After the big blitz of the wedding and taking out that year-old cake and eating it on the first-year anniversary, other wedding anniversaries may dull in comparison. Instead of letting that happen, shine the light on the importance and milestone of a second anniversary with a year-appropriate gift. Show your spouse or the wedding couple just how much "two is better than one" with an anniversary present. Does this Spark an idea?
Choosing Cotton
The traditional gift for the second wedding anniversary, cotton, lends itself widely to many different gift options. Since the couple married not so long ago, review their wedding registry to see which cotton items were never purchased, such as sheets, towels and kitchen linens. Chances are, the registry wasn't maxed out, or even if it was, use it as a guide to learn the couple's preferred choices and purchase something similar. Although North Carolina State University reported that cotton prices soared in 2010, inexpensive options include making something by hand such as sewing matching T-shirts or scouring upscale used-clothing stores for fashionable new outfits.
Complete the China
Another way to both dust off a couple's wedding registry and stick to traditional gift giving suggestions is to go with china. China is considered the alternate gift for the second-year anniversary and provides an outlet that may be fun to hunt for. Review the couple's registry to purchase any left-off china items or research long-past-production pieces that may be out of print or rare to complete their collection. Auction sites, estate sales and specialty china collectors/vendors may have the ultimate china piece to express "Happy two years and going strong."
Flower Power
The official flower of the second anniversary, the cosmos, is a splashy, silky burst of color considered "showy" by Texas A&M University. While a couple of select flower shops may sell cosmos by the stem or in bunches, the best way to give cosmos is to plant them. Sneak over to fill the couple's garden with seedlings or purchase a couple of pre-planted pots. With varietals such as Crest Red, Day Dream, Candy Stripe, Gloria, Psycho White, Seashell, Lemon and Tetra Versailles, cosmos will bring flower power to any new marriage. If a couple lives in an apartment or just doesn't have a green thumb, twist the cosmos idea slightly and purchase two engraved cosmopolitan bar glasses and the mix to create the cocktail.
Three's Company
Whether the wedding couple has already started trying to add to their family or decided against it, rescuing a calico cat may be the ideal way to start off their third year together. Calico (along with cotton) is considered the modern gift for second-year anniversaries, and the paint-splattered looking cats make for a colorful new family member. Calico cats are born with black, orange, brown and varying color fur, and many sit in adoption centers (including calico-specific rescue organizations) waiting for new homes. While pets aren't ideal gifts for the unaware--springing a new pet on someone may guarantee that pet ends up homeless again--a couple who is actively searching for a new cat may find the calico an exceptional way to go from two to three.
Tags: gift second-year, second anniversary, traditional gift, wedding couple, wedding registry