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Hopefully, by the time your 2nd anniversary approaches, you and your spouse will have settled into a comfortable rhythm, living together in your happy home, with all the amenities you need.
I’m thinking of plates, knives, forks, drinking glasses, etc. But when a friend of mine got married last year, her husband bought her a cheese slice (even though he spent the entirety of their engagement confused as to what they were) because she couldn’t possibly live in a house without one!
Whatever your make-or-break item might be, fingers crossed you’ve got one in your kitchen drawer or your bathroom cupboard. This year, you can afford to indulge a little.
Traditionally, cotton marks a couple’s 2nd wedding anniversary. Symbolists say this is because it represents both comfort and strength. Husband and wife should think of themselves as threads of cotton that have been woven together, and over time, the bonds between them become even sturdier.
Some modern cotton gift lists, however, might suggest you give china or porcelain instead. China is delicate and can be cracked or even broken if you use it carelessly. As such, presents made out of china or porcelain are intended to remind the happy couple to look after, and cherish their relationship, and to work hard to fix it, should they hit a little bump in the road.
In addition to materials, wedding anniversaries also have flowers and gemstones associated with them. And for two years of marriage, these are cosmos, lily of the valley, and garnet.
So, if your second anniversary is coming up, and you’re stuck for what to get your wife, or you’ve got no idea what to buy your husband, you’ve come to the right place, as we will go over the best second anniversary gift ideas.
Giftingsherpa.com is all about finding the perfect cotton gift for special occasions (not to mention those hard-to-buy-for relatives… we’ve all got them). So, we’ve put together a one-stop shopping list for 2nd anniversary gift giving comprising a vast range of unusual items that we’re sure will delight even the most discernible of spouses.
So, what are you still waiting for? Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of this buyer’s gift guide!
High Thread-Count Cotton Sheets
There are plenty of 400tc combed cotton sheets weaved with sateen for a soft and luxurious feel. These last for years—just like the promises you made to each other. A high-quality linen set is excellent for when you want to fall into bed together at the end of a long, hard day, though maybe not so handy when you need to get up the next morning…
Kickstart your search with The White Company, currently available with 30% off, with prices starting from $118.30.
Fun, Custom Pillowcases
Both Not On The High Street and Etsy have a fantastic range of personalized pillows to choose from. Check out these cute, “My Side,” “Your Side,” cushion covers, printed in the UK on 100% cotton, but available for international delivery.
You can choose from a range of text options, such as “His Side,” “Her Side,” and “Reserved”; and 17 different colors, including Charcoal Gray, Midnight Blue, and Radiant Orchid.
Before making your final choice, though, why not also check out these gorgeous, floral “Mr. & Mrs.” cushion cases; and this personalized infinity pillow from Etsy?
Printed pair of white cotton pillowcases that make a perfect gift for any couple, no matter what the sleeping arrangements are!
The pretty design features a watercolour floral wreath in soft colours and each pillowcase features the couples name.
Love is in the air with this delightful pillow featuring two names interwoven with an infinity symbol and two hearts. This pillow makes a great gift for valentines day or as a sweet wedding/anniversary gift.
Mr. & Mrs. Towels
These cute “Mr. & Mrs.” Towels from Not On The High Street are made from 100% Egyptian Cotton and make an excellent addition to any couple’s bathroom.
Plus, you’ll be treating yourself as well as your partner, because they come in pairs, each personalized with the name you share with your spouse. Choose from three sizes (or buy the full set if you’re feeling flush!), and a range of colors for a wonderfully warm, soft reminder of your special day every time you step out the shower.
This pair of luxury personalised wedding towels would make the perfect gift for the couple who have everything. A gift that can be used every day and will remind the happy couple of their special day every time they wash their faces!
(Monogrammed) Bath Robe
An ideal gift if you like snuggling up with your spouse in your pajamas and fuzzy socks! We know there’s loads of choice out there when it comes to dressing gowns—all good fashion retailers stock them, and they’re available in everything from silk and linen to wool and fleece and flannel.
But, in keeping with the cotton anniversary theme of this special anniversary, we’ve found one bathrobe we think is extra special. It’s eco-friendly, unisex, and made from a white cotton waffle by The Fine Cotton Company. You can even have it monogrammed!
Prices start from $125.83 + the international delivery fee—ships from the UK.
The embroidered light waffle bath robe is part of the dressing gown collection and makes the perfect gift for any occasion.
Cotton-Scented Candles
Yankee Candle’s Clean Cotton® fragrance comes in a variety of different sizes and mediums. To enjoy the very best of them all, choose the Clean Cotton® Fragrance Set (only available in the UK), which includes 17 candles to keep your home smelling laundry fresh (even on your anniversary, when, let’s face it, nobody wants to be doing the washing!).
Alternatively, if you already know you both love the elegant and stunning scent of sun-dried cotton, combined with white flowers, a note of something green, and just a hint of lemon, go straight in for the Large Jar Candle, which promises 110-150 hours of burn time.
- Clean Cotton® Fragrance Set: £24.99.
- Clean Cotton® Large Jar Candle: £23.99 / $29.50
For those who prefer a softer fragrance, this combines sun-dried cotton with green notes, white flowers, and a hint of lemon. Paraffin-grade wax delivers a clear, consistent burn.
A Spa Day
Indulge yourself and your better half with a relaxing day (or even weekend away!) at the spa. This luxurious experience could include time in the pool and sauna, a yoga class, massage, or beauty treatment, and maybe even a cheeky glass of fizz to top of your time there off!
For a more intimate experience, you could create your own spa at home with bath and body gift baskets like this gorgeous coconut and vanilla one from Amazon.
It contains a shower gel, bubble bath, body scrub, body oil, two bath bombs, and a super soft bath towel—but why not combine with some of our other ideas (like the bathrobes and candles) for that full spa experience?
This spa gift basket has everything a woman needs! It includes Shower Gel, Bubble Bath, Body Scrub, Body Oil, 2 Large Bath Bombs, Bath Salt and a luxurious Bath Towel. Packed in a stunningly wrapped in a handmade basket, it also has a gift note card for you to personalize it.
Quirky Cufflinks
Handmade in the UK, with real cotton threads, these cotton reel cufflinks are ideal gifts for him or to her (because, hello, women in suits) for your second year anniversary.
Choose from eight colors, and team with a personalized card from the same shop for a thoughtful anniversary present they’ll never forget.
Cufflinks from Jollygoodcreations on Etsy: Around $24.52. Shipping costs to the United States may vary according to region.
Card from Jollygoodcreations on Etsy: Around $11.58. Shipping costs to the United States may vary according to region.
A beautiful pair of cotton reel cufflinks to celebrate an 2nd wedding anniversary, birthdays, wedding gift or just because!
A beautiful handmade anniversary card based on the theme 'cotton' for 2 years! The cotton reel is personalised with your date. A real keepsake that would look fab in a frame!
Discover the unique items that Jollygoodcreations creates here at Etsy.
Couples’ Bracelets
Again, sites like Not On The High Street and Etsy are great for this kind of thing; they each have so many brilliant designs to choose from.
This hidden message bracelet (handmade to order from sterling silver on a waxed cotton cord) can be customized with the latitude and longitude coordinates of any place special to you both—Perhaps your wedding venue? Or the place where you first met?
And these cord knotted bracelets are perfect for couples who want to make a declaration of their ongoing commitment. The waxed cotton style comes in more than ten colors, so you can each choose your favorite. The infinity knot symbolizes the wedding vows you made to one another at your wedding: for as long as we both shall live.
A unique bracelet to treasure that special place. You can add a secret message on the back of the silver for your boyfriend, husband, dad or son. This bracelet makes a great birthday, anniversary, graduation Father's Day or Valentines Day gift and the perfect gift for that 'difficult to by for' teenager.
The bracelet will wrap once around your wrist and makes for a nice subtle accessory bringing out the outdoor and adventurous person in you.
A Charm Bracelet
As an alternative to the cotton 2nd anniversary gifts, consider gifting a garnet! As well as being July’s birthstone, this beautiful red rock is your go-to second wedding anniversary gift gem.
We usually think of garnets as being red, but they actually come in several colors, including yellow, green (called tsavorite), and pink. You’re bound to find any number of beautiful rings, earrings, necklaces with whichever of these you think she’ll like best.
What about this heart dangle charm from Pandora? It can be worn on a chain or, alternatively, added to one of their charm bracelets. Why not buy a bracelet and add to it each year until it’s full of charms and a million memories of your life together?
All that you are and all you love, captured in color. Inspired by the beaded designs of Purely Pandora, this heart-shaped dangle is hand-finished in sterling silver and features a claw-set buff top-cut dark red man-made crystal in the center.
Pandora charm bracelets come in many colors and styles to complement each and every one of your outfits. From silver to rose gold and bangles to mesh, our charm bracelets are special like your unique personality.
Porcelain Plates
Is the once pristine white dinner set you were gifted at your wedding now looking a bit worse for wear? Two years on, is it scratched, stained, cracked, and in need of an upgrade? Or have you been saving it for a special occasion? Has it ever been used at all?
Either way, it sounds like you need to invest in some new plates!
You may think this gift idea doesn’t sound very indulgent or exciting. But, did you know you can get some exquisite statement pieces from companies like Xavier China in England? They make everything from Classic White bone china tableware to bespoke pieces featuring monograms and even family crests!
But, if your budget doesn’t extend that far, there are tons of eye-catching designs on Amazon, like this set from Divitis Home. It comes as a set of 12 in a choice of two colors, and the unique technique used to manufacture the items creates a special marble effect. As such, each plate’s slightly unique!
This dinnerware made of high quality porcelain that is long lasting and will serve you for long time. Porcelain dinnerware has higher chip-resistance and durability than ceramic dinnerware.
Still not convinced? Let us put it another way: it’s what goes on the plate that really counts.
You could just run down to Target and pick up a couple of these, or something very similar, for only $3.00 each (just ensure they’re made of china, so the symbolism isn’t lost), and then use them to serve up a feast! Celebrating an anniversary with a homecooked meal always goes down a treat.
Check out Etsy's porcelain plates selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from their plates shops.
Personalized Mugs
There are so many fantastic options out there for this one too but, even after an hour’s searching: this set of two Romantic Silhouette Mr. & Mrs. Mugs from Not On The High Street is an absolute favorite! Maybe it’s the Austenite in me, but there’s no way every modern Mr. and Mrs. Darcy (be that Lizzie and Fitzwilliam, or Bridget and Mark!) shouldn’t have a pair of these sitting in their cupboard at home.
A beautifully romantic set of personalised mugs; a perfect gift for the happy couple on their wedding day or anniversary.
Made in Britain from high-quality ceramic, they can be personalized front and back, with both of your names and the date of your wedding or anniversary. They’re microwave and dishwasher safe and available for international shipping.
If your spouse is a big tea or coffee drinker, but your mug tree or cupboard is already crammed full to bursting, why not get a ceramic biscuit jar (hurry, there was only one left when I looked!) instead? That way, they’ll always have something sweet on hand to dunk?
Alternatively, this print (also from Not On The High Street) makes a gorgeous addition to any home. Again, you can personalize it with both your names and the date of your wedding/anniversary. We’re confident that the cozy design with its warm neutrals will go with any style of décor.
A beautiful personalized Mr and Mrs mugs print, the perfect gift for the newlyweds or as an anniversary piece for your home.
Porcelain Flowerpot
Buy a packet of seeds or a sprig from another plant and some soil to go in it too. Then as the year’s pass, you and your spouse can watch them grow while the relationship they commemorate continues to flourish.
Amazon has a fantastic range of intricate and exciting designs, like this Vintage Blue Planter —but, equally, your local homeware store or garden center is likely to stock something similar. Plant something that has special meaning for you both (a flower that was a part of the wedding bouquet, perhaps?) and tend to it together. Watch it grow and bloom along with your marriage.
ThIs planter offers a wonderful opportunity to create a homely atmosphere with plants, both for amateur gardeners and balcony owners.
Cotton Rose
If, like me, you lack the green thumb gene, but you still want to celebrate your anniversary with flowers, check out CottonBirdDesigns on Etsy! Angela, the owner, makes beautifully crafted flower sculptures for a variety of occasions but specializes in creating cotton rose as traditional second anniversary gift idea.
Beautiful collection of everlasting flowers and foliage. Each flower is handmade using natural fabrics, cotton, linen, leather or paper.
Prices for these gorgeous blooms start at £29.00 ($39.90 USD). But, for £50.00, you can get a cotton fabric rose with poetry printed on its petals and a personalized heart pendant – it’s the epitome of romantic!
Unfortunately, international delivery isn’t available at this time, but do hurry if you live in the UK as stock is limited and in very high demand!
Perfect 2yr anniversary gift for her, or wedding gift for a newly engaged or the new Mr. and Mrs! 2nd Anniversary traditional gift of cotton.
Ceramic Table Lamp
Show them they still light up your life by gifting them a beautiful and ornate lamp! These ones from nuLOOM on Amazon caught our eye with their awesome shapes and unique designs. This is the perfect gift idea for couples in the process of buying and furnishing their own property.
Illuminate your space with a touch of contemporary style. Warm and luminous, with a beautiful modern ceramic base, this lamp will make a refreshing and stylish addition to your space. A tall pillar shaped silhouette allows this lamp to fit easily on your table, desk, or nightstand.
Ceramic Door Numbers
Ceramic door numbers are, again, another perfect idea for new property owners, but work just as well for anyone who wants to make their house feel more like a home! Terrabagra is a shop based in Bulgaria, but its gorgeous tiles are available for free international delivery on Etsy! Check out their fantastic range of handcrafted, floral, and geometric designs.
Or, if you live in a house with its own name, consider commissioning Lisette at CeramicHouseSigns instead! The plaques she creates are entirely bespoke and made by hand from start to finish. So, each and every single one of them is a beautiful and unique work of art.
Capture the personality of your property by choosing everything from the color and picture yourself. The examples she lists include portraits of horses, houses, and plants. Prices start from £75.00 ($103 USD) and are available for international delivery.
Each sign is individually designed to your requirements, so no two will ever be alike. You can choose whatever you want on your sign - each one is painted to order, there are no transfers used.
FAQs About Cotton Anniversary Gifts
There are traditional names for every year of your marriage, for example, paper for the first year, silver for 25 years, and gold for 50 years. Cotton is the chosen name for a two-year-old marriage because it’s thought to symbolize durability, strength, and comfort (like cotton!).
A quick tour of Google tells us there are plenty of ideas out there whatever the number of years you’ve been married. However, if you’re super keen and traditional enough to want to embrace the cotton theme, you could set your dinner table with fine cotton linens, your wedding china and share a meal of all your favorite foods together.
You could also dress the table with cosmos, the traditional flower as the 2nd wedding anniversary gift, or buy some cosmos seeds and plant them in your garden ahead of the big day.
Hopefully, our article has outlined gifts to suit a range of budgets. If you go down the traditional route and plump for good quality china and cotton, you’ll need to shell out more, but ultimately, it depends on the size of your budget.
The most important part of any anniversary is to spend it with your beloved to show him or her that you’ve thought about them and the special day you shared two years ago.
If you’re a friend or family member who was involved in the wedding, you could buy them something personalized as a joint gift or ‘his’ and ‘hers’ versions of the same thing. If you know the couple in question are romantic, then, of course, a gift that appeals to that side of their nature would be ideal.
How Fab Are These!?
From big-name brands to small, independently owned, artisan businesses, we at Giftingsherpa.com will trawl through them all to bring you the best presents the internet has to offer for every occasion, including birthdays, anniversaries etc.
We hope somewhere on this list you found something your spouse/parents will love almost as much as they love you. What was it—the cotton sheets, the charm bracelet, something ceramic? Leave a comment or get in touch on our socials to let us know!
PS if there’s a big birthday coming up, or you have no idea what to buy your baby brother for Christmas (I know I never do!), why not have a click-through some of our other articles and see what you can find?
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