The one year anniversary of when you first started a serious relationship with your girlfriend is coming up, and you’re trying to figure out what to get her. First of all, make sure you know the actual date. Sometimes, men and women have different versions of what a first year anniversary is. To you, it might be the first time you shagged. To her, it might be a first kiss. Once that’s established, she’s probably going to be expecting something. Depending on the type of woman you’re dating, you’ll have to make a judgment call on what she’ll like. But trust us: she’s expecting something.

Flowers

This gift is to be given with caution in established relationships. A lot of girls find flowers to be impersonal and a blanket approach to a lad trying to get in good with her. Here’s how to do this gift right for a one year anniversary: make it personal by either using symbolism or her favorite flowers. For example, if she really likes daisies – as in it’s her “thing” and she owns lots of daisy-patterned clothing – then getting her a bouquet of posh daises trimmed with proper foliage is ideal. On the other hand, if she doesn’t have any particular flower she loves, go with symbolism. Any girl that thinks flowers are a crap gift will be blown away by this. Google “hanakotoba,” which means the “language of flowers” in Japanese, and take a note from our cultured Victorian ancestors.

Something Sentimental

If your bird isn’t into sentimental things, avoid this gift. But if she appreciates a good, nostalgic memory, this gift is usually a crowd pleaser. Take a relic from something you did together on an early date (though preferably your first), like a ticket stub or photograph, and make something out of it. Ticket stubs look great in shadow boxes. Collaged photographs are creative. A dried leaf from a park you went to on your second date (you can even retrieve it well after the fact) pressed between paper is extremely effective. The point here is that, not only do you win points for being personal, but the sheer amount of effort it takes to create mementos will blow her away.

A Love Letter

This can’t just be any love letter. It has to be epic – a letter to end all love letters. You can’t just sit down and write a bunch of syrupy sweet, nonsense words on a page – she’ll know you’re insincere. Even if it’s not well-worded, if it’s honest, she’ll be so moved she probably won’t even know what to say. A good tactic to create your opus is starting out with something about her that first struck you (obviously, something flattering). Details are good. An extra added touch that will really get her is if you write it in some sort of old-fashioned style, like using a fountain pen on unlined linen paper. It gives the entire gesture a very romantic feel, and she’ll be chuffed at the effort and thought you’ve put into it.