It could be argued that your first spin around the sun together as an official couple marks the most important milestone in your marriage. Sure, the future might hold pets, babies, holidays and houses – who knows – but getting through those first 365 days together deserves to be celebrated in all its glory. So what better way to show your other half you care than investing in a heartfelt paper anniversary gift?
While first anniversary gifts might traditionally be centred around paper, there’s no reason you can’t have a little fun with the definition and go rogue when you want to. The most important thing is that whatever you choose, you pick something that’s going to let the other person know just how much you care. The best bit? Anniversaries celebrate the union of two people, which means you’re just as likely to get a gift as to give a gift (it’s entirely acceptable to drop hints by way of sending on this article annotated like an Argos catalogue, if you ask us).
But if you’re here to buy rather than just research your own gift, our top tip to you would be to get someone else to do most of the tough stuff, and reap the rewards – for instance, ordering something that comes prettily pre-wrapped, or having someone else personalise a product for you. You get the idea.
Now all that’s left for you to do is to pick one of the below and anticipate basking in the glow of a truly happy partner come your first wedding anniversary.
How we tested
Because we’re practically allergic to overly sentimental displays, we’ve tried our best to steer clear of the cliches and plump for beautiful handmade gifts from UK-based creatives, and slight twists on the classics instead. From looking at cost and ease of delivery through to presentation style and of course the unique quirks of each product, we weighed up the pros and the cons to bring you a select few treats that we really do believe are some of the best paper anniversary gifts out there.
Read more:
The best 1st wedding anniversary gifts for 2021 are:
- Best overall – Ellie Edwards colourful rhubarb lino print: £45, Ellieedwardslino.co.uk
- Best for interiors buffs – True Grace library classic candle: £35, Truegrace.co.uk
- Best for creative couples – Charcoal Art Club membership: £35 per month: £35, Charcoalartclub.co.uk
- Best for sentimental sweethearts – Laura Sayers Illustration custom made paper cut couple portrait: £120, Notonthehighstreet.com
- Best for luxury enthusiasts – Smythson panama medium photo album: £395, Smythson.com
- Best for stationery lovers – Papier personalised croissant foiled notecards: From £23.60, Papier.com
- Best for crafters – Wild Sea Calligraphy beginners modern calligraphy kit & online workshop: £45, Wildseacalligraphy.com
- Best for book worms – Rare Birds Book Club subscription: £14, Rarebirdsbookclub.com
- Best for gardeners – Leo Flowers paper flowers: From £20, Leoflowers.co.uk
- Best for horticulturalists – Berstuk flower pressing kit: £20.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for games night geeks – Not Another Bill leather card & dice set: £45, Notanotherbill.com
Ellie Edwards colourful rhubarb lino print
Best: Overall
Rating: 9/10
There’s something so satisfyingly sweet about Ellie’s lino prints that we can’t help but covet more than a couple, but settled on the rhubarb as our favourite thanks to the clash of green and pink and the combination of curved and straight lines. We think these delicious little prints are ideal for a cosy kitchen corner or as an upbeat display in an entrance hall. Simply presented in cellophane with stickers, each artwork is ready for you to put your own mark on with your wrapping. We were particularly impressed with the thick, quality paper each piece was printed on as well as the speed of delivery, which is ideal if you perhaps/maybe/possibly/might have left things to the last minute (again). Don’t forget to buy a good frame too – nobody likes a gift that ends up a chore.
Buy now £45, Ellieedwardslino.co.uk
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True Grace library classic candle
Best: For interiors buffs
Rating: 8/10
If you want to embrace the paper theme but don’t want to go too literal, this gorgeous library scented candle from True Grace has wide appeal. With notes of cedar and sandalwood it smells like a cosy panelled room (as you’d hope) and comes presented in a sleek black box, which employs the use of a textured case and gold lettering for a luxurious finish. Even the weightiness in this gift makes it seem indulgent, and the scent really hits you from the off for immediate impact. We loved the smoky grey glass container that felt as at home in a cosy snug corner as it did in a bright and airy bedroom. With 40 hours of burn time, you could make a little date-night routine out of lighting it each week and appreciating your purchase together.
Buy now £35, Truegrace.co.uk
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Charcoal Art Club membership: £35 per month
Best: For creative couples
Rating: 9/10
Run by artists and food stylists Rosie and Kitty, Charcoal Art Club started off life as an in-person event and transitioned into the land of Zoom when Covid hit. While the duo still run real life evenings in London, their digitally accessed nights proved so popular that they couldn’t give them up and that happily means anyone, anywhere can access them. Each monthly session is well-paced and expertly led so that all abilities feel confident and comfortable to join in. Typically they run you through a series of short poses before doing a few longer timeframes to help you develop your drawing skills. We loved that it felt like a little secret club, and that (despite it being on a screen) it felt like a moment of complete calm from the chaos of everyday life. Expect quick tips and a family of friendly faces looking back at you from the screen as well as a professional life drawing model. If you buy it for your partner you can always join in the sessions if they can’t make a date.
Buy now £35, Charcoalartclub.co.uk
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Laura Sayers Illustration custom made paper cut couple portrait
Best: For sentimental sweethearts
Rating: 8/10
Laura’s patience seemingly knows no bounds as she creates intricate artworks from the teeny tiniest scraps of paper, and it’s a theory that’s proved when you spend any time talking to her as her enthusiasm never wains. This Glasgow-based artist is a Not On The High Street favourite – having appeared in the brand’s marketing materials on more than one occasion – and her paper portraits have become one of her signature styles. Commissioning Laura is super simple. You simply send her a snap of the image you’d like recreated and she’ll whip it up in a couple of weeks for you (although lead times vary depending on her workload at any one moment). We loved how quick and easy it was to produce something so tailored and unique, and you can even request specific colours or backgrounds if there are sentimental elements you’d like included. Frames aren’t included as standard, but you can add them if you wish.
Buy now £120, Notonthehighstreet.com
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Smythson panama medium photo album
Best: For luxury enthusiasts
Rating: 7/10
Undeniably indulgent, a photo album by Smythson could never be classed as a necessity, and that – we think – is the key to the perfect present. This example is wrapped in beautiful grosgrain leather and comes with gilded pages for a high-end finish that looks gorgeous gracing a coffee table or display shelf. This is an extra thoughtful one if you’ve yet to organise your wedding photos, as you could print them and fill the pages with them as a special treat to your other half. A word of warning is that (despite the hefty price tag) these don’t come with photographic corners for sticking images in with, so you’ll have to purchase those separately. While ours came in a plain box we have it on good authority that typically items arrive wrapped in layers of tissue and in the brand’s signature blue box all finished off with a bow – ideal if you’re not very nimble fingered on the wrapping front yourself.
Buy now £395, Smythson.com
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Papier personalised croissant foiled notecards: From £23.60
Best: For stationery lovers
Rating: 9/10
These sweet little notecards are perfect for other halves who stay true to tradition and love to put pen to paper. You can get any personalisation you like, so could get both your names so that they act as family thank you cards or get your beau’s initials so they can send notes to whoever they fancy (watch this space for love letters with your name on them, we say). The gold foiling adds a luxurious detail and the paper is thick, making writing on them easy and enjoyable. All wrapped up in a presentation box, these require little other than handing them over come the big day. Another mundane but useful fact to note is that Papier parcels fit through your letterbox, so you won’t have that irritating scenario of missing the post only to have to chase your gift round town in order to hunt it down.
Buy now £23.60, Papier.com
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Wild Sea Calligraphy beginners modern calligraphy kit & online workshop
Best: For crafters
Rating: 9/10
The attention to detail in this expertly curated kit was its real point of difference – even the address on the front of the package comes beautifully hand-lettered and there are layers of wrapping to rival Rowan Atkinson’s skills in Love Actually. If your other half loves to write letters or do craft projects, this is the perfect way to allow them a little escapism each day. Included is a workbook, penholder, pencil, nib, ink, a foiled postcard, pad of white paper and a link to the video workshops that owner Lyndsey has put together. Oddly addictive, the workbooks allow you to easily get to grips with the basics, and we were surprised at just how good our results were from just a couple of attempts (a not so humble brag? Correct).
Buy now £45, Wildseacalligraphy.com
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Rare Birds Book Club subscription
Best: For bookworms
Rating: 8/10
Created to champion the work of female writers, Rare Birds Book Club is a book subscription with a twist – you don’t actually know what you’re going to get to read. Each month the team picks two new books and offers a brief synopsis on each for you to choose between them. Only when your selected book lands on your doorstep is the title revealed, but post-event the community reflects on the books and group discussion is encouraged via the members’ area. This would make a lovely option if you’re slightly hesitant about picking a paper gift for your other half, as it lets them choose the final product, but is still a sweet reminder each month of how much you care about them. The books come colourfully wrapped in bright papers meaning you’re off the hook when it comes to the chaos of tissue and tape, and the gesture goes some way to saying you think your sweetheart is a learned soul, which can never be a negative.
Buy now £14, Rarebirdsbookclub.com
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Leo Flowers paper flowers: From £20
Best: For gardeners
Rating: 7/10
These impossibly delicate paper flowers will far outlive their fresh counterparts, and are each lovingly made by hand in London. Ours was a bright pink Icelandic Poppy (very trendy, we’ll have you know) and featured a striking yellow centre and carefully crafted petals. It’s worth noting that lead times on these differ, so you may have to be a bit more organised with this anniversary gift if it’s paper flowers you plump for. A slightly squished side of ours was carefully unfurled with our fingers thanks to the easy to follow instructions that were included in the box, and we love that in a simple bottle it makes such a striking statement in any room. Ours was popped beside our bed to give us a friendly wake up call each morning, and we thought it was a great way to introduce vibrancy and organic shapes without having to care for cut flowers or plants, which are notoriously high maintenance.
Buy now £20, Leoflowers.co.uk
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Berstuk flower pressing kit
Best: For horticulturalists
Rating: 8/10
Slightly tenuous link here to a paper anniversary, but to press flowers you need to have layers of paper. Plus, once you’ve finished making your art you’ll likely display your dried blooms on paper or card. We hope that settles the matter. The ultimate romantic gesture would be to buy this pre-wedding and secretly press a few blooms so you can give both the press and its contents to your partner on your one year anniversary. We’re pretty sure that’s a gift that would draw emotion from the coldest of hearts. We loved all the tips that were included with this press – like how to keep colours vibrant – and thought the generous size was great for being able to get a good selection of both large and small blooms. Easy to do and with exciting results from the get-go, this is a great way to preserve souvenirs from special moments or holidays to come.
Buy now £20.99, Amazon.co.uk
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Not Another Bill leather card & dice set
Best: For games night geeks
Rating: 7/10
With the option to personalise this pretty fancy card and dive set, Not Another Bill has made it supremely easy to appear extra thoughtful. If you’ll allow us the liberty of presenting the card as a paper anniversary gift, we think this is a great little token to gift your other half. Not only does it encourage quality time together (cards are nearly impossible to play while simultaneously scrolling Instagram, so it’s a winner), it also looks great on a display shelf or coffee table – just the thing if you have a house proud other half. It’s small enough to take on holiday too, and it even comes with its very own little travel bag so the exterior doesn’t get damaged over time. The case feels really well made and has that lovely leather smell, plus it comes in a couple of colourways so you can tailor the gift to your partner’s tastes.
Buy now £45, Notanotherbill.com
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The verdict: 1st wedding anniversary gifts
It’s quite hard to weigh up what makes the best gift, as the deciding factor will always be the recipient. For us though, we loved Ellie Edwards’s contemporary, colourful prints that made an immediate impact in our home. We thought they acted as the perfect nod to the occasion without being too over the top or cliché, and they offer a timeless memento of those first 365 days together. If you have a particularly crafty partner a membership to Charcoal Art Club is a lovely recurring way to recharge and switch off from everyday life, while the True Grace candle is a bit of an all-rounder and offers a crowd pleasing purchase if you’re feeling a little indecisive.
Voucher codes
For the latest discounts on chocolate, jewellery and more gifts buys, try the links below:
What’s a celebration without a bit of bubbly? Why not surprise them with one of our best champagne bottles too?
IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.
