1st Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas: Paper Gifts They will Keep
Quick answer: the traditional first wedding anniversary gift is paper, and the modern gift is a clock. The best paper gifts are personal and made to last, like a map of the place you married, a book that means something to you both, a handmade paper bouquet, or an original painting of your wedding day, painted by hand on paper. You’ll find ideas below from £8 to £754. Not sure what to choose? A TheWeddingPainters gift card, from £25, lets them pick a painting of their wedding day themselves.
One year married is worth marking properly. Paper might sound like a modest material, but it can hold your vows, your favourite story, the map of where it all began, or a painting of the moment you said “I do”. Here are our favourite first anniversary gifts, grouped by budget, with ideas for your husband or wife, how far ahead to order, and what to write in the card.
What is the traditional first wedding anniversary gift?
The traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary is paper. The modern alternative is a clock. The habit of giving a set gift for each anniversary grew in English-speaking countries in the 1800s, and paper has long been the gift for year one.
Many couples like the idea that paper fits the first year. It’s the start of your story together, and there’s plenty of room left to write. Paper is also easy to make personal, which is why so many of the best first anniversary gifts are made just for the two of you.
How much should you spend on a first anniversary gift?
There’s no rule. Some couples swap a small, thoughtful gift, and others choose one special piece they’ll keep forever. What matters most is that the gift feels like the two of you. The ideas in this guide range from £8 to £754, grouped by budget so you can go straight to what suits you.
First anniversary gift ideas under £50
A map of the place you married
Price: from £7.99
Where to buy: Ordnance Survey Custom Made maps
Why it works: Ordnance Survey will print a real map centred on any place you choose, like your venue, the spot where you got engaged, or your first home. A small folded map costs £7.99. A large folded map costs £21.99 and can have your own photo and title on the cover. It’s a proper British paper gift with a story behind it.
A clothbound copy of a book that means something
Price: around £17
Where to buy: Penguin Clothbound Classics
Why it works: Choose the novel one of you read at your wedding, the book you bonded over, or a great love story. Penguin’s clothbound editions are beautifully designed and made to keep. Pride and Prejudice, for example, has a retail price of £16.99. Write a note inside the cover and it becomes a keepsake.
A photo book of your first year
Price: from £26
Where to buy: Papier The Mini photo book
Why it works: Gather the best photos from your wedding and your first year together into one hardback book. Papier’s Mini photo book starts at £26, with up to 100 pages, and a gift box is £8 more. It’s the kind of book you’ll take off the shelf every anniversary.
First anniversary gift ideas from £50 to £150
A bookbinding class for two
Price: £134 for two
Where to buy: Beginners Book Binding Workshop, Covent Garden
Why it works: Spend an afternoon making something together. In this London class, which runs for just under three hours, you’ll each make and bind your own book. It costs £67 each, and you can buy it as a gift card for two that lasts three years, so you can choose a date together.
A paper bouquet that copies your wedding flowers
Price: £115
Where to buy: Paper Posies personalised anniversary posie
Why it works: Your wedding flowers didn’t last, but this will. Send a photo of your bouquet and the maker will recreate it in hand-painted paper, in your colours. You can even add the words of your vows or your first dance song to the petals. It’s made to order, so check the delivery date before you buy.
A framed map of where it all began
Price: £100
Where to buy: Ordnance Survey Custom Made maps
Why it works: The same custom map idea, ready for the wall. Ordnance Survey’s small framed map is £100 in oak or black, centred on the place of your choice, with your own title.
First anniversary gift ideas from £150 to £500
Personalised writing paper for love letters
Price: from £217 for 50 sheets
Where to buy: Smythson personalised writing paper
Why it works: Smythson has made fine stationery in London for well over a century. Personalised writing paper with your new shared name or initials is a lovely nod to married life. Write the first letter on it yourself and tuck it in the box.
A larger framed map
Price: £200 to £350
Where to buy: Ordnance Survey Custom Made maps
Why it works: If you’d like a statement piece, Ordnance Survey’s medium framed map costs £200 and the large 80x80cm framed map costs £350. It’s a striking way to put the place you married at the centre of your home.
A hand-painted original on paper
Price: from £450
Where to buy: TheWeddingPainters
Why it works: This is the paper gift that goes furthest. An artist paints your favourite wedding photo by hand, on paper, as an original you’ll keep for the rest of your life. Read more in the next section.
The ultimate paper gift: a painting of your wedding day
By your first anniversary, you’ve seen every wedding photo and you know which one you love most. That makes it the perfect time to have it painted. Send the photo to an artist, and they’ll paint it by hand as an original piece, not a print or a filter. These three artists paint on paper, which makes it a true first anniversary gift.
Suggested alt text: Hand-painted portrait of a couple from their wedding photo by Maisy. Image URL: https://theweddingpainters.com/objects/listing-images/gallery-backfill-8d75897c-0d6d-45e8-8f72-9920e59738ac-0-1785165219729-g1600.webp
Maisy, Cardiff
On paper: £450 for an A4 piece in watercolour, acrylic or fine-liner ink
Style: a true likeness with expressive brushwork and lovely small details
Extras: a free time-lapse video of your painting coming to life. People in the background are free, and extra people in full detail are £90 each.
How long: four to five weeks
Suggested alt text: Framed watercolour painting of a wedding couple by Patrick. Image URL: https://theweddingpainters.com/objects/listing-images/gallery-backfill-a72877d1-e302-4ec8-9642-0810279d0d1a-0-1785165074576-g1600.webp
Patrick, Bromley
On paper: from £599 for a watercolour, in A3 or A2
Style: romantic watercolour portraits with a strong likeness
Extras: arrives framed behind glass with a mount, ready to hang, in white, black, oak or rustic. Includes a consultation call, progress updates and a certificate of authenticity.
How long: ask Patrick when you get in touch
Suggested alt text: Painting of a couple on their wedding day by Mary. Image URL: https://theweddingpainters.com/objects/listing-images/3b86b591-1727-45f0-85fb-e92db48037f1-1786975222341-g1600.webp
Mary, Derry
On paper: £646 for an A4 watercolour or £754 for A3
Style: realistic or stylised, and she can combine more than one photo
Extras: she can add a loved one who wasn’t in the photo (£80 for an adult, £60 for a child) or a pet (£50), and sends progress updates while she paints
How long: four to six weeks
Prefer canvas? Many of our artists paint on canvas too. You can compare every artist, their styles and their starting prices on our wedding photo to painting page. For a step-by-step guide, read how to commission a wedding portrait painting.
Not sure which artist or photo? Give a gift card
A TheWeddingPainters gift card lets your other half choose the photo, the artist and the style themselves. You can load it with any amount from £25 and schedule it to arrive by email on your anniversary morning, or print it and hide it in a card. It can be used with any artist on TheWeddingPainters and lasts for five years, and any balance left over stays on the card for next time. For a bigger painting, you can add more than one card.
How far ahead should you order?
Most first anniversary gift guides skip this part, but it’s the reason many lovely gifts arrive late. Here’s how much time to allow.
A painting from your wedding photo: order at least six to eight weeks before your anniversary. Our artists who paint on paper usually take four to six weeks, plus delivery.
Handmade and made-to-order gifts: like a paper bouquet, allow a few weeks and check the delivery date before you buy.
Personalised prints, maps and stationery: check the delivery time at checkout, and allow extra time for framing.
Running out of time? A gift card can be bought and scheduled the same day, and the painting can follow.
First anniversary gifts for your husband
Any idea in this guide works for anyone, but these are a good place to start if you’re buying for your husband.
A map of your wedding venue: a large folded Ordnance Survey map with your wedding photo on the cover, £21.99.
A clothbound classic: the book he quotes, rereads or read at your wedding, around £17.
A bookbinding class for two: an afternoon making something together, £134.
A painting of your first dance: a hand-painted watercolour or A4 painting from your favourite photo, from £450.
First anniversary gifts for your wife
And if you’re buying for your wife, these are four of our favourites.
Her wedding bouquet in paper: a handmade paper posie copying her flowers, £115.
A photo book of your first year: your wedding and every adventure since, from £26.
Personalised writing paper: with a love letter already written on the first sheet, from £217.
An original painting of your wedding day: painted by hand on paper from her favourite photo, from £450.
Free and handmade paper gift ideas
Some of the best paper gifts cost nothing but time.
A love letter: write about your wedding day from your side, the moments your partner might not know you noticed.
Your vows, written out: copy your vows by hand, or print them nicely, and frame them.
A year of memories: fill a jar with small notes, one for each special moment from your first year.
A scrapbook: collect tickets, receipts, menus and photos from your first year into one book.
Vouchers you write yourself: breakfast in bed, a planned date night, or a day off from washing up.
What to write in a first anniversary card
If you’re stuck for words, start with one of these and make it your own.
“One year down, a lifetime of pages still to write.”
“Happy paper anniversary. Every page with you is my favourite.”
“A year ago I married my best friend. I’d do it all again tomorrow.”
“Thank you for the best first year. Here’s to every year after this one.”
“Our first chapter has been my favourite story. I can’t wait for the next.”
“Still the best decision I ever made. Happy first anniversary.”
Buying for a couple’s first anniversary?
Parents, family and friends often want to mark a couple’s first year too. A painting of their wedding day makes a meaningful shared gift, and our gift card lets several people contribute to one painting. Read our guide to group wedding gifts to see how it works, and our guide to gifts from the parents of the bride or groom.
First anniversary gift FAQ
What is the traditional first wedding anniversary gift?
The traditional first wedding anniversary gift is paper. The modern alternative is a clock. Popular paper gifts include custom maps, books, photo books, paper flowers, stationery and original paintings on paper.
What should I get my husband or wife for our first anniversary?
Choose something personal that celebrates your first year, like a map of where you married, a book that means something to you both, a paper version of your wedding bouquet, or a painting of your favourite wedding photo. Prices for the ideas in this guide range from £8 to £754,
How much should you spend on a first anniversary gift?
There’s no rule. What matters most is that the gift feels personal to the two of you. The ideas in this guide range from £8 for a custom map to £754 for a hand-painted watercolour.
Is a painting a good first anniversary gift?
Yes. By your first anniversary you’ve seen all your wedding photos and know your favourite, so it’s a perfect time to have it painted. A painting on paper also fits the traditional paper theme. Hand-painted pieces on paper start from £450.
How far ahead should I order a first anniversary gift?
For a painting from a photo, order at least six to eight weeks ahead, as artists usually take four to six weeks plus delivery. For personalised and handmade gifts, check the delivery date before you buy.
What’s a good last-minute first anniversary gift?
A gift card for a painting can be bought and scheduled to arrive on your anniversary the same day, and your partner can choose the photo and artist later. A handwritten love letter or a jar of first-year memories also costs nothing and means a lot.
More anniversary and gift ideas
Celebrating a later milestone? See our 25th wedding anniversary gift ideas. Or browse our artists who paint from wedding photos and our gift cards.