After the whirlwind of your wedding and first year of marriage, your first anniversary is a time to reflect on your relationship. Whether you want to celebrate with a low-key dinner or a weekend getaway, there are plenty of ways to show your spouse how much you love them.

Here are some first-anniversary ideas and symbols that can help make this special day even more memorable.

Culture

There are many traditions and symbols associated with the first anniversary, all of which can be incorporated into a special celebration for the happy couple. For example, the traditional first-anniversary gift is paper, which symbolizes the blank page of the couple’s future together. Whatever gifts or activities you choose to do, the most important thing is to show your partner how much you love and appreciate them. A first anniversary is a special milestone in any relationship and should be celebrated with all the love and joy that the couple has for each other.

Paper 

Traditional gifts for a first anniversary are often made of paper, which represents the fragile nature of a new relationship. Paper is also a symbol of new beginnings, making it an ideal gift for a couple just starting out.

A Framed Copy of Their Wedding Vows 

One way to commemorate this special day is to give your spouse a framed copy of your wedding vows. This thoughtful gift will remind them of the promises that you made to each other on your wedding day and the love that you have for each other. There is a good chance these are also written on paper, so it ties in with the traditional symbol of the first anniversary too!

The Color

The color associated with first anniversary celebrations is gold. Gold is a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and abundance. It is also a symbol of strength and durability. Gold is a perfect color to represent the strength of your love for one another.

The Flower

Flowers have held such rich meanings and symbolism throughout the centuries that they gave rise to the field of floriography, or the language and symbolism of flowers, in Victorian times. Orange blossoms or pansies are the flowers associated with the first anniversary. Orange blossoms are thought to represent purity, eternal love, and marriage, whereas pansies represent thoughtful reflection and cheerfulness.

Innovative Gift Concepts

• Postcards – For the next several weeks, you will receive a postcard (or two) from your new spouse. These postcards are meant to celebrate and commemorate your first year of marriage. The postcard tradition is very old, dating back to the 19th century, and was first used to mark special occasions.
• Subscription to a magazine – The first wedding anniversary is important, and there are some wonderful gifts you can give to celebrate it. One classic gift is to subscribe to a favorite magazine for a year. It’s a gift that will help the recipient learn more about their interests and hobbies and inspires them to keep learning. Plus, it will be fun to read together.
• The jigsaw puzzles – These complex pictures have become popular symbols for the first anniversary. The first jigsaw puzzle is traditionally made of cardboard and would later be painted. Today, those simple pictures have been replaced by printed images. Couples can also purchase printed puzzles with inspirational messages.
• Paperweight – A Paperweight gift is perfect for celebrating your first wedding anniversary. Paperweights are elegant, simple, and inexpensive. Paperweights are unique gifts that truly express your unique ability to select the perfect gift. Paperweights can be personalized with names, initials, quotes, symbols, or one or a combination of the 3.
• Book – An anniversary book is a fun way to celebrate your first year as a married person. There are several symbols associated with each year in your marriage, and in a marriage book, you can present your spouse with a symbol representing your first year of marriage.

The first wedding anniversary is special in a lot of ways because it marks the first anniversary of your marriage. But it’s also special because it marks the first anniversary of the day you and your spouse decided to spend the rest of your life together. So, how can you celebrate this special anniversary? A good place to start is by looking at what the anniversary means and why it’s important to mark the occasion.

First anniversaries are a big deal, especially for couples planning a wedding. With the one-year mark comes a serious milestone in your relationship, so you’ll want to celebrate it in style. If you’re planning your first wedding anniversary, there are many traditional and non-traditional ideas to choose from.

Your wedding day was the happiest day of your life. Now, you are celebrating your first wedding anniversary. The first year is a transitional stage when you move from being a newlywed couple to growing into your relationship with one another. However, a first anniversary is also a great time to relive your wedding day. Consider these wedding anniversary ideas and symbols to help you plan a memorable anniversary celebration.

“Whenever you make a promise, write down the date, time, place, and what you promised. Then keep that as a memento. This will remind you of why you fell in love with your special someone.”