Whether you are the kind of couple who fawns over every special day in your relationship, or the kind who remembers it’s your wedding anniversary at a stroke before midnight, finding the perfect anniversary gift for your partner year after year can be a task! You want to say “I love you” in a unique way, but if you’ve been married for more than a handful of years, that starts to get difficult. If you’re feeling a bit stumped this year, check out this list of the absolute best anniversary gift ideas for her. They’re sure to make her swoon and fall in love with you all over again, even if you’re ordering from Amazon the day before!
Unique Anniversary Gifts for Your Leading Lady
Just like Hollywood’s leading dynamos, every wife is a totally different beast. Some sentimental lovelies get overjoyed at a heart-shaped memento of some sort, while others would find it totally impractical and be frustrated. These beauties would much rather have a new pair of gardening shears or a trip to Vegas.
The most important aspect of scoring with the wife is finding a great gift that she will actually want. So, steer clear of any ideas that don’t fit her personality. Don’t go for beauty products or self-betterment programs unless she has specifically asked for that product, and be true to the nature of your romance. If you’re not a sappy guy, being overly sappy on your anniversary will just feel fake to your astute partner. Those were a few general gift-buying tips, and now here are a few specific ideas to knock her socks off!
1. Snag Adventures From Scratch: Date Edition.
For a gift that keeps wowing her all year long, snag a copy of Adventures From Scratch: Date Edition. Our expertly crafted dating book contains more than 50 spontaneous, scratch-off adventures for you and your boo. Activities range from at-home date nights to excellent road trip ideas, and each comes with handy accessories like conversation starters and “Why I love you” cards. It’s also a keepsake as we include note-taking areas to capture your favorite memories.
Whether you’re a pair of newlyweds or have been together more than 50 years like some of our expert contributors, AFS is sure to add a new dimension to your dating life! Plus, your wife will love that you aren’t just getting a gift for a single day, but devoting your time and effort into romancing her the whole year long! We recommend you serve this up with a fancy box of chocolate truffles on the side.
2. Plan a weekend getaway.
There’s no better way to pamper a loved one than to take her away from the stress of life on a romantic weekend getaway. We aren’t talking Paris of Rome here, just a cabin in the nearest state park, a spa weekend in the closest luxury hotel, or a shopping day in the big city. Whatever your wife loves to do, take a few days away to do it together.
3. Show off your DIY skills.
The perfect practical gift for a no-nonsense gal is something productive! If your wife has been griping about the state of her bathroom, fussing over the washer and dryer situation, or consistently frustrated about the dirty carpet, she may be hinting that she wants some home repairs! Does it sound particularly romantic for an anniversary gift? Well… no, but not all women are particularly romantic. Some just want a garbage disposal that works properly. Whatever it is she hates about your home, get busy fixing it, or hire it out and surprise her with the repairs.
4. Have the house professionally cleaned.
If you really want brownie points, have a professional cleaning service come to do fan blades, window blinds, and steam the carpets while she is at work. Warning: only do this if she has been complaining about wanting the house cleaner. If you’re the one always harping about a dirty house, then this gift would be a total insult to your wife! A good rule of thumb is when a gift can be seen as mutually beneficial or beneficial to you, make sure it’s something she has specifically asked for. That goes for lingerie, beauty treatments, skincare, household products, etc.
5. Call for an in-house couple’s massage.
If your girl has been stressed to the max lately, then this is the best anniversary gift for her! Most towns have at least one massage therapist that does house calls. Take off work a bit early and have them meet you at the house. Help them set up the soothing playlist through Alexa, get the lighting right, and welcome your bestie home with the ultimate luxurious evening.
6. Install a hot tub.
There’s nothing more romantic than two full wine glasses under the stars in a bubbling spa! It’s even more romantic if you can manage to get it done as a surprise! Just remember, a wife does not want a gift that makes more work for her. If you buy and install a hot tub, that means you are responsible for the maintenance and cleaning for the rest of its days.
7. Purchase a hair consult from Prose.
As we ladies age, having babies, changing hormones, and stress can all do a number on our hair. When our long, luscious locks start to look a bit sickly, it can be a real drag on our self-esteem. While buying your wife a basket of shampoo and conditioner for your anniversary is probably not a good idea, if she’s been upset by the state of her hair lately, consider purchasing a consult from Prose for her. Their innovative haircare systems are custom-created for every customer, mixing ingredients to create a perfect corrective formula for each individual’s concerns. Prose isn’t cheap, so many wives and mommas don’t pull the trigger on buying it for themselves, but secretly, they are craving it!
8. Recreate your first date.
Remember when you first met your true love? That first date sealed your fate! For a non-traditional gift that she will love, do your best to recreate every aspect of your first date. That means the location, the food, the music, the clothes. It will be a fun night of laughter and fond memories. If you want to add a physical gift to go with it, a scrapbook with all your favorite photos together is a good way to her heart! Check out this adorable scrapbook from Etsy with a custom monogram.
9. Have her favorite treat delivered to work.
Whether she loves a Krispy Kreme and Starbucks or drools over macaroons and bubble tea, a thoughtful gift is to have her favorites sent to her at work. It will show that you put in the forethought to have it gathered and delivered, and she gets to show off her epic love to her work family. Bonus points for you!
10. Write your love story.
The fun website Love Book allows you to create a completely customized love book for your spouse. You get to design your emoji characters, denote their positions on each page, control the text of the story, and have input on different colors and design schemes. The platform is super easy to use, so you don’t have to be overly creative or tech-savvy. Plus, their books are high quality at a low cost, starting at below $40.
11. Get some customized wall art.
If your spouse is the type to plaster the walls with family photos or the kids’ drawings, then the perfect gift for your next anniversary is some customized wall art. Kids Kreations is a fun concept that transforms your children’s art into high-quality wall hangings. They can also print their creations on just about anything else, such as stainless steel coffee cups, keychains, bookmarks, and much more. They have a huge selection of products at really great prices, and if you pick the right keepsake, you just might draw a tear or two from the wifey. This one also obviously makes a great Mother’s Day gift!
If you don’t have kiddos, take your favorite photo and have a line drawing made on Etsy. They memorialize a special moment, blend in with most decor schemes, and are ready in just six hours. So, if you waited until the last minute to find a thoughtful gift, this is a good option!
12. Beautify her lounging gear.
Every woman likes to feel pretty, even while at home, but only if it’s comfortable too! The Honeydew Intimates Collection from Nordstrom is impeccable. Not only are the pajamas ridiculously cute, but they are well-made and completely comfy! Plus, they are available in several great styles so there is something to suit every kind of wifey!
13. Cheers to her uniqueness.
Celebrate your phenomenal woman with these rose-gold engraved wine glasses from Uncommon Goods. They have verses from Maya Angelou’s poem etched on them, celebrating the beauty of women everywhere, and in turn, your special woman. If she enjoys a fairly regular drink with the ladies, then this is one of the best anniversary gift ideas for her and her besties.
14. Split your covers.
Just because you love each other dearly doesn’t mean you want to share your bed blankets. That’s why the geniuses at Uncommon Goods have created the split blanket and sheets. It looks like one blanket when the bed is made. It tucks in at the bottom of the bed, but it splits in the middle so you can’t hog her covers anymore. She will love it!
15. Roll back the time with an anniversary clock.
This ingenious and beautiful anniversary clock keeps track of the years, months, days, and minutes since you said: “I Do.” It’s just the right level of sappy, and it makes a lovely and industrial-looking coffee table conversation piece. It also comes engraved with a gold plate at the bottom with your names and wedding date.
16. Get her roses that don’t die.
The bad thing about a bouquet is that it is dead in a week… max! Unless, of course, you go for the long haul with a vintage-inspired bouquet of leather flowers. They are adorable, and they even come stamped with your anniversary date on the leaves. It’s a quietly sentimental piece that she can enjoy on her desk or coffee table each morning.
17. Roll the dice on a lifetime of good dates.
If you struggle to come up with good date ideas, turn it into a game! These custom date night dice allow you to engrave up to 12 flirty “gifts” for your spouse on the sides. On date night, she’ll roll the dice, and you’ll perform the tasks. You can “Netflix and Chill,” give a “foot rub,” enjoy a “night of passion,” or “go stargazing.” Who knows where your spontaneous date might lead? It’s a win-win for everybody!
18. Brighten her day with Bright Cellars.
If you want to pamper your boo all year long, get her a premium membership to Bright Cellars’ custom wine club. Assuming your wife is an oenophile, she’ll be giddy each month as she opens her fresh box of custom-picked wines. With more than 80 types of wine from all over the world and an innovative tasting quiz, she is sure to get a box full of glorious each and every month!
19. Score with a memento T-shirt.
If your girl is a gamer, then she will love a retro-inspired gaming t-shirt that celebrates the “level” you have achieved in your marriage. Is this your first anniversary, then you just completed level one. The shirts are customizable with name, date, and level completed and include a vintage gaming console or controller. For a budget-friendly personalized gift, you can’t get any cuter!
20. Remind her it’s forever with an infinity cuff.
If you want to give a more traditional gift, then you can rarely go wrong with a piece of jewelry. A golden infinity cuff bracelet, engraved with your wedding date, is a simple and classic piece that many women would love. It’s versatile, style-wise, and can fit into the jewelry wardrobe of a wide variety of tastes.
21. Plan a week of no decision-making and no duties.
Don’t forget that taking stress off your partner’s plate is sometimes the absolute most romantic anniversary gift that you can give. For your anniversary this year, present your wife a calendar with a full week marked off. For the whole week, she won’t have to decide what’s for dinner. You’ll either choose it and cook it, or provide it otherwise. If you already do all the cooking in your house, then choose a different stressful chore or decision your wife has to make routinely and sweep it off her plate for the week!
22. Update her wedding ring.
Maybe you could afford a gorgeous ring when you wed, maybe you couldn’t. Perhaps, her first ring is lovely, but she’s been craving something in an updated color. Maybe she wants something more practical for everyday wear. If you have a big anniversary coming up, consider updating her ring to something more current. It might be a simple gold band, a rubber sporty piece, or a colored secondary anniversary ring. As long as it’s her, that’s all that matters.
23. Fill her jewelry box.
Grab a cute travel jewelry box for your girl, but instead of putting jewelry in it, put a copy of the itinerary for your second honeymoon or a couple of flight tickets in there. She’ll be overjoyed!
24. Make a DIY anniversary card game.
Utilizing some cute cardstock, cut into 2×2 squares, write several amazing “gifts” on the back. Make sure each gift has a match. For instance, let’s say you write, “I’ll give you a full-body massage” as one of your gifts. You need to write it twice on two separate cards. As your anniversary date progresses, lay out the cards in random order on the dining table. Have your wife play the old-school matching game, and any matches she gets you will perform. You can get as sweet, practical, or dirty as you want with your ideas.
25. Make her belt out a belly laugh!
If you have a flirty wife who appreciates a good joke, have a leather belt crafted for her with a dirty message inside. For instance, this one states, “Now you’ll think of me when you take your pants off.” It might not be the most romantic gift you’ve ever given, but it will make her chuckle.
26. Capture her heart with a song.
If you have a special song between the two of you or want to memorialize your wedding song, check out this beautiful wooden wall art. The artist engraves the lyrics of your special song, poem, or vows into a heart shape on a high-quality wooden plaque that will last through the ages. You can also have your names and wedding date etched in the bottom. It’s both thoughtful and super cute!
27. Turn your history into treasure.
Are you married to a history buff? Then look no further. The perfect gift for your partner is a New York Times Anniversary Book. The book is an interesting concept. You give the creator the date of your wedding, and they will collect copies of every New York Times front page story from your wedding day to the current date. As you flip through the book together, you’ll remember where you were and what was happening in your life when the biggest events on the world stage occurred. It’s a fascinating way to reminisce on your love story and life together.
28. Map your travel together.
If you and your significant other love to travel the world together, then document your trips with a vintage push-pin map! These wooden framed maps are both stylish and beautiful keepsakes that keep changing as your experiences grow. It will be fun to look back in a few years and remember all the amazing places you’ve toured as a couple!
29. Give the gift of communication.
Let’s face it, some of us just aren’t very good at face-to-face confrontation. If you or your spouse fall in that category, they gift them (and yourself) the Lover’s Journal. This interesting little communication aid is essentially a diary, but it’s one that you both write in. Both of you will take time each week to jot down things you are happy with in your marriage, things you want more of, and things you could do without. The journal also comes with prompt questions to get you thinking and monthly love challenges. Being able to see what your partner is thinking, written in front of you, and have time to process it before conversation works wonders for improving communication for many couples.
30. Check your mate with a custom chess set.
Are you the awesome kind of dorks that spend your evenings challenging each other to rousing games of chess (a big old yes over here!)? Then, you might as well have a stunning personalized chess set. The pieces are made from cast iron metal in gold and silver and buffed to a perfect shine. The marble playing board is overlaid on sturdy wood, and the velveteen interior can be monogrammed with any personal message you want! Now, she can continue to kick your butt at chess, and do it on the most beautiful set imaginable.
31. Make sure she looks good on that flight.
Treating your wife to a second honeymoon is great and all, but if you do it with a new set of Imiomo matching luggage, you basically win the husband lottery. This five-piece set is gorgeous and has enough space for even the most avid over-packer. It’s highly rated, durable, and comes with three hard cases, a day bag, and a toiletries bag. She’ll have the best-looking luggage on the carousel and have you to thank for it!
32. Keep her heart and her coffee warm.
Last but not least, one more for the practical ladies… or the forgetful ones. If your spouse is the kind of girl who reheats her coffee six times each morning and eventually just forgets it in the microwave altogether, then she is a prime candidate for an Ember. Ember’s battery-operated smart mugs allow her to set her ideal temperature, and it will keep her drink at that temp until it’s gone. She can control the temp with her smartphone, and it comes with a new and improved long-lasting battery. It also boasts a charging station for all-day use. I seriously cannot think of a better gift in the whole wide world!
Time to go shopping!
Gift guides are a difficult thing to produce because every single love story is different, and every spouse is unique. However, we hope you found something awesome for the most important lady in your life on our list of anniversary gift ideas for her. If you didn’t, that’s okay too, just remember as you continue your search to listen for little clues in her daily conversations. Pay attention to things that seem to cause her frustration and shop for solutions. Make it thoughtful and intentional, and most of all, get something that is representative of your love and your totally unique relationship. Within those guidelines, you really can’t go wrong!
Sometimes the best gift is a really well-planned date night. Impress your significant other with one of the innovative outings from “60 Romantic and Adventurous Anniversary Date Ideas.”
High school graduations are starting to occur as we speak, check out our list of “32 Sweet and Sensible High School Graduation Gifts for Her” and “40 Practical and Perfect High School Graduation Gifts for Him.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to buying anniversary gifts, stick to things that represent your love and your wife’s personality, or try an experience-oriented gift like Adventures From Scratch: Date Edition.
If your wife loves a sappy romantic moment, consider an engraved infinity cuff bracelet, updating her wedding ring, or having your wedding song engraved on a piece of wooden wall art.
One of the best ways to make any anniversary special is to plan the perfect date night. Grab a copy of Adventures From Scratch: Date Edition and experience a spontaneous and unique anniversary!
If you’re looking for an outside-the-box anniversary gift, get your wife a custom chess set, a sentimental anniversary clock, or have your love story turned into a book!
Not every wife wants flowers and chocolates for her anniversary. A practical wife may want something like a new luggage set, having the house professionally cleaned, or an Ember coffee mug.