Traditional & Modern Anniversary Gifts For Geeks
My husband I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary this past Sunday. To celebrate, we enjoyed the top tier of our wedding cake which we froze. It held up well and tasted great!
We also went out to dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant. After dinner we checked out an event a local brewery was hosting. They had historical weapons on display from a local museum collection, plus one of our town’s comic shops was hosting board game sessions on site. It was an enjoyable evening!
But! Back to the subject at matter…while I was sleuthing out the perfect gift for my husband prior to Sunday, I got to thinking about the traditional vs. modern gift themes for the first anniversary. This ultimately led me to his gift idea (more on that below) but it also gave me the idea of doing a round-up post for each year’s theme with a geek twist. I hope this helps inspire the rest of you nerdy people out there when trying to find something that’s fandom perfect for your significant other!
And if you still end up stuck, check out my Amazon store for a more thorough list of video games, books, cosplay supplies, board games, and more that I’ve personally tested and highly recommend!
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Anniversary Gifts by Year
| Anniversary Year | Traditional Gift | Modern Gift |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Clocks |
| 2nd | Cotton | China |
| 3rd | Leather | Crystal, Glass |
| 4th | Linen, Silk / Fruit, Flower | Appliances |
| 5th | Wood | Silverware |
| 6th | Iron, Candy | Wood Objects |
| 7th | Wool, Copper | Desk Sets |
| 8th | Bronze, Pottery | Linens, Lace |
| 9th | Pottery, Willow | Leather |
| 10th | Tin/Aluminum | Diamond |
Let’s start by taking a look at suggestions for the traditional anniversary gift themes.
Traditional Anniversary Gift Ideas for Geeks
1st Anniversary – Paper
No need to sweat year 1. There are so many options when it comes to paper! If you’ve got a band geek partner, get them a sheet music booklet for their favorite fandom. If your loved one enjoys comics or manga, then go that route.
Married to a bookworm? Even easier because I guarantee their “to-read” list is a mile long. Pick up the next book on their list or get them a collectors edition of their favorite series to ogle over. In fact, my husband enjoys reading and is a big fan of the lore behind his favorite fandoms. For his anniversary gift, I got him World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume 2.
Got someone who plays games or trading card games? Buy them the latest Magic the Gathering set that just came out or an entertaining new card game to play…hey, the cards are made of cardboard which is a form of paper, so these are totally on theme!
You could even go the route of acquiring a poster or piece of nerdy artwork to frame. These make gorgeous home decor gifts. Or you could let your loved one make their own artwork with a coloring book. There are many beautiful, geeky, and bad-ass options out there now. Check out my coloring book post for a full selection round-up.
Here are some personal recommendations, that I enjoy, for each of these ideas:
2nd Anniversary – Cotton
When it comes to cotton, think clothing; let’s be honest, everyone’s closet could benefit from another geeky t-shirt! You could also consider cotton accessories like a scarf, socks, or cooking apron. In fact, check out all the really fun anime socks they now have available for purchase –the options!!
If you’re bedroom needs some sprucing up, how about a new bed set or curtains? If your partner is a kitchen geek, then get them a new set of oven mitts, like this R2-D2 set.
3rd Anniversary – Leather
When I think of leather gifts, I think of wallets, phone cases, and jewelry. Maybe your significant other really enjoys a character that wears leather boots or a leather jacket. If so, consider getting them a replica of their own.
Backbacks and messenger bags are another great option. I think most geeky ones are made using synthetic leather, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t on theme.
4th Anniversary – Linen, Silk / Fruit, Flowers
As far as linen goes, think of bed sheets, kitchen aprons, linen pillows, and tea towels for the bathroom or kitchen.
Fruit and flowers is a different story. When it comes to geeky ideas I had a tough time with these themes. If you have a Dean-enthused Supernatural fan, I’d highly suggest baking them a homemade apple pie. For flowers, perhaps a replica Beauty and Beast rose?
5th Anniversary – Wood
Wood is another theme that offers a variety of options. Clocks, coasters, and cutting boards first pop into my mind.
6th Anniversary – Iron / Candy
This is another fun year. You can take iron literally, as in Fe the periodic table element, or you can take it in a direction such as Ironman, or the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones.
Another options is replica swords. Depending upon the time period of their existence, most swords were made from bronze, iron, or steel. When it comes to geeky swords, they can be made of many materials, like Adamantium. For the sake of this post, I’ll just roll them all up into this category. 🙂
7th Anniversary – Wool / Copper
Copper is a little bit tricky, but thank goodness there are so many cute wool items out there!
8th Anniversary – Bronze / Pottery
Year 8 is also a little tricky, especially if you want to save pottery for year 9 (because, to be honest –I’m kind of clueless about willow. Haha). I’m going to stretch bronze and go for items with “bronze finishes.” 😀
9th Anniversary – Pottery / Willow
Hey! I actually thought of a great willow gift. A Harry Potter wand replica for Ron Weasley (his second wand) or Lord Voldemort.
For pottery I definitely turn to mugs and bowls.
10th Anniversary – Tin/Aluminum
Looking for a tin gift for your 10th anniversary? Think tea tins, banks, lunch boxes, and games or puzzles that come in tin containers. There are actually some really neat lunch boxes and tin containers out there!
Modern Anniversary Gift Ideas for Geeks
1st Anniversary – Clocks
I think this one is pretty straight forward….pocket watches, wrist watches, and wall clocks, oh my!
2nd Anniversary – China
Want to get a little bit fancy with china? Think plates, cups, and tea sets.
3rd Anniversary – Crystal, Glass
Accessories for the kitchen come to mind when I think of glass gifts. There are so many different hand-etched drinking glass sets, you’re sure to find your significant other’s favorite fandom.
4th Anniversary – Appliances
Apparently you can buy every kitchen appliance in the Star Wars theme. Who knew?! Anyways, waffles are already good, but shaped like something from your favorite fandom? Exponentially better of course 😉
5th Anniversary – Silverware
I stand corrected! It doesn’t get more straight forward than the theme of silverware 😉 Bon Appétit
6th Anniversary – Wood
See year 5 above in the traditional gift section.
7th Anniversary – Desk Sets
I’m not sure about desk sets, but I have a whole list of geeky desk ideas, already rounded up, to spruce up your partner’s work desk area.
8th Anniversary – Linen, Lace
See year 4 above in the traditional gift section.
9th Anniversary – Leather
See year 3 above in the traditional gift section.
10th Anniversary – Diamond
Time for a little *bling bling*?! Check out all the really neat geeky rings that are now on the market available for purchase. Most are simply elegant and nerdy all in one little package.
Remember, gifts don’t have to be exchanged either. Make the celebration of your anniversary about the love, laughter, and friendship you share with one another. In fact, I’ve got a whole list of geeky date ideas you can opt for too! Whatever you decide, congrats on another year, enjoy your day together, and here’s to many more to come. <3
What do you and your partner like to do for your anniversary?
Any ideas that I may have missed for gift ideas?
Leave a comment below!
I shouldn’t read posts like this xDDDD Now I want ALL the thingies! xDDDD You evil creatures!
Muahaha! Yes, yes, very good…my evil plan is coming to fruition 😉 To be honest, this post is more of a wishlist for me than anything. Hehe
Oh my goodness, so many things that I want!! I love the idea of putting a geeky twist on anniversary gifts<3 My husband and I have been too lazy to get into the themed gifts thing for our anniversary, but this round-up makes it so much more fun! I especially love that BB-8 mini fridge and the Totoro gloves. So cute.
Hey, whatever works for you guys, right?! And aren’t those Totoro gloves just the cutest? I almost bought them immediately when making this list. I bet they’re super soft being made from merino wool.