An anniversary gift is the opportunity to show your loved one precisely how much they mean to you and how special you think they are.

The list at the bottom of this post shows the traditional anniversary gifts for each of the major wedding anniversaries. Even within this structure there is substantial scope for you to get your loved on the perfect anniversary gift.

A little thought into your loved one's personality will help you to understand what kind of gift they would really love.

What does your loved one like?

It sounds obvious to buy a anniversary gift that your loved one will like but many people buy gifts that they think that their loved one will like. This often translates into what you think they should like, which might be very different from what they actually want.

If you don't know then there are a number of things you can do to find clues.

• Listen to them for verbal clues as to gifts they may like
• Observe what they do, movies they watch, sports they play etc.
• Look at what they already have and think of complimentary gifts

What makes them so special to you?

Think of this anniversary gift as your way of showing your loved one how special they are to you and how much they mean to you. Thus your anniversary gift should represent your love for the special person in your life. Buy them a naff gift and you'll be in the dog house for a long time!

However if you spend the time to buy a really special anniversary gift that they will love, your relationship will truely benefit, both from the gift and your greater understanding of your other half.

Find a quality anniversary gift at a great value

There are numerous retailers selling traditional anniversary gifts such as jewellery and flowers.

Don't be afraid to think laterally however in your search for that perfect anniversary gift. For instance a paper gift could easily be a concert ticket, a romantic holiday or even a charity gift.

From here much of the work is down to you. You know your loved one better than anyone and you alone can choose the perfect anniversary gift for them. Nevertheless there are several online gift shops that offer a good range of anniversary gifts at good value.

Barbara Gordon is principal writer at The Good Gift Guide, a site that exists to to help you find that perfect gift for the person you care about on their special day.