One year... gift??

LegacyUser

I'm with my man a year next week. We'll be going out and I'm really looking forward to it.
A gift didn't cross my mind till a buddy of mine said 'hey what are you getting him?'.
I was dumbfounded, Is a gift normal for first anniversary???
He hasn't said a thing about a gift. We're going for a romantic meal, which we'll both be
paying for so I kinda thought that was it. Am I wrong?
Do you think I need to get him a gift?
And if so, what?? Whats do you get for a first anniversary gift??

(just to help your response... I love him to bits and hope we have many anniversaries together)

Adelie

Going for a meal would be fairly usual, giving a gift not so much. If there was something in particular you would like to give him to mark the occasion that would be fine, but since there's not and you're going for dinner anyway, I wouldn't worry about it.

Contessa Raven

Hi OP,

It's entirely up to you how you celebrate your anniversary. Some people choose to do so with gifts, others choose to do so by going away for a weekend or dinner.
For our 1 year anniversary my boyfriend and I made things for each other. And a few days later we went to Paris for 6 days. Our 2 year anniversary I think we went for dinner and a film. Our 3 year anniversary we spent working (we were abroad in college) and for our 4 year we're hoping to get away again.

I think it's only wedding anniversaries where it's the norm to exchange gifts and even then that could just depend on how many years you're married (1 year married = a gift of paper, 15 years = crystal, etc.)

If your boyfriend and you are happy to celebrate with a meal then that's what you should do. There are no set rules as far as I'm aware anyway.

LegacyUser

Thanks so much for the advice guys, that's what I thought till my friend made me question myself!
I'm just worried now that he'll have something for me and I'll be embarrassed having nothing for him. I don't want to ask him in case, like me, he didn't think about it, then I'll probably make him feel he needs to get me something.

Making things sounds lovely though, what did you make, I cant even think what I could make him!

Adelie

Even if he does get you something you shouldn't be embarrassed about it! There's been times that I've given my bf a present when he hasn't given me one, or that he's given me something really great when I've given something small. It's just the way things are in relationships, it all evens out. I mean the point of giving a gift is because you feel like doing something nice for someone, not because it's an obligation or you want something in return.

So if he does get you something just be happy and appreciative and don't feel bad that you don't have one for him. You can always give him something nice for some other occasion or even for no reason whatsoever except that you want to

Contessa Raven

It may sound silly but we went to an art shop and bought clay and paint. And we made little figurines of ourselves and then swapped them. So he has a mini-me and I have a mini-him!

You could make him a card or you could make a collage for him out of photos of the two of you. Kinda like a trip down memory lane of your first year together.