Friends,

It’s so exciting to see my couples celebrate their anniversaries year after year and reliving their wedding day through photographs. As newlyweds, I remember my husband Nick and I were so excited to celebrate each milestone that first year and many years after (btw we will be celebrating 11 years this August!). We received many thoughtful gifts for our first wedding anniversary, and I thought to share some of my favorite ones with you to gift to your loved ones. The traditional gift is paper. These aren’t necessarily traditional gifts, but they are thoughtful and your newlyweds will love them. I promise!

1. Wedding Album

Couples don’t always get around to ordering a wedding album after their wedding. So much goes into the planning and the actual wedding day that the album sort of takes a back seat. This is a great time to reach out to your couple and ask them if they ever ordered one. Tell them you would like to gift them an album to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They will be OVER THE MOON excited! Ask them for their photographer’s information and to pick out their favorite photographs they would like in the album. Contact the photographer and move forward with the album design process. BONUS points to you if you order mini parents’ albums and save them for the parents for a gift on a special occasion.

2. Wine.com!

Get them wine! They want wine! Trust me! Wine.com makes it incredibly easy to send gifts to anyone on your list, especially your newlyweds. Personalize the bottle or send them personalized wine glasses with their wedding date stamped on them for a special touch. You can never go wrong with wine!

3. Framed Wedding Invitation

Do you have a copy of their wedding invitation? Frame it for them to display in their home. Actually I got this gift idea from the TV show Friends, but I know the couple would love it! If you don’t have a copy of the invitation anymore, contact a family member who might have one. If all else fails, contact the couple. They might have a copy or two. I know I still have copies of my invitations that I kept for keepsakes.

4. Canvas of Favorite Wedding Photograph

Your couple has most likely posted one of their wedding photographs on social media or used it to send Christmas or Holiday cards. Contact their photographer and order the couple a canvas of that photograph. They will hang it in their home and be forever reminded of your gracious gift.

5. Framed Vows

Okay. I’ve saved the best for last. Get the couple’s vows framed to be placed over their bed or anywhere in their home! This is such a beautiful gift that any couple would love regardless of the number of years they’ve been married. Contact the couple and ask them for their vows. Hire my friend Nicole of Caler Calligraphy, write it yourself, or type it out using a fancy font. You can take your file to Office Depot, FedEx or a UPS store to be enlarged. Buy a frame for the print, put a bow on it, and WOW your couple!

Alright! What’s your favorite gift? Tell me in the comments or share with me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even TikTok! Just search: @NiloBurkePhoto on all platforms.

Happy gifting, friends!

Sending you a big hug!

Nilo