Anniversary gifts for her: 40 thoughtful ideas for your wife or girlfriend
Forty anniversary gifts for your wife or girlfriend that show you've been paying attention, from a book of reasons to a morning she didn't plan.
40 ideas ·
The best anniversary gifts for her have one thing in common: they prove you've noticed. Not that you remembered the date, but that you remember the small things. The song from the kitchen, the trip that went wrong in the best way, the thing she said on your second date that you still quote.
These 40 ideas are sorted so you can find what fits: gifts made of words, ideas for a wife, ideas for a girlfriend, jewelry that means something, gifts that bring back a memory, experiences and small things that still count. There's a section on the traditional gift for each year too, with a guide for each.
Writing the card as well? Here's what to write in an anniversary card. Shopping for him instead? See our sentimental anniversary gift ideas for him.
Make it a book: Years of Reasons holds fifty reasons, one per page, written from your memories and illustrated to look like your people. Start yours
Gifts made of words
Most anniversary gifts get used up or put away. Words get reread, which is why they're the ones she'll keep.
- A book of fifty reasons you love her, with your names and "our 10th year" (or whichever year it is) on the cover, and the two of you illustrated on the front. Years of Reasons is made for exactly this.
- A letter for every year you've been together, each about one thing that year gave you.
- A set of open-when letters for the year ahead: open when you miss me, when you can't sleep, when you need a laugh.
- A booklet of love coupons she can cash in all year: a lie-in, a night off, one argument she automatically wins.
- Your wedding vows, framed, with a line under each about how you've kept it.
- A list of the small things you've noticed about her this year, written by hand and left on her pillow.
Anniversary gifts for your wife
She's heard "I love you" thousands of times. These say why.
- The photo from your wedding day she loves most, framed beside one from this year.
- A recreation of your first dance, in the living room, with the same song.
- The perfume she wore when you met, or the one she keeps saying she's run out of.
- Breakfast in bed made from the menu of where you had your honeymoon.
- A weekend where you handle everything: the kids, the meals, the plans. Write the schedule down so she knows it's real.
- A star map of the night sky over the place you married, on the date you married.
- A recipe book of the meals you've cooked together, with a note on the night behind each one.
Anniversary gifts for your girlfriend
Six months, one year, five years together: a dating anniversary deserves as much thought as a wedding one.
- A scrapbook of your first year: ticket stubs, receipts, photos and a caption for each.
- Your first date, recreated down to the table, the order and the outfit.
- A book of what you love about her, written from the year you've had. A What I love about you book holds fifty, one per page.
- A playlist of the songs that played in your first year, with a line about where you were for each.
- A framed map of the place you met, with a pin in the exact spot.
- A weekend away somewhere neither of you has been, planned without asking her a single question.
Jewelry that means something
Jewelry is a classic for a reason. It's better when there's a story in it.
- A necklace with the coordinates of where you met engraved on the back.
- Her birthstone, or the gemstone for your anniversary year, in a simple setting.
- A charm bracelet that gets one charm every anniversary, starting with a charm for the first.
- A ring engraved inside with a word only the two of you understand.
- Earrings to match the dress she's wearing to your anniversary dinner, with a note in the box.
Gifts that bring back a memory
The best gift can be a moment she's already lived, handed back to her.
- A print of the view from the first place you lived together.
- A dinner at the restaurant from your first date, with the same order.
- A puzzle made from your favorite photo of the two of you.
- The book she was reading when you met, a first edition or a signed copy if you can find one.
- A video of friends and family each saying what they love about the two of you.
- A framed copy of the first text, card or note you ever sent her.
Experiences to give her
- A spa day booked for her, with nothing for her to arrange.
- A cooking class for two, to add one dish to your home menu.
- Tickets to see the artist whose song you think of as yours.
- A night in a hotel in your own city, so it feels like a trip without the travel.
- A dance class, for the wedding dance you'd both like to do better.
Small things that still count
Not every anniversary needs a big gift. These cost little and say a lot.
- Her favorite flowers delivered to work, with a card that says why you chose them.
- A note in her bag, her coat pocket and her car, each with one reason you love her.
- Her coffee order, made exactly right, on a morning she doesn't have to get up early.
- A jar of folded notes, one memory from your years together on each.
- A handwritten card with three things you love about her that she doesn't know you've noticed.
Anniversary gifts for her by year
Every wedding anniversary has a traditional gift, and each one makes a good starting point: paper for the 1st, cotton for the 2nd, leather for the 3rd, wood for the 5th, wool and copper for the 7th, tin for the 10th, steel for the 11th, crystal for the 15th, china for the 20th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, ruby for the 40th and gold for the 50th.
We have a guide for each: paper anniversary gifts, 2 year, 3 year, 5 year, 7 year, 10 year, 11 year, 15 year, 20 year, 25th, 30th, 40th and 50th, and every year from paper to diamond in our anniversary gifts by year.
Whatever you choose, put it in writing. A gift says you thought about her; a few lines in your own words say what you thought. If you'd like the words to be the gift, Years of Reasons puts fifty reasons you love her in a hardcover book with your anniversary year on the cover and the two of you illustrated in the style you choose. You read every page before it's printed, and the digital book opens as soon as you order, so it works even the night before.
Questions people ask
What is a good anniversary gift for her?+
One that shows you've been paying attention: a book of reasons you love her with your anniversary year on the cover, a recreation of your first date, jewelry engraved with a place or a word that's yours, or a weekend where you plan everything.
What do you get your wife for your anniversary when she has everything?+
Something she can't buy herself: your words. A letter for every year you've been married, a book of fifty reasons you love her, or a video of family and friends saying what they love about the two of you.
What is a good 1 year anniversary gift for a girlfriend?+
A scrapbook of your first year, your first date recreated, or a What I love about you book written from the year you've had. For a first wedding anniversary, the traditional gift is paper: see our paper anniversary gifts.
What is a sentimental anniversary gift?+
A gift that points to your story rather than a store: words you've written, a place that matters, a moment recreated. It doesn't have to cost much, but it has to be about the two of you.
