Christmas gifts for couples are a puzzle. You are shopping for two people at once, and the gift has to land with both of them. Your sister and her husband. Your son and the girlfriend you secretly hope he keeps. The neighbors who fed your cat all summer. One gift, two sets of tastes, and a good chance they already own a nice candle.
The fix is to give them something they do together. Below are seven ideas built on that, each with who it suits and an honest catch. We make one of them, a memory game made from photos, and we put it in the middle of the list where it belongs.
How to pick Christmas gifts for couples
Start with one quick question. Is this gift for the pair, or for each of them? Two separate small gifts are kind. One shared gift says something warmer. It says you see them as a team.
Then think about how they spend an evening.
- The homebodies. They cook, they watch shows, they own a good blanket. Give them something for the couch or the kitchen.
- The planners. They keep a shared calendar and they love it. Give them a thing to put on it.
- The new couple. Keep it light and fun. A gift with both their names engraved on it can wait a year or two.
- The long haul couple. Decades in, they own every gadget. Give them a reason to look back together.
Last, skip anything that asks one of them to change. A gym membership for two is a hint, and hints make for quiet car rides home.
7 Christmas gifts for couples to share
1. A cooking class for two
A night out where they make dinner together, then eat it. Plenty of local kitchens run these.
Good for: couples who already cook, or who want an excuse to start.
The catch: you are guessing at their schedule, so pick a class with flexible booking.
2. A board game they have never played
A two player strategy game or a cooperative puzzle game gives them a reason to sit across from each other on a cold night.
Good for: the competitive pair who still argue about who won last time.
The catch: some games come with long rulebooks, and one of them will end up reading it aloud.
3. A memory game made from their own photos
Gather a dozen photos of the two of them. The first trip. The terrible first apartment. The wedding, the dog, the haircut. Matchy Matchy Memory turns them into a matching card game, from $19.99. Lay the cards face down and they get to find each other, one pair at a time.
Good for: couples with a few years of photos and a sense of humor about them.
The catch: it's a game, so it shines when they actually sit down and play. A couple who never plays anything might leave it on the shelf.
4. A framed print of a place that matters
The town where they met. The beach where one of them proposed. A clean map print or a photo of the spot, framed and ready to hang.
Good for: couples who just moved in somewhere with bare walls.
The catch: wall space is personal, so choose a simple frame that suits most rooms.
5. A shared journal for the year
A guided journal with one prompt a day, filled in by both of them. One line each, every night before bed.
Good for: the sentimental couple who keep ticket stubs in a drawer.
The catch: a journal only works if someone remembers to open it. Tuck a pen inside the cover.
6. A night out they would never book themselves
Tickets to a comedy show, a concert or a play, plus a note offering to babysit or walk the dog.
Good for: parents of small kids who have forgotten what a late dinner feels like.
The catch: you are choosing their taste in entertainment. When in doubt, comedy is the safe bet.
7. A breakfast in bed kit
A tray, good coffee, a jar of jam and a waffle mix. Simple, cozy and made for a slow morning after Christmas.
Good for: the couple who sleep in whenever life allows.
The catch: crumbs in the sheets. They will forgive you.
Why a game of their photos works for two
Most couple gifts get used once. A photo game has a funny habit of coming back out. It turns up on the coffee table when friends visit. It comes out on Christmas Eve after the dishes are done.
The game itself is simple. Flip two cards, look for a match, try to remember where everything was. The real fun happens between turns. A card of the two of them at a friend's wedding starts a story. Then a second story. Then someone admits they lost a shoe at that wedding.
If the couple loves a playful twist, Matchy Matchy Magic re-draws their photos in 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime, from $29.99. Seeing your own face turn up as a movie character gets a laugh every single time.
Getting the photos without spoiling the surprise
This is the sneaky part, and also the fun part. You need a stack of good photos of two people who have no idea you are looking.
- Scroll their shared posts. Couples tend to post the big moments. Save the clear ones.
- Ask a friend or a parent. Someone always has the old photos. Swear them to secrecy.
- Check the family group chat. Holiday photos from past years are often sitting right there.
- Mix the years. An early photo next to a recent one gets the best reactions.
You upload from your phone, and you see your first card before you pay. So the blurry one gets swapped out long before anything ships.
Giving it on Christmas
A shared gift deserves a shared moment. Hand it over when both of them are in the room. Better still, play the first round with them.
Some couples turn it into a ritual. The game comes out every Christmas Eve, and they add a few new photos each year. Others keep it on the coffee table and play a quick round while the coffee brews.
Make one for the two of them
Pick a handful of photos of the couple. Choose their real photos or have them re-drawn. Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. Check your first card before you pay. Shipping is $5, and free when you order 2 or more decks. US only, ships in 3 to 5 business days. Order early for Christmas.
Start with Matchy Matchy Memory for their real photos, or Matchy Matchy Magic to see them re-drawn. Questions? Write to us at hello@matchygame.com.