The 32 Best 2nd Anniversary Gifts of 2023

Indigo Rose Co. Cotton String Art

View On Etsy

A fun and unexpected take on the cotton theme, this piece of artwork uses cotton string to create the shape of any state, with a heart placed over the city of your choosing. Customize one with the special place where you met, got married, or currently live. 

Associate Fashion Editor Erika Reals customized this artwork with the state of Kansas, where her family has a farm. "This would be a great gift for someone who appreciates a more rustic interior design style," she said. "It's nice that you can tell it's handmade." Reals appreciated the quality and noted that it was made of a hefty wood plank and was evenly stained.

She felt like the piece was a bit expensive for the simplicity of the materials (wood, string, and nails), but liked the creative approach to a traditional map. "It's a great value if you're looking for a super personalized gift that's specific to an important place," she said.

Price at time of publish: $63 for 12x12

The Modish Home Couples Initials Throw Blanket

View On Etsy

Incorporating both the cotton and personalization element, this oversized blanket is customized with your initials and wedding year. Toss it over your couch to have on hand for snuggling up during movie nights, or layer it over the bedding in your master bedroom. It’s also available in two different sizes.

"The graphic print on this blanket really stands out," said Senior Editor Kate Donovan. She felt that the execution of the design was crisp and clear, however, the material felt a little cheap and synthetic. "The blanket is pretty affordable for the size, but I would have liked something with a softer and more plush touch."

Donovan found that the font and design options were limited, but that the throw would be a great choice for a couple with a traditional aesthetic. "Because this is a bold decor piece, I would recommend getting to know the couple's home style before committing to it," she said.

Price at time of publish: $97 for 50"x60" (additional $10 shipped to CA, OR, WA)

INSIDEOUTGIFT Embroidered Anniversary Roman Date Hoodies

View On Etsy

A non-cheesy way to rock matching outfits, these super cool hoodies are embroidered with your wedding date in roman numerals. There are eight soft colors to choose from, as well as crewnecks and t-shirt options available if you're looking for a different style.

Price at time of publish: $46

Pretty and Shine Calligraphy Print

View On Etsy

Have your wedding song, wedding vows, or even just a heartfelt message transformed into a gorgeous print. Each piece is custom printed onto a piece of handmade cotton paper (the frame comes separately). Available in seven different sizes, this is also a budget-friendly pick.

Senior Editor Kate Donovan liked the organic, botanical style of the print: "I love the rustic, romantic feel that it has to it," she said. Donovan customized the print with her brother and sister-in-law's vows. She explained that they had a small backyard ceremony and then a larger party for extended family and friends. "Because many of the people at the reception weren't there for the ceremony, they displayed this print with their vows at the welcome table."

Donovan said that the print looked best when it was framed and seen from a bit of a distance. "When you step back, you get a sense of the delicate design," she said. "Up close and unframed, the paper seems a little cheap. "It would be much more expensive, but I would have liked to have seen letterpress or hand-drawn version versus a printed text."

Price at time of publish: $28 for 4x6 inch premium canvas

Minted Botanical Cascade Snap Tote

View On Minted

Delight your spouse with this romantic floral tote from the exclusive minted + BRIDES Gifts Collection. It's made with 100% cotton, features a brushed-copper snap closure, and can be personalized with a foil-pressed leather name tag for an added sentimental detail.

Price at time of publish: $36

Adventure Challenge Scratch-Off Date Book for Couples

View On Amazon View On Freepeople.com View On Target

Feel like you’re starting to fall into a bit of a date night rut by year two? Here’s the perfect way to spice things up. The mystery scratch-off book comes with 50 creative adventures…but you don’t know what they are until you scratch them off. There’s also a space to write down notes and even add photos after you complete each one. Commit to doing one together weekly or monthly, and this makes for the perfect gift that keeps on giving.

Price at time of publish: $60

PaperAnniversaryLove Custom Tray Cotton Anniversary Gift

View On Etsy

These trays are a meaningful—and practical—gift for him or her. Choose from a variety of shapes and sizes, then add custom text on the inside. It can be something as simple as your wedding date, your vows, or a few lines highlighting what you love about your partner. The message is printed on organic cotton, in keeping with the second-anniversary theme.

"This product is a really unique gift for a second anniversary," said Senior Editor Maggie Kreienberg. "I like that it could be used by different genders and the text is completely customizable." While Kreinberg felt that the tray was sturdy, she was surprised by the size. "It's way larger than I expected and will take up a lot of room on a night stand. She explained that it's not really a ring dish, but instead a surface that can corral phones, glasses, and other bedside items.

Krienberg was also a little concerned that the cotton surface could get stained or ruined easily. "I wish the base was covered in a clear, more durable material," she said. "Accidents happen—I'm just imagining spilling a water glass on my nightstand and wondering how this would hold up." She felt that it would be an impressive gift overall, just maybe something the recipient would want to handle with care.

Price at time of publish: $79 for small

Artifact Uprising Signature Layflat Photo Album

View On Artifactuprising.com

At this point, you’ve probably already compiled your wedding album, so why not create another album capturing all the fun and memories that have ensued since? This elegantly bound book features high-quality pages and a choice of linen or leather covers. For a personal touch, have a custom title foil stamped on the front.

Production Manager Alyssa Kingham used the photos from her own wedding to test out this product. She was impressed with the luxe linen cover and the thick, superfine card stock pages. Kingham also felt that the quality of the photos was high: "The images are clear and have a matte finish to them," she said.

While Kingham liked the photos, she didn't always love the cropping. "There was a lot white space and some photos were too small for the page," she said. The album is also a bit pricey. "But given the heavy card stock interior and high-quality cover, I can definitely see where the value comes from."

Kingham mentioned that the extra white space and smooth pages would make for a great gift as a wedding guest book for close friends or family. "Add in engagement photos and have guests sign it with sweet notes at the wedding," she said.

Price at time of publish: $259

Dust and Things Personalized Keepsake Box

View On Amazon View On Etsy

This charming, handcrafted box is made by a small family-run business in the United Kingdom. It's the perfect spot to store travel keepsakes, love notes, and special date night ephemera like ticket stubs and menus. It's a simple way to show how much you cherish your memories together.

Price at time of publish: $44

Canvas Vows First Dance Lyrics on Canvas

View On Amazon View On Canvasvows.com

Both a sweet and sentimental way to commemorate your wedding and a cool piece of artwork for your home, this custom canvas features the sheet music from your first dance song. With eight different sizes to choose from, this can either be a beautiful accent or a serious statement-maker.

Senior Editor Kate Donovan found that this print looked very different from what she ordered. "Maybe something was lost in translation—I was expecting musical notes, but the canvas contained text with a faded background instead." She liked the smaller size of the stretched canvas (it also comes in a range of larger sizes, as well). "The quality seems to be a bit flimsy, but it's pretty close to what I expected for something in this price range," she said.

Price at time of publish: $89

It's Your Turn Socks Cotton Anniversary Socks

View On Etsy

Fun and whimsical, these matching socks are a sweet option for anyone looking for a smaller gift or a little something extra to pair with a larger present. Choose from four different colors and add your wedding date and names for a personalized touch.

Price at time of publish: $25

Rose Gold Rebel Men’s Duffel Bag

View On Etsy

Any type of luggage is always a super practical and welcomed gift. This weekender bag is made from 100% cotton canvas, so it’s totally on theme and can be customized with either your spouse’s name or a monogram on the front. Pair it with a surprise stay-cation for an extra special anniversary celebration.

Price at time of publish: $34 for duffel

Casper Snoozewear Blanket Robe

View On Casper

This may be called a robe, but it’s truly more of a robe-blanket hybrid. The puffy, duvet-like design makes you feel like you’re wrapped up in your favorite comforter, but with the convenience of having armholes and pockets. It's the ultimate movie date night must-have.

Price at time of publish: $152

Mirage Engraving Personalized Compass

View On Etsy

This beautiful compass can be engraved with pretty much any type of photo or text in the font of your choosing, including in your handwriting, making this feel extra personal. The leather case is an optional add-on, though one that’s well worth it.

Price at time of publish: $136 engraved without leather case

Mark & Graham Turkish Hydrocotton Bath Robe

View On Markandgraham.com

Channel those ‘we’re relaxing in a five-star hotel’ vibes every day by slipping on this extra-soft, organic Turkish cotton robe. Make sure to pick up one for both you and your partner; you can even have them monogrammed with your initials for a personal touch.

Price at time of publish: $100

Wendy Gold Studios Personalized Anniversary Pushpin World Map

View On Amazon View On Uncommon Goods

Oh, the places you’ll go. This beautiful keepsake comes with a vintage-inspired world map plus 100 pushpins. Use them to mark (and reminisce about) all of the places you’ve traveled together—from your hometowns to wedding destination to honeymoon spot—and/or to plot all the locations on your bucket list and plan future adventures to come.

Price at time of publish: $155

Coyuchi Pismo Organic Blanket

View On Nordstrom View On Anthropologie View On Coyuchi.com

When it comes to upgrading your bedding, this blanket is the perfect accent piece. Available in three, sun-washed colors, each with the same geometric print, it’s an easy way to add a fun visual touch to any neutral bedding. Made of organic Portuguese cotton, the blanket is stonewashed to make it extra soft, and the perfect weight to add extra warmth in the winter or use solo in the summer.

Price at time of publish: $118 for throw blanket

Uncommon Goods New York Times Custom Front Page Puzzle

View On Uncommon Goods View On Nytimes.com

A unique way to celebrate your wedding day, this puzzle features the front page of the New York Times from that exact day. Plus, putting the puzzle together doubles as a fun date night activity. You can choose a 500-piece puzzle, or go with the 1,000-piece option for an added challenge.

Price at time of publish: $55 for 500 pieces

YaYa & Co. Brooklyn Knit Throw

View On Yayaandco.com

If you could take your favorite, coziest, most worn winter sweater and turn it into a blanket, this is what you’d get. Made of 100 percent, sustainable cotton, the black knitted throw boasts a unique wash that gives it a dimensional and even more textured look; it’s just as chic as it is cozy. For every purchase, the brand plants trees in the Amazon rainforest.

Price at time of publish: $178

The Citizenry Imabari Waffle Towels

View On Amazon View On The-citizenry.com

These towels aren’t made out of just any old cotton. The brand partners with local artisans across the globe to create gorgeous wares in a fair-trade environment. In this case, it’s a Pima cotton from a family-run mill in Japan that’s been making towels for over a century. The end result is these stunning, waffle weave towels that feel as good as they look.

Price at time of publish: $50

New Horizons By KK Custom Ceramic Photo Coasters

View On Etsy

We love this riff on the theme of china with these ceramic coasters. You can customize a set of four with any photos of your choosing. We like the idea of using some of your favorite wedding photos or highlights from your honeymoon.

Price at time of publish: $28 for set of four

Paper Anniversary The House We Made a Home

View On Paper-anniversary.com

A gift that will equally become a life-long keepsake, this features a rendering of your home, carved into mahogany wood. And because the whole set is set into a 100% cotton background, it’s still on-brand for a second anniversary.

Price at time of publish: $179

Heirloom Video Book

View On Amazon View On Sendheirloom.com View On Walmart

Rather than a standard greeting card, record your anniversary message for your spouse with this unique video book. A customization website makes it easy to upload up to 20 minutes of video into the book, which can also be personalized with a recorded greeting and printed note on the front cover.

Price at time of publish: $49 for 10-minute video book

R. Chiara Diamond Center Stackable Ring

View On Rchiara.com

You can simply never go wrong with diamonds. This delicate, 14K gold band features five inlaid round diamonds, which makes for a romantic and exquisite gift. It is beautifully worn on its own, but it also works well amidst the rest of your ring stack.

Price at time of publish: $285

Fifth & Cherry The 14 Cutting Board

View On Fifthandcherry.com

This wooden cutting board is so stunning it could easily double as a work of art. Handmade from cherry wood, the board comes with a lifetime warranty and free refinishing for life. The fact that you can engrave the side with your name, wedding date, or any other text of your choosing makes it completely gift-worthy.

Price at time of publish: $299

The Best is Yet to Come Anniversary Book

View On Theartofetiquette.com

Think of this keepsake book as a living time capsule, with plenty of pages to house love letters and display photos and mementos. It’s sure to quickly become a family heirloom. There’s also a list of traditional and modern anniversary gifts for each year, which is always helpful.

Price at time of publish: $200

TableTopics Date Night

View On Tabletopics.com

A great way to keep things fun and exciting on date night, these cards pose unique and thought-provoking questions to help you reconnect and truly focus on one another. It's a perfect activity to do on the night of your anniversary celebration.

Price at time of publish: $25

Parachute Percale Sheet Set

4.9

View On Nordstrom View On Zola View On Parachute

If you don’t need to completely revamp all of your bedding, but do want to upgrade your sheets, go with this set. Made of already-soft percale cotton, the fabric only gets better and softer with time and has the added benefit of being nice and cool to the touch, a boon for hot sleepers. While it comes in eight neutral shades, you can’t go wrong with the crisp and clean pure white.

Price at time of publish: $129

Brooklinen Luxe Move-In Bundle

View On Brooklinen

If you didn’t register for new bedding for your wedding, consider this the perfect time to upgrade your sleeping situation. This complete set has everything you need, including a comforter, sheet bundle, and even pillows. Made of 100 percent long-staple cotton, it also totally fits this anniversary's theme, not to mention it's one gift you’re both guaranteed to get plenty of use out of.

Price at time of publish: $652

Fellow The Rookie Pour-Over Kit

View On Fellowproducts.com

You probably already have a coffee maker in your kitchen, but we love the idea of gifting this to any java junkie to keep on hand in their office. It comes with an electric pour-over kettle, dripper, and carafe, all in a modern and minimal matte black design.

Price at time of publish: $317

Inspirations By Kayla Handmade Cotton Ornament

View On Etsy

Want to go the creative route? Another fun take on the traditional cotton theme, each one of these glass ornaments is filled with real American cotton. It’s a sentimental way to commemorate this special anniversary for many holidays to come.

Price at time of publish: $20