1st Wedding Anniversary: Paper Anniversary Gifts

Paper is the traditional UK gift for the first wedding anniversary. The modern list says clocks, the flower is the carnation and the gemstone is gold jewellery.

Paper stands for a marriage that is still blank - strong enough to write on, easy to tear if you don't look after it. It is also the cheapest symbol on the list, which is part of the joke: year one is about effort, not spending.

Below: gift ideas that use the symbol without being ruled by it, what to spend, and lines you can copy into the card.

1st anniversary cards, printed in the UK

Blank inside, one size, drawn and printed by us in the UK. Ordered on a working day it usually goes out first class the same day.

I Still Fancy You Peach Emoji Anniversary Card I Still Fancy You Peach Emoji Anniversary Card £3.87 I Still Fancy You Eggplant Emoji Anniversary Card I Still Fancy You Eggplant Emoji Anniversary Card £3.87 365 Days Still Not Bored Anniversary Card 365 Days Still Not Bored Anniversary Card £3.87 365 Days of Settling Anniversary Card 365 Days of Settling Anniversary Card £3.87 Still Fancy You Anniversary Card Still Fancy You Anniversary Card £3.87 Happy Anniversary Card For Our Favourite Couple Happy Anniversary Card For Our Favourite Couple £3.75

Shop 1st anniversary cards

Paper anniversary gift ideas

  • A framed print for the first home, which is paper doing the job properly.
  • A handwritten letter about the year, sealed and only opened on the tenth.
  • Tickets to something - a gig, a match, a train somewhere neither of you has been.
  • A book they mentioned once and assumed you'd forgotten.
  • A map print of where you got married or where you met.
  • A card with a proper message in it, kept in a drawer for the next fifty years.

By budget

  • Under £10 - a card with a real message, written slowly.
  • Under £25 - an A4 print for the hallway, framed later.
  • Under £50 - a print plus tickets to something you'll both remember.

First anniversary card messages

  • One year down. Still the best decision I've made.
  • Paper for the first year, because we're still writing it.
  • A year of marriage and you haven't sent me back yet. Happy anniversary.
  • Twelve months, one wedding photo we both like, and no regrets. Happy first anniversary.
  • Here's to year one, and the ridiculous number still to come.

The year at a glance

  • Traditional UK symbol: paper.
  • Modern equivalent: clocks.
  • Flower: carnation.
  • Gemstone: gold jewellery.

Shop 1st anniversary cards

Prints for the wall

A5, A4 and A3 art prints, drawn in house and printed in the UK. They post flat and frame easily.

All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 99 Problems but Excel Ain't One (A5 - A3) 99 Problems but Excel Ain't One (A5 - A3) £8.00 12 Days of Christmas Lyrics Print 12 Days of Christmas Lyrics Print £6.00 Play That Funky Music Print (A5 - A3) Play That Funky Music Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 99 Problems, Prompting Ain't One A6 Postcard 99 Problems, Prompting Ain't One A6 Postcard £3.00 Play That Funky Music Print A6 Postcard Play That Funky Music Print A6 Postcard £3.00

How to write it so it lands

  • Use the symbol as a starting point, then choose for the person.
  • Name a specific memory in the card - that's the bit that gets kept.
  • A card plus one good thing beats three forgettable presents.

You might also be interested in...

We make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in house. These are from other shops we rate, and buying through the link costs you nothing extra.

Anniversary book

Anniversary book

View Anniversary book

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What is the first wedding anniversary gift?

Paper is the traditional UK gift for the first anniversary. The modern list suggests clocks instead, and plenty of couples pick whichever suits the person better.

What flower and gemstone go with the first anniversary?

The flower is the carnation and the gemstone is gold jewellery. Both are a useful way round the symbol if paper doesn't suit them.

Do you have to follow the traditional list at all?

No. The lists are a prompt, not a rule - they exist to stop you buying the same thing every year. A gift that fits the person beats a gift that fits the symbol.

How many years is the paper anniversary?

The paper anniversary is 1 year of marriage - the first wedding anniversary on the traditional UK list.

What is the modern 1st anniversary gift?

Clocks. The traditional UK symbol is paper; the modern list swaps in clocks, on the idea that the first year is about time together.

Back to blog