Have you ever given your husband a gift you thought was perfect only to have him rip open the paper and look less than impressed? It feels like a punch to the gut, you feel embarrassed, and the recipient may be disappointed. No one wants to be in this tight spot, especially for anniversary gifts.
Anniversaries are a time to express our love and devotion to our spouse. But too often, we end up showing our love with the wrong gift, in the wrong way. That’s where using your partner’s love language to gift shop comes in.
What’s a love language, you ask? Great question!
The Five Languages Are How We Share Our Love!
The five love languages describe how people give and receive love. They include acts of service, words of affirmation, gift-giving, quality time, and physical touch. Everyone has at least one love language; most people have two or three.
Love languages are ultimately a form of communication…but sometimes they can feel more like a foreign language. Understanding how to speak your partner’s love language can help you express your love in a way that makes them feel appreciated and deepen the love between you.
Knowing your partner’s love language allows you to get a feel for the kind of gifts they would appreciate for your anniversary! Not sure what your partner’s love language is? Don’t worry; we’ll chat about figuring that out, too. But first, let’s get shopping!
Gift Ideas For Every Love Language
Physical Touch
Physical touch love language users express their love with everything from an arm around the shoulder to bedroom time. So you’ll want to consider factoring in physical touch for their gifts. Here are some ideas:
Book A Couple’s “Learn To Massage” Package
During your couple’s class, you’ll learn how to treat your partner to a lovely massage (and get to receive one for yourself.)
Give Them A Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets (like this cozy one) simulate the comforting sensation of being embraced. You can find them in all sorts of patterns and colors to suit your husband’s taste!
Take Dance Classes
What better way to get up close and personal with your husband than taking a spin on the dance floor? Take a couple’s dance class and learn some new moves while getting cozy!
Give Him Long Distance Touch Bracelets
Touch bracelets are popular for long-distance couples, but they work great for physical touch speakers too. These clever inventions pair up through Bluetooth. When you touch your bracelet, your husband’s bracelet will mimic the vibration of natural touch from miles away!
Take A Cooking Class
Taking a cooking class is great for couples who want to spend time together while learning a new skill. While you stand side by side chopping veggies, you’ll get plenty of gentle touches in.
Gift Giving
Okay, how do you find the perfect gift for someone that loves giving them? Gift givers have a tendency to shower their loved ones with gifts, small and large. It can be a tough act to follow. But, you don’t have to buy a diamond ring or a Ferrari to show a gift giver love, you just have to give them something that matters. You give them something thoughtful that speaks to how much you value them.
Give Him An Engraved Wallet Card
Give your husband the gift of love on the road. Order an engraved wallet card that he can slide into his wallet and pull out whenever he needs a reminder of how much you love him!
Buy Matching Couple’s Mugs
Every couple deserves matching mugs! Sure, it might be cheesy, but there are so many fun options to choose from! They’ll think of you every time they take a sip of coffee in the morning.
Gift Him A Pre-Loaded Digital Photo Frame
One of the first gifts I gave to my husband was a pre-loaded digital photo frame. Fill it with photos of your favorite couple’s memories before giving them to your husband.
Build A DIY Gift Basket
Make a gift basket for your loved one! Show them how well you know them by including their favorite candy, a movie, or tickets to a show they’ve been dying to see!
Buy Him A Monthly Subscription Box
Surprise your gift-giving spouse with a monthly gift of their own! Subscription boxes come in a wide variety of themes, from international snacks to book clubs. Check out MunchPak, Sips by, or Coffee & A Classic for ideas.
Acts of Service
Acts of service speakers are all about showing they care by making your life easier. They do things like fill up your gas tank, bring you coffee at work, and take on extra chores to show their love. Here are some ideas to speak their language:
Make A DIY Coupon Book
Make them a book full of coupons for chores and activities. Not a crafty person? You can buy cute coupon books online, too!
Hire A Cleaning Service
Does your husband handle a lot of the chores? Surprise them with a squeaky clean home or a certificate for a cleaning service on your anniversary to make their life a little easier!
Schedule A Staycation
Give your husband the break he needs by planning a staycation! Plan a movie night, order take-out, and let the cuddling commence!
Make Him Breakfast In Bed
Nothing is a more classic anniversary gift than breakfast in bed! So make your husband his favorite pancakes and celebrate the start of your anniversary in delicious style!
Surprise Him With Snacks and Lunch
When your husband heads out to work, surprise him with a package of delicious snacks. Then, have lunch delivered (or bring it yourself) from his favorite restaurant!
Quality Time
People who speak the language of Quality Time want to spend personal time with you. They love chatting over dinner, spending an hour at the park, or walking on the beach, as long as it’s with you!
Schedule A Surprise Date Night
Sure, your husband might expect a date night for your anniversary. So, think outside the box! Schedule dinner a few days early and surprise him with a fun night out!
Take A Couple’s Painting Class
Get close and make a lasting memory by taking a couple’s painting class. You’ll get to bring home a pair of gorgeous paintings to remember the night, too!
Make A Date Jar
Give your husband the gift of quality time by making him a jar full of date night ideas. All you need is a jar, a pack of sticky notes, a pen, and date night ideas!
Buy A Couple’s Card Game
An essential part of quality time is learning about each other. So facilitate healthy relationship growth with a couple’s card game full of questions that will help you learn more about each other!
Try A Date Night Subscription Box
Try a date night subscription box if you want to create unique experiences! Every month, you’ll get to do a fun date night activity, try new recipes, and get to spend more personal time with your husband.
Words of Affirmation
If your husband shows love with compliments, sweet notes, and verbal expressions of love, he’s a words of affirmation guy. Here are some great ideas to show him love in his language:
Buy Matching I Love You Bracelets
Let your husband know you love him every moment of every day with matching inscribed bracelets. For a more discrete look, you can find bracelets engraved on the inside of the bracelet.
Write Them 365 Letters of Love
You can share with your husband how much you love him every day of the year with a simple “I love you because…” message. Write one for him to open every morning and watch his smile grow every day.
Give Them Lunchbox Notes
On the day of your anniversary, slip an extra special note in your husband’s lunch box. It’ll make his day, for sure.
Write Them A “Why I Love You Book”
A “Why I Love You” book is the perfect place for you to put the tiny things you love about him, from his smile to the way he folds his socks! Your sweet words can make your husband a keepsake that will remind him why you love him on even the toughest days!
Make Them A Personalized “Love You” Playlist
Do you have special love songs that make you think of your husband? Put them together into a playlist or CD your husband can listen to. He’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of just how much you love him!
The 60 Second Method For Identifying Love Languages
If you’re running behind on picking an anniversary gift, you don’t have time to sneakily get your partner to take a love language quiz. Instead, you’ll want a quick way to read your partner’s love languages. Answer these questions, and you’ll have a great guess in sixty seconds or less:
- Think about how your partner shows you love. Do they like to hug you? Are they always bringing you gifts for no apparent reason? Do they do the dishes for you after work? Write a list of their recent sweet actions towards you, then continue to the next step.
- Divide their actions into the five love language categories (Physical Touch, Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gift Giving).
- Tally up each category. The one with the post is probably your husband’s primary love language!
Remember, your anniversary gift should show your spouse how you love them in a language they understand. By finding a gift in your husband’s love language, you’ll do just that!
Learn how you can rekindle your romance with the five love languages, too!
