10 things to buy your wife for your anniversary

Buying for your wife goes the same way most years: you get to the week before, panic, and buy the safe thing she already has three of.

These ten are here because they either get used weekly or they mark something. UK prices, one pick from our own range, and the card sorted at the end.

10 your anniversary gifts for your wife

1. A print of a lyric from your first dance or a song that follows you both around. A song you both claim turns a print into something only you could have given.
2. A whole day organised by you, childcare included. Sorting the childcare is the part that makes the day actually restful.
3. A photo book of the year, not just the holiday. A photo book of the ordinary weeks ages better than the holiday album.
4. The treatment or class she keeps saying she'll book. Paying for it upfront is the only way the booking gets made.
5. Something for the house she's been picturing for months. Buy for the room she's been describing for months and it lands immediately.
6. Tickets with a date on them, so it happens. Tickets with a date force the plan into the diary.
7. The nice version of her everyday, bought in a quantity she'd never allow. Buying her everyday in a quantity she'd never allow herself is a small, obvious luxury.
8. A weekend away, even a cheap one nearby. A cheap night nearby still counts, as long as it's booked.
9. Something that marks the specific year rather than a generic romantic gift. A date, a place or a line from that year turns an ordinary object into a record of it.
10. Our pick: the 'Look At The Stars' lyrics print, A5 up to A3 - designed in house and printed in the UK, and it works framed in almost any room.

How much to spend

• £40 to £120 is the usual range, and a booked date beats an unplanned bigger spend.
• Pooling with siblings or friends on one bigger present beats three separate medium ones.
• A £15 thing used weekly beats a £60 thing kept in a cupboard.
• If money is tight, give time with a date attached instead - it isn't a lesser gift.

What to avoid

• Appliances, unless she has specifically asked.
• Anything that creates work for her.
• Anything that's really a hint.
• Gift sets you'd be embarrassed to receive.

Getting the timing right

• Diarise it a fortnight ahead - anniversaries get forgotten more often than birthdays.
• Booking something on the actual date matters more than what you spend.
• Keep the card. Reading last year's back is half the point.

Don't forget the perfect card

• The gift gets opened in a minute. The card sits on the shelf for weeks and in a drawer for years.
• Write something only you could write about your wife - one specific thing from this year.
• Sign it properly. A name and a real sentence beats 'love from all of us'.
• Every card we make is designed in house and printed in the UK, and it posts in the same parcel as the gift.

Shop anniversary cards

How to write it so it lands

• Specific beats expensive - the best gift is the one only you would think of.
• Order the card with the gift so they arrive together.
• Write the card before you wrap, while you still have something to say.

Where to shop next

• Our pick: 'Look At The Stars' song lyrics print (A5 - A3)
• Shop anniversary cards
• Shop all cards
• Posters and prints
• 10 things to buy your wife for her birthday
• 10 things to buy your wife for Christmas
• 10 things to buy your wife for Valentine's Day
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What should I buy your wife for your anniversary?

Something she uses weekly or something with a date attached - a print for a wall, the good version of an everyday item, or an outing already booked. All three beat a gift set bought in a hurry.

How much should I spend on your wife?

£40 to £120 is the usual range, and a booked date beats an unplanned bigger spend.

What should I write in the card?

One specific thing from the last year, then how you actually feel about it. That single line is remembered long after the present has been put away.