Wedding Anniversary Presents. Wedding anniversary presents don’t have to be elaborate, expensive, or painstaking to find and buy.  Especially now that we have access to all of the products, services, ideas, and guidelines the internet affords, we can get the most traditional or most unusual of wedding anniversary presents.

For starters, we can consult the traditions list, searching for the wedding anniversary presents that meet the appropriate material criteria:

1st First year: paper
2nd Second year: cotton/straw/calico
3rd Third year: leather
4th Fourth year: fruit/flowers
5th Fifth year: wood
6th Sixth year: candy/iron
7th Seventh year: wool/copper
8th Eighth year: bronze/pottery
9th Ninth year: pottery
10th Tenth year: tin
11th Eleventh year: steel
12th Twelfth year: silk/linen
13th Thirteenth year: lace
14th Fourteenth year: ivory
15th Fifteenth year: crystal
20th Twentieth year: china
25th Twenty-fifth year: silver
30th Thirtieth year: pearl
35th Thirty-fifth year: coral
40th Fortieth year: ruby
45th Forty-fifth year: sapphire
50th Fiftieth year: gold
60th Sixtieth year: diamond

Next, we can consider all of the possibilities that fall within that range if we want to buy a gift already produced and packed—one that is generic, but still thoughtful, that is.

BUYING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS

Given the above list, it is easy to find the gift that is best for the hallmark anniversary.  For instance, a silver frame, to include a photo of the anniversary couple, is classic for the 25-year anniversary.  Or a money tree is still a great no-brainer for the first year—not only because money is made of paper, but the first year marrieds can likely use that extra money!

So accordingly, here are a few of the many possibilities for wedding anniversary gift ideas:

1st First year: paper – okay, besides money, how about tickets to something?
2nd Second year: cotton/straw/calico – how about “pretend” straw? One company makes a thatch bowl that is actually ceramic but looks like straw.
3rd Third year: leather – faux leather might be better these days, so what about a leather stuffed animal?
4th Fourth year: fruit/flowers – do you really want your inlaws to hate you for sending cases and cases of prickly pears, that arrive every month for a year?  How about a lemon tree for the back yard?
5th Fifth year: wood – What culture does the couple identify with?  A wooden menorah in December or a pair of decorator dutch shoes filled with potpourri might work nicely.
6th Sixth year: candy/iron – The couples favorite candy, arranged in an iron (or simulated iron) vase?
7th Seventh year: wool/copper – Mittens with the surname initial?  A copper engraving by their favorite artist?
8th Eighth year: bronze/pottery – Find the local potter; can he/she craft something special for the anniversary couple?

IDEAS for MAKING WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PRESENTS

If you go with more personalized, home-crafted items, you may wish to still use the traditional materials but customize the gift (or have it customized if you don’t feel all that artsy):

20th Twentieth year: china – get the signatures of the guest book (signatures of all the guests at the wedding who are now at the anniversary party) by handing them a glass marker (pen that marks on anything and doesn’t erase—like a Sharpie®) and having them sign the china platter you bought.

25th Twenty-fifth year: silver – use silver embroidery thread to embellish one of their favorite materials/clothing items/bedding items.

30th Thirtieth year: pearl – you could buy an Egyptian-made mother of pearl backgammon board, or you could buy the pearl (opalescent paint and cover the pawns of a chess game with it.  Neatly, of course.

35th Thirty-fifth year: coral – How about buying a painting of coral reefs (or of anything, really) and gluing to it some lovely coral from the pet fish store or arts and crafts store—making a beautiful 3-D piece?

50th Fiftieth year: gold - There are gold yarns and threads—great for matching gold sweaters, mittens, or throws.  What else could you use gold yarn in?  How about gold flakes?  What could you put the flakes in?  On?

You get the idea.  Now have fun coming up with more of your own!

How To Get The Perfect Wedding Album. After you get married, you will be excitedly waiting to see your wedding album. If you have hired a professional photographer to capture the events of your big day, they have probably included your wedding album in the package along with whatever portraits and copies you may have wanted. Because of the nature of the business, it may take a while for your photographer to put together your wedding album and get it into your hands. If you think you are going to be too anxious to wait, you can make your own wedding album to hold you over in the mean time.

In order to do this, you have to think ahead. For the most part, your guests will also become photographers for your big day. Ask them to send you any copies of their own pictures if they are taking any, and also arm guests with disposable cameras and ask them to take pictures of the wedding ceremony and the reception to put in a wedding album. Many people will love helping you out with this, and you may be surprised at the photos they can come up with for you. Just remember that if Uncle George thinks it is funny to take pictures of people in the restroom that you may not want to give him a camera. If you do, tread at your own risk!

You can take these disposable cameras out to get developed after your big day, and pick them up after your honeymoon is over. This will give you plenty of time to look them over once you get back and to construct your wedding album. Make sure you get doubles to share with family. You may see things that happened at your wedding of which you were not aware. These photos are sure to bring a smile to your face, and you may have a good time guessing who took each photo.

Just remember when handing cameras out to your guests that your church may have rules about photos or flash in the church during the service. Your photographer probably knows what the church wants, and you should ask him what the rules are so you can share them with the guests who will also be taking pictures. In the end, you will end up with a professionally done wedding album, along with another full of candid shots taken by your guests. You will end up treasuring both of them equally.

How to Get Stylish Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses. Weddings are expensive endeavors, as everyone knows, and this doesn’t stop with the bride and the groom.  Chosen attendants often carry the cost of throwing showers, stag nights, and purchasing their wedding attire.  Thankfully, there are ways to cut costs for attendants, and one is by allowing them to find cheap bridesmaid dresses.

One of the biggest complaints about bridesmaid dresses is that they can normally only be worn once, and when they cost over two hundred dollars or more, that’s huge hit to the savings or checking account.  What some fail to realize is that there are ways to get cheap bridesmaid dresses that will not look cheap, and can be used again and again. Many brides are so busy they chose a style and color, and leave the arrangements up to their bridesmaids.  A smart bridesmaid should ask the bride to allow them to search for the dresses, and give the bride the final choice.

Cheap bridesmaid dresses are everywhere; it just takes some time to search for them.  Quite often the bride sees something on the rack and falls in love with it, and this can be a huge mistake.  Quite often these dresses are full price, and that price can be painful.

Ask to see the discount selection.  Most bridal stores have these, though they are no advertised very often.  These dresses are normally one or two seasons old, but still new and beautiful.  If you aren’t concerned with keeping up-to-date with the latest wedding fashions, this is a great way to find stunning and cheap bridesmaids dresses.

Many also fail to take the time to look online.  While the selection may be limited, it’s possible to find fashionable, yet cheap bridesmaid dresses.  Sometimes it is just a matter of taking a few hours to sit down and do a thorough search.

Don’t rely on the bridal industry in your search for cheap bridesmaid dresses.  Just because something isn’t designed to be a bridesmaids dress, don’t mean it won’t work, and work well!  Many major department stores have beautiful dresses that are marked down at the end of the season.  You can often find these in various sizes and at a much lower price, and best of all, they can be worn again.

One last option is one that will take some time, so it won’t do for a wedding that is coming up quickly.  Go to your local fabric store and search through the patterns they have available.  You may find the perfect style and look for the wedding.  If you know someone who can sew well, the dresses may cost no more than the price of the pattern and the price of the fabric.

These are a just a few options that can help you in your search for cheap bridesmaid dresses.  Remember, just because the price is cheap, it doesn’t mean the dress will look cheap.  Allow your bridesmaids to buy more inexpensive dresses and they will a love you for it.  It may even allow them to spend a little more on your wedding gift.