First Anniversary Gift Ideas to Show Lasting Love

Marriage comes with its ups and downs. The first year of marriage can take some getting used to, so getting through it is something to celebrate! To show your appreciation for your significant other, it’s important to get that first anniversary gift just right. 

Understanding which present you’re meant to give for a particular anniversary year can be tricky business, especially with all the traditional gift ideas to choose from.

You can either choose a traditional gift or just give something sweet from the heart. We’ve got plenty of first year anniversary gift ideas to cover the best of both worlds! Keep scrolling to get inspired and find a thoughtful first anniversary present to make your significant other smile.

Finally hang those wedding photos

It’s time to transform those gorgeous digital wedding photos into beautiful wall art.

You’ve received a stunning collection of digital photos on a CD from your wedding photographer, but you’ve both been too busy to arrange professional prints. We get it; life after a wedding can be a blur, especially if you’re settling into a new home together or honeymooning.

This stunning canvas wall display will make up for it! 

This display is a wonderful surprise first anniversary gift you can both enjoy creating together. There are all different kinds of wall displays you can create, with various numbers of prints and sizes to suit any space.

Just think carefully about how much wall space you have before ordering!

Shop wall displays here.

Good times: First anniversary gifts for him

It’s hard to believe that your amazing honeymoon holiday was a year ago, but building a collage canvas is a wonderful way to remember the good times.

Firstly, compile all those precious moments from your holiday to remember and design a collage he’ll love to look at. Search through your holiday camera, Facebook or Instagram to find the best pics.

Start by choosing five of the best photos that encapsulate your time together – and commemorate your love.

He may wish to use it to decorate his home or workplace office; it’s always helpful to be surrounded by people you love when times get rough at work!

This photo collage is perfect for him for your first anniversary. It’s a little edgy, yet this print lets the photos speak for themselves.

He’ll love showing it off to everyone who walks into his office.

Shop photo collages here.

Paper: Traditional first anniversary gift idea

Paper is the traditional present for first wedding anniversaries. If you’re after something outside the box, add a wrapped canvas to your gift list.

Watch her eyes light up when she receives a contemporary canvas art print. She won’t even see it coming!

Okay, so technically our canvases are made from matte cotton, but with a GSM count of 360 we believe they look like beautiful thick quality paper, so let’s just call it poetic licence!

Browse our contemporary art collection to find something for your loved one. Then simply upload your print and place your order. Too easy!

Clock: Modern first anniversary gift idea

Sure, you could buy a clock to fulfil your modern first year obligation, but where’s the fun in that?

This is a gift from the heart, inspired by time.

For this first anniversary present, fill this clever circular modish collage with a wheel of photographs chosen from the experiences you’ve had together over the last year.

You can design the quote in the centre frame using an easy graphic design tool like Canva with whatever background colour and font style you like. Choose a background colour that reflects the colours in your photos.

Just create the graphic square and leave plenty of space around the edges so you can place it in a circular frame without a worry. Our template is super-easy to use. Just simply add your photos and place your order!

Shop our modish shape collage designs here.

Honour his favourite hobbies

Give him a gift you know he’ll love. Whether it’s his favourite sports, his furry friends, or his pet project, only you will know what that is.

While it’s been a year married, chances are you have known him for far longer. You know what he likes, and what he doesn’t like!

Think about his passions and print them on canvas.

Does he love golf? Build him a golf collage. Is he into hiking? Print a rainforest photo on canvas. Is he a collector of LPs? Create a funky retro print.

With a gift like this, you can’t go wrong. This also means you won’t risk choosing the wrong golf ball or buying the wrong album!

And yet you’ll still show him you know exactly what he likes. Win!

Discover our enormous range of wall art in our Canvas Art library.

​Romantic first anniversary gifts for her

Turn up the romance with a split image black and white glass print. It’s a creative way to display all your precious, loving moments.

This style of print has it all – romance, creativity and art.

The photo itself oozes romance as a couple embracing under a waterfall tends to do! Find a photo of the two of you together that depicts a similar mood – or arrange something special in advance.

Creatively, the photo is printed as a split image on glass. Splitting an image across four panels (one large and three small) is a stylish way to present a picture. Printing it on glass adds that extra touch of class.

And when it comes to art, black and white is your friend. To edit your colour image, simply convert your colour photo to mono when you’re creating your print in the Canvas App.

Creative quotes as a first wedding anniversary gift

This touching gift is something your spouse can have by their side each and every day, as a reminder of your love.

The hustle and bustle of life can sometimes get the best of us. We can tell our partners we love them, but rarely do we have time to recite them poetry or truly share from our hearts the way we feel.

A canvas wall display of quotes is a thoughtful way to express those sentiments we want them to know and remember.

Remarkably, you can design your own unique quotes using Canva then, after downloading them, upload them into Canvas Factory’s CanvasApp.

Or, shop our range of romantic quote designs here.

Capture the magic of that special day

Take that arty photo from your wedding day and give it the stage it deserves – print it on a high-definition metal wall art piece.

If you think you’ve printed all your wedding photos, think again.

There is always that one special image you have no idea what to do with because it simply doesn’t fit it with any of the others.

Make it stand out from the crowd by printing it on metal. For something edgy, give it the black and white treatment. If it has plenty of vivid colour, print it in full colour for a print with a beautiful bright sheen.

Celebrate your fur babies

Are your fur babies part of the family? Honour the new family unit with a beautiful canvas print.

Maybe you’re not ready for kids yet, but either way your fur babies have well and truly taken hold of your hearts. Arrange a photo with your half human, half fur family in a charming location and print it onto a split image canvas.

Splitting the canvas across seven frames draws attention to the beauty of the background while centring on the fun of the foreground.

Big first wedding anniversary gift ideas

Relive the journey of love with a wall display that brings together the best of the year that was.

The first year of marriage can be hectic, what with an engagement, wedding, honeymoon and honeymoon period of picnics, travels, family and friends.

Relive the magic of those precious loving memories for years to come with a wall display that captures the best of those moments. Wall displays are great, as you can rearrange them whichever way you like.

Present it to your loved one and watch as they mount it pride of place in your home.

Be the best bridesmaid ever

Be the best bridesmaid ever, gifting the bride in your life with a present from the heart.

This personalised heart print from our modish collection looks fancy, but is actually very simple to create.

As the bridesmaid, it’s likely you’ve been given a copy of all the photos. Alternatively, you can enlist the help of the bride’s friends or family or find photos on social media.

Gather photos of the happy couple together on their wedding day and surprise them with an elegant collage.

Create the personalised text for the centre heart frame using an easy graphic design tool like Canva.

Shop our photo collage canvases here.

Or, for more canvas gift ideas, check out our blog.