Paul and I have been married nearly 13 years now.  With three young children, our favorite anniversary gifts are the ones that come with babysitting services—a gift card to the movies and Grandma babysits, a gift card to dinner and Grandma babysits, a gift card to anywhere (or to nowhere) and Grandma babysits.  I think you get it.

But not every couple is in our same situation—some celebrating anniversaries are still newlyweds and others have lapped us several times in the marathon called marriage.  So help me come up with some anniversary gift cards that span the years.  Here is what I have so far:

A traditional gift with a modern gift card

• Traditional.  A one year anniversary calls for paper and a five year anniversary is supposed to be celebrated with wood.  Turn traditional anniversary gifts into something more modern.  Instead of paper give a gift card to an office supply store or attach a restaurant gift card to a lovely notepad.  Instead of wood, get a gift card to the golf store for a new set of woods.  Be creative.  A 20th anniversary calls for china.  Get a gift card to a Chinese restaurant instead, attach it to a bag of fortune cookies, and write your prediction for another twenty years together.
• By the Number. Buy a gift card equivalent to the number of years the couple has been married (e.g. $23 for 23 years of marriage).  Partner the card with other things in exactly that same number as well.  23 flowers, 23 truffles, 23 well wishes from 23 friends.
• Routines.  Do they have a Saturday morning ritual of reading the newspaper at the bagel shop?  Do they have a standing date night on Friday night?  Whatever the routine, get the anniversary couple a gift card in honor of this thing they do together.  Attach the card to something else predictable—a self-setting clock, a calendar, a calculator.  Add a note that says, “It’s nice to have something you can count on.”
• Couples Therapy. Aroma therapy, that is. Celebrate the anniversary couple with a gift card to a spa for a couples massage or couples retreat. Deliver it tied to an aroma therapy candle or some other pampering accessory.


Couples Therapy: A romantic candle and gift card to the spa.

• Flame Alive.  Is it possible to get a set of matches from the restaurant they had their first date in or the hotel they stayed in on their honeymoon?  It’s not needed but would be an awesome finishing touch to a gift card for a nice restaurant, a lovely candle, and a note that reads, “It’s nice to see someone is still keeping the flame alive.”  You can use a lighter or box of household matches instead.  They’ll appreciate the gesture.
• Harmony.  Music is the lyric of the heart.  Get the anniversary couple a gift card for downloadable music, a Symphony candy bar, and a note that reads something sappy like, “Two hearts, one beat.”  You might also download a mix of songs or recommend a playlist from the year they got married or songs played at their wedding.
• Bananas.  From the serious to the silly.  Tie a gift card to the ice cream store to a bunch of bananas.  Add a note that says, “Still bananas for each other after all these years.”
• Love.  Love will keep us together.  Attach a gift card to a romantic restaurant, spa, or lingerie store to an appropriately named sweet—kisses, hugs, kissables, etc.  It’s all about the love.

Check out gift card ideas in the Wedding section that can be adapted to anniversary.  And if you have an idea of your own, please share it with me.