Bronze is one of two traditional 8th anniversary gifts. It’s an alloy, which is the result of mixing various elements to form a stronger and more cohesive bond. And guess which metals make bronze? Copper and Tin, the 7th and 10th anniversary presents! This alloy represents the continued blending of our two lives into one that is stronger together than when we were separate.
POTTERY
The other traditional 8th anniversary gift is Pottery. Like other presents before this, pottery represents what can happen when you take unfinished balls of clay (or people) and apply patience and care (and heat!) to mold it into something beautiful. Just like a relationship after eight incredible years together!
Gifts We Love!
Photo: Pottery Barn
Bronze Wind Chime
Fill the air with love and gentle tones with this 8th anniversary bronze gift. Looks beautiful swaying in the wind on any porch and tree branch.
A beautiful wooden vase with a natural unfinished look for a unique and rustic appearance. Bonus points that this piece of pottery can also be used for a wood anniversary gift!
These handcrafted ceramic collection comes in three sizes and two finishes to mix and match and make your next decorating day as easy as ordering these vases! They will add instant class and style to any room either empty or filled with beautiful faux flowers from Afloral.
This handmade platter brings the beauty of Afghan saffron right to your kitchen table. The versatile platter can be used for serving or enjoying your favorite dishes on your 8th anniversary.
How does a crockpot fit here you might ask? Well, ceramics play an important role in slow cookers and that’s how we’ve determined that it’s close enough to pottery! The ultimate set-it-and-forget-it method of cooking, crockpots are a lifesaver in our house on those busy weeknights when we just don’t have time to cook a full dinner from scratch. An even bigger lifesaver? Ordering premade meals from What a Crock with no prep and mess. Take all the stress out of planning dinner with a diverse rotating menu or sign up for a subscription so you’re always stocked and ready to cook!
An “Etsy Pick,” this beautifully crafted vase resembles a paper bag, making it an extremely unique and interesting piece. Offered in five sizes ranging from 7” to 13”, find the perfect vase for your 8th anniversary gift and fill it with flowers, kitchen utensils, or anything else you can dream up!
From hanging planters to garden pots and tools, Amazon has everything you need to please your favorite green thumb. Take this opportunity to get outside and try your hand at a new hobby, or improve your existing garden with all new planters!
We always wanted an artistic way to display wine corks, but could never find exactly what we were looking for. On a tour of the Williamsburg Winery during a vacation earlier that summer, I noticed they were selling this pretty bronze wine bottle shaped container for displaying corks. I secretly bought it while Annie was distracted elsewhere on the tour and stored it away until our anniversary. We’ve been filling it ever since with anniversary and birthday wine bottle corks!
Every mantle needs a massive oversized urn, right? Well, I bought this beautiful piece from Pottery Barn (because, pottery) a couple years before we even owned a house with a mantle. I guess I planned ahead well, because now it looks great in our dining room fireplace! Annie loves to put various faux flowers in it throughout the year to match the season. And it looks great next to all the other decorations she’s collected over the years.
Annie to Jay
We’ve talked a little about the meaning behind Our Present Journey before, and this gift is part of it! You also may have caught a glimpse of this if you saw our mantle reel a few weeks ago. I couldn’t find too many bronze options at the time seven years ago. Of course, now we’ve found SO many amazing choices while building this site. Back in 2016, I came across an Etsy shop that printed music lyrics on beautiful personalized parchment paper that I could place in a bronze frame. So I had our first dance – Open Arms by Journey – printed alongside our names and wedding date. Unfortunately, the frame broke during our move so we ended up replacing it with a black one. But Jay loved the design and how it looks on our mantle!
Jay has fond childhood memories of putting together a Christmas Village with his mom. When we moved in together, the pieces stayed at his parents house and we never got around to building our own. He would always talk about it though, and so I figured porcelain houses and figurines were basically pottery. I found one designed like the Griswold house in Christmas Vacation – his favorite Christmas movie – and he loved it! We’ve only bought a few more pieces since then, but now he is excited to restart this project and build a whole village for our kids.
To share gifts you loved with us, please email admin@ourpresentjourney.com
