For a couple's first Christmas together, choose something with both names and the year, so it records this Christmas and comes out again next December. An Our First Christmas Together ornament is the classic choice, and a mug or a photo ornament suits a couple who would rather use it than hang it. Everything below is printed to order in the UK.
In short:
- For the tree: the Our First Christmas Together Ornament, in ceramic, or the aluminium version.
- For the hot chocolate: the Our First Christmas Mug, with Together, Engaged or Married.
- With a photo of the two of you: the Couple Photo Christmas Ornament.
Who is the gift from?
The first Christmas as a couple gets marked from two directions, and the right gift depends on which one you are.
- From one partner to the other. Something small and personal for the stocking, and something you will both see every year. An ornament does both.
- From family or friends. A gift for the pair, from parents welcoming someone new or from a friend who introduced them. A decoration for their first shared tree, or a mug each, works well.
Either way, you will need both first names spelt the way they spell them, and the year. Nothing else.
The Our First Christmas Together ornament, in ceramic
The Personalised Our First Christmas Together Ornament with Names is a round ceramic ornament 7.5 cm across. Our First Christmas Together is printed in small capitals across the top in two lines, above two overlapping terracotta hearts, with both names in forest green serif beneath and the year in small capitals at the base. The same design is printed on both sides, so it looks right however it turns on the branch, and it comes with a red ribbon for hanging.
The names box takes up to 20 characters, so first names and an ampersand fit best: Sam & Priya, rather than both full names. It is a decoration, not a toy.
The same design on aluminium
The Personalised Our First Christmas Together Aluminium Ornament carries the same words, hearts, names and year, on a cream ground printed on the front of a shaped aluminium ornament, 1 mm thick, with a brushed aluminium back. It also comes with a red ribbon.
The difference is in how it hangs. The ceramic one is printed on both sides; the aluminium one is printed on the front only, so it is best hung facing into the room. If the tree stands in a corner, either works. If it stands in the middle of the room, ceramic shows from every side. Our guide to ceramic or aluminium ornaments goes into the differences in more detail.
A mug for the first Christmas: Together, Engaged or Married
Not every couple wants another decoration. The Personalised Our First Christmas Mug with Names and Year is one they will use all of December. Our First Christmas is printed in terracotta small capitals across the top, then the word you choose, set in bold forest green serif above a sprig of holly, with both names in italic beneath and the year at the base.
That middle word is the useful part:
- Together for a couple who have just moved in, or simply just got together.
- Engaged for a couple who got engaged this year, or who might by Boxing Day.
- Married for the first Christmas after the wedding.
The names box takes up to 25 characters, and the year is optional. The design is printed on both sides of an 11oz white ceramic mug, dishwasher and microwave safe. Order two, one each, and they match on the draining board.
With a photo of the two of you
If there is a photo they both like, the Personalised Couple Photo Christmas Ornament with Names puts it on the tree. The photo is printed inside a cream ring on a round ceramic ornament 7.5 cm across, with the names curving along the base and the year just above them. The same design is printed on both sides, and it comes with a red ribbon. The names box takes up to 30 characters and the year is optional.
Choose a picture with both faces near the centre; a square crop from a phone is ideal. The photo needs to be at least 600 pixels on its shorter side, and the product page checks it as you upload. A photo from the first holiday, the first walk or the day they got the keys all work. Buy one a year with a new photo, and the tree slowly fills with a record of them.
If they are engaged or newly married
For a couple whose first Christmas follows a proposal or a wedding, the Our First Christmas Ornament, Mr & Mrs, Mr & Mr, Mrs & Mrs or Engaged has the title you choose above a small pair of rings, with their names (up to 30 characters) and the year. It is a round ceramic ornament 7.5 cm across, printed on both sides, with a red ribbon. Our Gifts for Couples collection has the rest of our couple's keepsakes, for this Christmas and the ones after it.
Getting it right
- Check both spellings. A new partner's name is easy to get wrong. Look at how they write it in a message, not how it sounds.
- Decide on the order. Alphabetical, or the order they say it, or whoever is giving it goes second. Agree before you type.
- Use the year this Christmas falls in. For this year, that is 2026, even if they got together in 2025.
- Check, then pay. We print your wording as you type it, some designs set a line in capital letters, and we do not send proofs. Our FAQ explains how personalisation works.
When to order for Christmas
Every piece is printed to order in 2 to 5 working days and then sent by a tracked service, which typically takes 2 to 3 working days. Our Christmas order deadlines page gives the last order date for UK delivery before Christmas. Check it before you order, as the date can move earlier if the print partners get busy. Delivery charges are on our Delivery page.
First Christmas together questions
What is a good gift for a couple's first Christmas together?
An Our First Christmas Together ornament with both names and the year is the classic choice. For a couple who would rather use it than hang it, the Our First Christmas mug with Together, Engaged or Married does the same job.
Should I choose the ceramic or the aluminium ornament?
The ceramic ornament is printed on both sides, so it looks right from every angle. The aluminium one is printed on the front only, with a brushed aluminium back, so hang it facing into the room.
What is the character limit for the names?
Up to 20 characters on both Our First Christmas Together ornaments, 25 on the Our First Christmas mug and 30 on the couple photo ornament. First names and an ampersand fit best.
Can I send it straight to the couple?
Yes. Enter their address as the delivery address and your own as the billing address. We cannot include a gift message, and the parcel does not say who it is from, so send a card separately.
More gift guides
- The first-Christmas ornament, every year after has ideas for the small tradition that follows, for new homes, new parents and newly-weds.
- Personalised anniversary gifts by year picks up where this leaves off, from the paper anniversary onwards.