Personalised date cufflinks are a small, quiet way of saying "I remember". A date means nothing to anyone else in the room, which is exactly the point. Only he knows why 14.06.2019 matters, and every time he fastens his cuffs he's reminded.
Which date, and whose?
Most date cufflinks mark one of a handful of moments:
- The wedding date – for the groom on the morning itself, or for a first, tenth or twenty-fifth anniversary.
- A child's birth date – a first Father's Day gift, or a set with every child's birthday for a dad of several.
- The day you met – for the couple who remember the pub, the party and the exact night.
- A career milestone – the date he started the firm, qualified, was called to the Bar or retired after decades of service.
- A family date – a grandparent's birth year, a house move, or the day a family arrived in the UK.
- A sporting date – the day his team won the cup, the day he ran his first marathon, or the afternoon he finally beat his dad at golf.
Some dates are bittersweet. A son who has lost his father might choose the date of his dad's birth, so there's a piece of him at his own wedding. If that's your reason, a simple, unadorned design often says the most.
Numerals, Roman numerals or written in full
The same date can look completely different depending on how you write it.
Numerals such as 14.06.19 or 14 · 06 · 2019 are clean and modern. Full stops, slashes and centre dots all change the feel slightly.
Roman numerals have become a favourite for wedding dates: XIV · VI · MMXIX looks elegant and a little mysterious. They can run long, though, so the year might sit on a second line.
Written out, "Fourteenth of June", is formal and romantic, and pairs well with a script typeface. It takes up more room, so it usually needs two or three short lines.
Remember that UK and US formats differ. If he'll ever explain the cufflinks to an American colleague, 14 June is unambiguous; 06/14 would be read the other way round here.
Adding context around the date
A date can stand alone, or you can frame it. A few ideas:
- Initials above the date: "J & E" over "14.06.19".
- A simple circle or square border, like a postmark.
- A tiny heart or star between day, month and year.
- A place name beneath, such as "Fowey" or "St Ives".
- A heartbeat line leading into a baby's birth date.
Keep it restrained. The date should remain the thing he reads first.
Getting the date right before you order
It sounds obvious, but check it twice and ask someone else to check it too. Converting to Roman numerals is where mistakes creep in: 2019 is MMXIX, and 14 is XIV, not IVX. Use a reliable converter and compare the result against a second one. For wedding dates, confirm with the couple rather than relying on the invitation you think you remember.
For readability, choose a bold or medium weight of typeface and give the numbers some space. Tightly packed digits can blur together at cufflink size. Save your design as a large image file, because we print from your full-resolution original.
Ordering for a wedding party or a family
Date cufflinks work well as matching gifts. Every usher at a wedding can wear the same date, or each child in a family can give Dad a pair with their own birthday. Several different designs can go in one basket, at £15 a pair when you order 5 or more, plus £5 shipping per order. If you need just one pair, it's £40 including shipping.
Three steps to order
Upload your date design as an image. The live preview shows it on both cufflinks, and you can drag and zoom until the numbers sit centrally. Then add the pair to your basket and pay through our secure checkout. We print it in our Cornwall workshop, where we've made personalised gifts for 17 years, and send it out in a gift box.