you found each other. You can customize the color, font, and city choices.
You can also put together a photo album documenting your first year together, or a list of 10 things you love about your partner. Handwrite the list on a piece of pretty parchment or decorative paper, roll it up, and tie it with a piece of ribbon in a color that matches your wedding colors.
No matter which paper-themed gift you choose this year, may it mark the first milestone in the long, joyful journey of your life together.
2 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Cotton
You are bound to face challenges as the years go on. A cotton gift acknowledges the power that comes from working together with a balance of flexibility and strength.
2020 Version:
A TOKKI! Cotton gifts for this year should show the beauty that comes from intertwining two parts into one whole. Our eco-friendly gift wraps and Tokki bands do just that. When you wrap a gift with a Tokki, the Tokki becomes part of the gift!
Fill your limited-edition Tokki wrap with one of the following:
- A framed wedding invitation or a favorite photo of the two of you.
- Champagne flutes from your wedding filled with your favorite chocolates.
- A bottle of Champagne.
And don’t forget to add a picture from your wedding to the personalized digital card on the Tokki band. You can save the message (and all your Tokki band messages) to your online Tokki Album so you can always remember your special moments together.
3 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Leather
Leather protects the wearer. It’s reliable, resilient, secure. It allows the wearer to weather storms, and survive harsh circumstances with minimal damage. Like leather, a great marriage makes you feel safe and secure enough to take on the world - no matter what comes.
2020 Version:
Sometimes what your partnership really needs is a quiet night of restoration. For your third-year anniversary gift to each other, plan a night of pampering each other at home.
Set the mood with this Atelier Cologne Tobacco Texas Candle and take your time enjoying each other’s company. You don’t have anywhere else to be. Share stories of the past and ideas about the future while trading foot massages (or full-body massages!), sharing a bubble bath, or even just cuddling.
Let it be a sweet night of connection reminiscent of your early days together. No matter how much stress the world seeks to stir within you, use this anniversary to recommit to being each other’s safe space.
Jane's Pick
The modern 3-year anniversary gift is crystal (or glass). This represents a maturing marriage as it is both beautiful but fragile. Jane Park, Tokki's Founder, said her favorite 3rd year wedding anniversary gift is this Simon Pearce Norwich Ice Bucket.
"It is beautifully handcrafted. I love functional pieces that are also works of art. Hand blown glass is never perfectly symmetrical, which I find ultra-soothing. Â Plus ice buckets are about parties and champagne - two more of my favorite things." - Jane Park
4 Year Anniversary
Traditional: “Fruit” & Flowers
Fruit and flowers are the traditional gifts for this year as after four years of marriage, you’re likely to see some of the seeds you planted together bearing fruit or blossoming in your lives. It’s a sweet year of celebration - and a year to plant new seeds for the future.
2020 Version:
Pair a bouquet of flowers - choose the same flowers as you had at your wedding - and a bottle of wine from the year you got married. Head to your local wine shop and have fun selecting a bottle with a story that mirrors the journey of your marriage so far.
Maybe you want to go with a Chardonnay to celebrate the rich, full quality if your time together so far. Or maybe you want to choose a Burgundy to celebrate the passion and depth of your relationship.
Bonus points if you got married in a major wine region like Napa, Italy, or Washington state. Perhaps you can even find a bottle of the same label as the one you served at your wedding!
5 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Wood
Wood represents the wisdom, strength, and quiet courage of trees. Like a mighty oak, your marriage will become stronger and will develop deeper roots with every challenge you face.
Modern:
For your 5-year anniversary gift, put together a list of the top 10 hikes in the woods around the world you’d like to do together. Some ideas to get you started:
- The Kalalau Trail. Located on Kauai (okay, more ocean than woods, but still...)
- Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
- Appalachian Trail, United States.
Maybe you choose this year to travel to one of these locations and complete the hike together. Or, if you’re not in a hikeable place this year, share your celebration with friends by putting together a wine-and-cheese night. Serve your hors d'oeuvres on this gorgeous reclaimed wood cheese board as a nod to the enduring nature of your marriage.
6 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Iron
Iron changed the game for humanity. Its discovery allowed us to forge the tools we needed to evolve, grow, and survive on a greater level. We continue to find new ways to utilize iron to help us rise as a society.
Much the same, six years of marriage has given you many tools to survive and thrive together. This is a year to highlight all you’ve learned together so far.
Modern:
These iron candle holders are regal, powerful, and allow you to bring some more fire into your marriage - literally. Use them for a romantic candle-lit dinner on your anniversary and spend some time talking about how far you’ve come - and what you’re excited about for the future.
Bonus points: cook that romantic dinner using a brand new cast iron skillet. They’re made to last a lifetime - just like your marriage.
7 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Copper
Copper conducts heat - a nod to the warmth present in your marriage. Sometimes your partnership will burn hot, and sometimes it will act as a single candle flame in an otherwise dark time. No matter what comes, it’s important to keep the fire alive in your relationship.
Modern:
Add these beautiful copper cups to your bar and share a Moscow mule or two on your anniversary. You can also replace your current set of pots and pans with a high-quality stainless-steel-and-copper cookware set for a modern kitchen upgrade that adds both use and beauty to your home. These copper cups can be perfectly wrapped in a reusable Tokki wrap and paired with a memorable message on the Tokki band - make extra special with a photo from your wedding.
8 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Bronze
Iron and copper are both durable metals, but bronze outlasts them both. This metal is the traditional gifting choice for the 8th year as it represents the increased strength your marriage will cultivate over time.
Modern:
Celebrate that strength of your love with a special poem framed in a sleek custom bronze frame. Choose a poem that speaks to the connection and intimacy you share with each other like this one from E.E. Cummings.
9 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Pottery
Over the last 9 years, you’ve transformed your marriage from an unformed ball of clay to a beautiful work of art. That’s what the traditional choice of pottery represents for this anniversary year. Though you’ll continue to shape your relationship over time, this is a year to reflect on what you’ve created together so far.
Modern:
Take a pottery class together to learn about what it takes to turn a piece of clay into a beautiful bowl, vase, or cup. Okay, or just watch Ghost together while drinking hot toddies out of these super fabulous handmade mugs. You can learn just as much watching Demi and The Swayze “make pottery” to the tune of Unchained Melody as you can in a class, right?
10 Year Anniversary
Traditional: Aluminum
You would think that a stronger metal than what we’ve seen on this list so far would be the traditional gift for the big 10-year mark. But the strength of aluminum is found in its flexibility and malleability - not its hardness or density.
A great marriage needs to be able to adapt and expand over time. It can’t be rigid. For the 10-year anniversary gift, this metal reminds you both to stay open to change so that your marriage can continue to flourish.
Modern:
Create a custom aluminum sign to represent your family, your marriage year, or a special sentiment shared within your partnership. A family name sign like this one is a sweet way to celebrate the moment with your new life together was established.
Tokki Gift Wrap | The Eco-Conscious Companion for Every Gift
Whether you’ve been married a year, or ten years, Tokki wraps, bands, and bows help you celebrate how far you come. Choose the limited-edition wrap that celebrates your husband or wife’s personality and don’t forget to include a custom digital message to commemorate your special day. For every Tokki wrap gifted (or regifted!) we plant a tree to do our part to protect our planet. Learn more at www.tokki.com.
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