One-Year Anniversary Gifts for Him That He Won't Just Pretend to Love

It’s been almost 365 blissful days since you took your vows — which means, of course, that it’s nearly time to celebrate your first wedding anniversary. And that means ... a gift.

We feel for you. Sure, you know pretty much everything about this guy, right down to his weirdest habits and most endearing little quirks, but trying to find a present that’s sufficiently sentimental and that he’ll also actually love can feel more daunting than coming up with the perfect vows.

Ahead, 9 presents that solve the problem of what to get the man you love on your first anniversary.

If you are a solidly average couple (and we’re guessing you’re well above the standard) you take a combined total of 300 photos a month. This means, of course, that you’ve snapped at least 3600 shots during your first year of marriage. What to do with all those pixels, aside from letting them float in the cloud? Create a hard-copy compendium of year-one as a married couple. Divide up your custom magazine into sections dedicated to your life in food, travel, fashion, even beauty (remember that time you made him do an anti-aging sheet mask?). A bonus: if you’re into tradition, you’ll be right on target with this present, since gifting paper has been a first-anniversary custom since the Victorian era.

You could give your husband this stylish little backpack and consider your first-anniversary gift-shopping done — and it would make a very nice present all on its own ... but we think we have a better idea. Step 1: Sneakily book a little getaway that’s no more than a two-hour drive from home. Step 2: Stuff this bag with all the essentials he needs for a weekend escape together. Step 3: Shepherd him to the car and try your best to keep your whole plan hush-hush until you arrive at your destination.

If your Instagram is any indication, travel is kind of your thing as a couple. A slightly more unusual way to document your journeys is with a smart little wall map that lets you quite literally scratch your dream destinations off your list. This one is detailed enough to include every state and major city across the US — as well as Bora Bora, because you will get there some day.

We know, we know, the past 31,536,000 seconds have just flown by! To mark that one-year milestone, gift him a timepiece — another traditional first-anniversary gift, which represents, you know, the passage of time together. Drive the metaphor home by engraving the back with your wedding date.

Turns out, all that music you’ve been listening to together this past year bodes well for your sense of, um, I guess they call it ‘togetherness’ (thanks, science!). Gifting a portable turntable will keep the songs playing in every room in the house.

And of course you’ll need some classic vinyl to go along with that turntable. Jot down a list of 12 songs that have some kind of special meaning to the two of you, then gift the dozen, one for each month of your first year together. An artist to start with: Bruce Springsteen. We’re willing to bet the two of you have shared some moment or another with The Boss, because who hasn't?

If cooking as a couple typically involves deciding who reheats last night’s Seamless leftovers, take this as the perfect excuse to make a change. After all, there's almost nothing better than talking about the day as you cook up something delicious together. Enter: the Blue Apron subscription, which turns even the most culinarily talentless couple into insta-chefs thanks to super-easy instructions and all the goods you need boxed right up and delivered to your door.

No one doesn’t like a wine-of-the-month club, because, alcohol. But instead of going that route, why not order a case of vino you’ve themed to a special marker in your relationship, like, say, this collection of six Italian reds that gives a nod to your honeymoon trip.

You might be a year in already, but this little cube of questions will guide you to topics you probably haven't thought to ask your partner. Set the deck on the table, queue up your Springsteen, pour a couple glasses of wine, and see where the conversation goes.