Preface Preface

• While each anniversary has a traditional gift category, the designations have evolved over time to serve modern couples. That means you can take your pick from a range of categories and still uphold classic anniversary gift-giving guidelines like a true romantic! Here are some ways to find the 4th anniversary gifts that mean the most:

Stay tried and true Stay tried and true

• Fruit and flowers symbolize creativity, fertility, hope, and renewal, and they're the traditional categories for 4th anniversary gifts. Play with the materials by selecting a work of art that incorporates fruits and florals, or a piece of jewelry or a tie that shows these symbols. And if you're the literal type, you can never go wrong with an armful of blooms and a box of chocolate-covered strawberries.

Stick with the classics Stick with the classics

• Linen and silk are also 4th anniversary gift materials. A summery tablecloth for your home, perhaps? Or maybe lingerie or silk sheets. Either way, it's a gift for both of you.

Reinterpret the rules Reinterpret the rules

• The modern 4th anniversary gift designation is appliances. It may not sound hugely romantic, but consider your partner's likes and hobbies. Does he bake? A shiny new mixer fits the bill. Coffee lover? Consider a fancy espresso machine. 

Get personal Get personal

• Enlarge your favorite wedding photo and frame it to put up in your home as a reminder to celebrate your relationship daily. Or create a photo book of memories from the last four years - the first page can be a wedding photo, because that's when it all began.

Plan an event Plan an event

• Whether it's an evening out at the restaurant your spouse has longed to try or the fulfillment of her dream of flying in a hot air balloon, anniversaries are the perfect time to create memorable moments with an experience gift. 

Go blue Go blue

• Blue topaz is the stone of the 4th anniversary year, so jewelry or cufflinks with this stone carry extra meaning (plus, the color is gorgeous).

Make a memory Make a memory

• Plant a flowering tree in the yard so that you can watch your gift grow. It's a lovely reminder of how a marriage, when tended to, can flourish and bloom year after year.