Wedding Anniversary Gifts

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly.

Even when the wedding was many years ago, the celebration continues to this day.

A traditional wedding anniversary gift varies annually. There are certain characteristics of each gift's description for couples to follow each year. Many couples follow traditional guidelines very carefully. Although it may be considered a little "old fashioned," these guidelines have been around for many years. Older and younger couples make use of these suggestions to employ tradition. As they've been around for many years already, these traditional anniversary suggestions will be around for many more years to come.

First: Paper (clocks). A newspaper from the day the couple was married; the services of a paperhanger to wallpaper a room.

Second: Cotton, calico, straw (china). A handmade or heirloom quilt; a weekend at a romantic bed-and-breakfast in the Cotton Belt.

Third: Leather (crystal, glass). A Montana cattle drive; leather flight jackets and flying lessons.

Fourth: Books and/or fruits and flowers (electrical appliances). A customized romance novel (see Romantic Presents); a backyard greenhouse filled with flowers.

Fifth: Wood (silverware). A rowboat; wooden shoes and tickets to Holland ; a redwood fence or deck; stock in a lumber company.

Sixth: Sweets, iron (wood). A weekend of total indulgence in Hershey , Pennsylvania ; a trip on the Iron Horse (railroad).

Seventh: Wool, copper, brass, bronze (desk sets, pen and pencil sets). Sheep futures; art reproductions from the Bronze Age; Coppertone tanning lotion and an island vacation.

Eighth: Rubber, electrical appliances, bronze (linens, laces). Tires-complete with a new car; racquetballs and court time.

Ninth: Pottery, willow (leather). A potter's wheel; a willow tree; Blue Willow chin.

Tenth: Aluminum, tin (diamond jewelry). A matching set of lightweight bicycles; a canoe.

Eleventh: Steel (fashion jewelry, accessories). A steel sculpture; a new steel-framed house; stock in a steel manufacturing company.

Twelfth: Linen, silk, nylon (pearls, colored gems). A trip to Ireland to shop for Irish linen; silk apparel.

Thirteenth: Lace (textiles, furs). Lace curtains, table runners, or bedspreads; a trip to Belgium to shop for lace.

Fourteenth: Ivory, agate (gold jewelry). A piano on which to tickle the ivories; a trip to the Ivory Coast.

Fifteenth: Crystal , glass (watches). A crystal ball with your predictions for a long and happy future together; 15 crystal goblets.

Twentieth: China (platinum). China reproductions from museum exhibits; a trip to China.

Twenty-fifth: Silver (sterling silver). A visit to the jeweler for a custom-designed piece of jewelry; a beautiful silver picture frame and an appointment for a portrait sitting.

Thirtieth: Pearl , personal items (diamond). Matching pearl-handled umbrellas; an oyster diving adventure; a collection of books by author Pearl S. Buck.

Fortieth: Ruby, garnet (ruby). A ruby red sports car-what else?

Fiftieth: Gold (gold). A compact disc player and a collection of Golden Oldies; a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge in romantic San Francisco.

Traditional couples are encouraged to be clever with their gift ideas. After all, many traditional gifts require some form of creativity. Take for instance the first and second year anniversary gifts, which are of paper and cotton. That requires some thought! Nevertheless, the first anniversary, which is a traditional gift of paper, provides a large amount of space for options. Gifts can be in the form of money, magazine subscriptions, cards, and stationary. You can personalize any of these gifts or come up with ideas of your own to choose from. Throughout the years, these traditional gives can be kept as mementos or family heirlooms.

Traditional wedding anniversary gifts don't have to be boring. A traditional gift list is meant to be used as a guideline. You can use a purchase a gift made out of a specific material and put your own unique spin on it. Add a spice of your every gift you purchase on an annual basis. Whether it's a milestone or not. Feeling playful? Wrap the gift in humorous gift-wrap. Give a humorous card. Your spouse will be tickled and thankful that you remembered your special day. Even if they know what their gift will be made of, they'll have no idea what to expect. Your spouse will be filled with anticipation each year.

Send flowers, send gift baskets, send gold jewelry, send diamonds, send clocks and join in the wedding anniversary celebrations of your friends.