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1st Anniversary Present Facts:-
- Traditional Gift: Paper
- Modern/ contemporary Gift: Clock
- Flower: Pansy
- Gemstone: Freshwater Pearl
Exotic, sensual or thoughtful. Take your pick, but make sure your first wedding anniversary gift is one that is still recalled fondly even when you are celebrating your golden anniversary! A tall order? Not at all. Our handy tips here ensure that your lady love won’t stop smiling.
Arguably, the 1st anniversary gift is the most important anniversary gift of all
After all, the 1st anniversary is a husband’s once-only first chance to make a great impression upon his new wife. Get it right and it’s another high. Such a fitting way to commemorate that big day still so fresh in her memory. Get it wrong and be prepared to usher in the ice age!
Pansy/ Pansies — the 1st Anniversary Flower
The pansy is a small, delicate flower. The name ‘pansy’ is derived from the French word ‘pensie’, which means ‘thought’ or ‘remembrance’. So the pansy is symbolic of the reminiscence of shared times. And, it’s delicate like that first year of marriage, where couples are just beginning to understand and enjoy each other. Can you see why it is perfect for the 1st year?
In ancient Britain, the pansy was known as ‘heartsease’, because it was thought to heal love problems. Its heart-shaped petals were believed to be a cure for a broken heart. Indeed, the ingredients in a Celtic love potion included pansies. In Shakespearean times, anyone wanting to ensure they were loved by their sweethearts would carry a pansy. Shakespeare referred to the pansy in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
Romance is the key to unlock her heart
So, please give family stuff, gifts with leads and plugs attached or, heaven forbid, anything risqué, a huge miss. This anniversary more than any other is about saying, “thank you for saying ‘I do’. A year later I still think you’re wonderful”.
Traditionally, paper gifts are associated with the first wedding anniversary. Nothing can beat a beautifully-designed wedding anniversary memory book, in which you can stick photos and record other memorable details of the special day. Mushy cards, placed in strategic places where she is sure to find them, will earn you the permanent reputation of a ‘romantic husband’. Or, if you can afford it (time and money-wise), why not slip two tickets under her pillow for a romantic weekend getaway?
If she is a busy working executive, go modern with a contemporary gift of a clock. Perhaps a lovely wooden desk set in which she can store her stationery as well as see the time? Fill the house with pansies – a must for the first anniversary – and make her eyes moist as you slip an exquisite freshwater pearl necklace with a matching bracelet into her hands.
1st Anniversary Jewellery — Freshwater Pearl
Freshwater pearls come from freshwater mussels. They are produced the same way as regular pearls — inside the living organism (oysters and molluscs, in the case of ‘pearls’). Generally, they are darker in colour and less perfectly rounded. Thankfully, they are not as expensive as actual pearls either.
Pearl is a symbol of innocence and purity
It is for this reason that pearls are often sewn into bridal gowns and pearl is one of the more popular kinds of jewellery worn by the bride on her wedding day. In mythology, pearls are highly valued for their healing properties. They are supposed to ease emotional imbalances and enhance personal integrity.
More 1st wedding anniversary stuff
- 1st Wedding Anniversary Page Expanded -- Wed 6th Jan 2010
- First Wedding Anniversary Advice -- Tue 29th Sep 2009