Star map anniversary gift ideas

First, which night?

Most couples have more than one date worth marking, and the choice changes the feel of the gift.

• The night you met is the most personal, and often the one only the two of you know.
• The night you said yes works well for couples who still tell that story.
• The wedding date is the classic anniversary choice, and the easiest to check.
• A first date counts, even if one of you remembers it differently. Couples usually do.

It doesn’t need to be recent. A date from last spring and one from twenty years ago work the same way.

Then pick the style that matches

On our couple star map, each style has a fixed top line, so the date and the style should agree.

Black with moon phase also shows the moon below the sky in its real phase for your date. If that night had a big moon, this is the style to pick.

Finding the details without giving it away

You only need three things, and you can usually find all of them without asking.

• The date: try your marriage certificate, the wedding invitation, or the date stamp on your oldest photo together. Old texts and emails can help with a first date.
• The place: city and state are enough. You don’t need the restaurant. It takes up to 28 characters, and a long city can use the state code.
• The time: this sets the sky and doesn’t print. If you don’t know it, leave it blank. We use 9:00 PM and send you a free preview before printing.

One note about a daytime wedding: the print shows the stars above that place at that moment, even if it was daytime or cloudy. You can use the ceremony time, or the time of the evening you remember best. Both are honest, and it is your print.

Which print for which anniversary

The traditional list gives a theme to each year, and two of the early ones line up nicely with what we make.

• First anniversary, paper: the 12x16 or 18x24 in paper poster. It is archival matte paper, so it fits the tradition. It ships rolled in a tube and fits a standard frame you choose.
• Second anniversary, cotton: a star map can’t claim this one, but our family name woven throw is woven from 100% cotton yarn, with your name and your year.
• A big year, such as the tenth or fiftieth: go larger. The 24x32 in canvas is our biggest size, for the main wall of a living room or bedroom, and it arrives ready to hang.

Poster or canvas?

A paper poster needs a frame, which gives you a choice of look and a second thing to buy. A canvas is 1.25 in deep with no outer frame, and it is ready to hang as soon as it arrives. For someone who will never get around to framing it, choose the canvas.

The print

Star Map, The Night We Met

The real sky over your city on your date, with both names, in 5 styles.

from $45See it on Etsy

Or map the place

Where We Met or First Home Street Map

The real streets around where you met or your first front door, with your names or family name, in 4 styles.

from $45See it on Etsy

Make it more than a print

Write what you remember about that night on a card and tuck it behind the frame or into the box. Mention the part your partner always tells differently. It will likely get a laugh, and the card may end up kept as long as the print.

Questions people ask

Orders go through Etsy. Each See it on Etsy button opens our shop, The Kind Porch, where you personalize, pay and message us.