# First anniversary gift for girlfriend. What to buy?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 10, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173 "2017-04-10T14:16:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/1 "2017-04-10T14:16:10Z")
I want to get my girlfriend something special for our first anniversary. We are already planning a life together but it is complicated by kids, jobs and distance so marriage is pretty far away.
If I got her a ring, how could I make it clear that this is not a wedding ring. I know I could say it but I want the gift to speak and I don’t want to tarnish the moment with a negative.
Are there any other gifts that would be appropriate?
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### Author:  [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/2 "2017-04-10T15:09:51Z")
If you have your heart set on jewelry you could go for earrings, bracelet or necklace. Assuming she wears these.
My suggestion would be to get something that shows you know what she likes at a personal level. For example, concert tickets to an event she enjoys. Experience based gifts are normally more valued than objects.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/3 "2017-04-10T20:01:09Z")
[Moderating]
Moved from CS to IMHO
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### Author:  [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/4 "2017-04-10T20:42:18Z")
I would avoid the ring, it might be misinterpreted, and if you need to explain, it takes the joy out of it even if she does understand, imo. If she likes jewelry, as the above poster said, maybe another piece.
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### Author:  [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/5 "2017-04-10T21:13:15Z")
Get her a matching vial set, that you will fill with each others blood and wear around your necks. It goes with your username and all.
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### Author:  [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/6 "2017-04-11T04:51:53Z")
Find something REALLY tiny that is significant to something special about your relationship / specific to her. Repeat for every aniversary, along with practical gifts or chocolate or jewelery.
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### Author:  [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2017, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/7 "2017-04-11T12:50:07Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#):
>
> Get her a matching vial set, that you will fill with each others blood and wear around your necks. It goes with your username and all.
Funny. She would love it and b disgusted at the same time.
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### Author:  [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/8 "2017-04-11T12:55:16Z")
Diamond earrings always work. Make sure they are big enough to see.
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### Author:  [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/10 "2017-08-01T17:07:51Z")
The first anniversary is the paper anniversary. So there is that.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/11 "2017-08-01T17:28:28Z")
> [@drewder](#):
>
> The first anniversary is the paper anniversary.
First _wedding_ anniversary. OP and GF are still sinners.
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### Author:  [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/12 "2017-08-01T18:11:11Z")
What do you count as a first anniversary? First date? If so, I know a couple of couples who go out and recreate their first date, same venue etc. I think this is kind of cute, but it doesn’t work for everyone (for instance, my husband and I were friends, and we went out and did things as friends, so we don’t know which one of these things might count as a “date” and we don’t remember the exact dates of them anyway.)
If you want something she can keep forever, jewelry is the ticket. Necklace, bracelet, ankle bracelet, earrings, brooch, the things you don’t need a size for are all good, if she likes that kind of stuff. You can get fancy hair things if she has long hair.
If jewelry doesn’t work then maybe some kind of knickknack that can go on display? A framed photo of you doing something fun? A snow globe that has some significance?
How about a puppy?
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### Author:  [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/13 "2017-08-01T19:06:58Z")
> [@JeremyBlack](#):
>
> I got my wife a personalized song for our 1st wedding anniversary and it was incredible. She’s never got emotional at anything that I’ve ever given her because I’m a shitty gift giver, but she had tears in her eyes while listening. The song talked about how we met and some inside jokes that only her and I know about.
>
> I believe there are plenty of services out there to make customized songs but [Songfinch](http://www.songfinch.com) is the service I used and it was super easy to create. I would highly recommend if you’e trying to make an emotional impact that jewelry or other stuff can’t - unless it’s a new car or a vacation somewhere tropical. Very few things beat those. 🆒
I’m remembering the Cheers episode where Woody can’t afford a nice gift for Kelly, so he writes her a song (Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly . . . ) He plays it, she loves it, and then asks, “Where’s my gift?”
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### Author:  [@Tio\_Gringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tio_Gringo)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/14 "2017-08-01T20:02:50Z")
This will require some planning, but for my first wedding anniversary, I gave my wife 365 hand-folded origami hearts. I used different colors/patterns of paper.
It was an immense hit - but again - not something you do the night before (unless you like blisters on your fingers).
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/15 "2017-08-01T21:04:55Z")
> [@Slash1972](#):
>
> Diamond earrings always work. Make sure they are big enough to see.
This usually works. If she’s averse to diamonds for some reason get her a valuable stone of _her color_. I’m not really sure how to tell what a woman’s color is, but you can probably figure it out from whatever jewelry, clothes, and/or accessories she already wears.
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/16 "2017-08-02T17:27:28Z")
For a first anniversary my company gives a certificate (frame not included) and a mention on the intranet site. Maybe you could do something like that.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-anniversary-gift-for-girlfriend-what-to-buy/784173/18 "2017-08-02T21:29:39Z")
You mentioned distance is an issue. How about a talking picture frame? Put a cherished photo (or even a collage) and add a spoken note telling her how much you can’t wait to see her again. Then she won’t have to call you to hear your voice.