Wedding Anniversary Gifts & Milestones By Year

If you’ve come to this article, firstly, happy anniversary! Finding a gift to celebrate your marriage is no easy task. But, wedding anniversaries are a bit more helpful in that respect as they come with a handy gift guide. If you didn’t know, there are already set traditional wedding anniversary gifts for every year of marriage. They say that with every year that passes, your marriage gets stronger and stronger, and that’s true for traditional gifts. You start your 1-year anniversary with paper and end it at 60 years with diamonds (the hardest substance on earth). How romantic! This anniversary gift guide will help you find the best wedding anniversary gifts with traditional, modern, gemstone, and floral gifting options. 

Discover the perfect wedding anniversary gifts by year with symbols and meaning

Wedding Anniversary Milestones - What Years Should You Celebrate? 

Well, you should celebrate them all in your own way. Your marriage and your love grow stronger through every year you go through together. Just to note, a celebration can be as simple as going through your wedding photos together or as big as renewing your vows. But, as far as tradition goes there are some key years that have extra special gifts to celebrate the milestone you’ve hit as a couple. 

Most couples will see their first year together as major and will celebrate every year together until they hit a decade. From there, the celebrations usually are every five years after the fact. So 15, 20, 25, 30 etc. Anything you do too often will lose its novelty, so celebrating every five years makes it something to look forward to. 

To make things easy for you, here are the wedding anniversary milestones along with their corresponding traditional and modern gifts. This isn’t to say you can’t get your partner something different, but it’s definitely helpful if you have no idea at all! 

1-Year Anniversary 

The 1-year anniversary gifts are all about celebrating new beginnings and nurturing your new married life that has just taken root. The traditional gift is paper: easily damaged or torn but when nurtured can last forever. Clocks are the modern gift for your first year together. It symbolises the new passage of time you enter together. The colour is gold, think of it as a trophy for getting through the first year. Finally, the flower is a carnation, which connotes young, passionate love, so they’re perfect for newlyweds. 

Traditional Gift: Paper

Modern Gift: Clocks

Colour: Gold/Yellow

Gemstone: Gold

Flower: Carnation

2-Year Anniversary

For the second year, the theme is things that are still delicate but strong. For the traditional gift, there’s a classic saying about wrapping things in cotton wool. But cotton wool is also woven together by tiny fibers making it strong. The modern gift is china, and everyone knows how careful you have to be with fine china. These symbolic anniversary gifts speak on how your marriage in your second year together is the strengths and weaknesses in your relationship. The colour red comes from the gemstone for year two, which is garnet. These symbolise trust, love and commitment. The flower is cosmos, which represents harmony, and links back to the idea of strengths and weaknesses. 

Traditional Gift: Cotton

Modern Gift: China

Colour: Red

Gemstone: Garnet

Flower: Cosmos

3-Year Anniversary

Leather is the traditional gift for your third year of marriage and symbolises shelter and security. Leather is tough and weathered, it's ready to go in for the long haul. In contrast, the modern gift is crystal or glass. The reflective ability of crystal and glass is supposed to suggest the bright future you have as a couple. In the same way, the colour for year three is white and the gemstone is pearl, both of which also have that pure element to them that is supposed to be healing and spiritual. Sunflowers mean adoration, loyalty and longevity, everything you need to see you through to the next year.  

Traditional Gift: Leather

Modern Gift: Crystal or Glass

Colour: Jade or White

Gemstone: Pearl

Flower: Sunflower

4-year anniversary

Celebrating your 4-year anniversary? You’re in full bloom at this point, which is why flowers or fruit are an accepted traditional gift for this milestone. On a less romantic note albeit very practical, appliances are the modern gift. This is supposed to show how settled you are in your marriage as you work to create your dream home together. The gemstone is blue topaz and the colour is blue or green. These colours are associated with serenity and speak to how comfortable you feel in your marriage. Lastly, the flower is geranium. These are actually symbolic of two people coming together and are all about positivity.  

Traditional Gift: Fruit or Flowers

Modern Gift: Appliances

Colour: Blue or Green

Gemstone: Blue Topaz

Flower: Geranium

5-year anniversary 

Congrats! It’s officially been half a decade since your wedding! At this point, that seed you first planted has deep roots in the earth, which is why the traditional gift for this year is wood. The modern gift is silverware, they do say food is the way to the heart (it’s true for us at least). Daisies are the flowers for year five. These are representative of fidelity and forever love. Aww! Sparkling sapphire is the gemstone (perfect if you’re thinking of an engagement ring upgrade) and there are multiple options for the colour with blue, pink and turquoise in the mix. 

Traditional Gift: Wood

Modern Gift: Silverware

Colour: Blue, Pink or Turquoise

Gemstone: Sapphire

Flower: Daisy

6-year anniversary 

As we mentioned earlier, every wedding anniversary gift is supposed to symbolise how your marriage is getting stronger. So for your sixth anniversary, iron is the traditional gift. If you didn’t elect for a wood gift last year, now is your chance with it being the modern gift theme for year six. There are multiple colour options again for this year, so you have a bit more choice. The flower is calla lily, which is so popular in wedding bouquets. If this was in your bouquet, it’s a lovely way to reminisce! Amethyst has a really strong spiritual meaning and represents deep love and sincerity. 

Traditional Gift: Iron

Modern Gift: Wood Objects

Colour: Purple, White or Turquoise

Gemstone: Amethyst

Flower: Calla Lily

7-year anniversary 

What is the traditional anniversary gift for seven years? Considered a divine number by many, the traditional gift is copper! Known as an insulator, copper will certainly help keep the warmth in your marriage as you get to seven years. The colour is yellow or off-white, meant to add brightness to your marriage. The gemstone onyx is all about protection through trials and tribulations, while freesia is about trust and thoughtfulness. The modern gift idea is a bit more random…it’s desk sets. As in literal desks you work from. Again, the modern gift always has a more practical side. 

Traditional Gift: Copper

Modern Gift: Desk Sets

Colour: Yellow or Off-White

Gemstone: Onyx

Flower: Freesia

8-year anniversary 

You have plenty of options for your eighth year together. Traditional gifts are bronze or pottery. Both of these are common art materials used to create incredible sculptures and masterpieces, which is indicative of all the hard work and craft you put into your work. Modern options are linen and lace, both of which are intricate fabrics. Tourmaline is another protective gemstone that helps you get closer to that decade mark! The flower, clematis is all about intellect and is symbolic of two minds coming together. After eight years of marriage, that’s no surprise! 

Traditional Gift: Bronze or Pottery

Modern Gift: Linen or Lace

Colour: Bronze

Gemstone: Tourmaline

Flower: Clematis

9-year anniversary 

You’re almost at the decade mark! But let’s not forget about your incredible ninth year together. Willow wood is both strong and flexible, highlighting that the two can naturally coexist, just like in a successful marriage. Pottery gets another mention here too! For modern gifts, it’s time for enduring leather to pop up again. Lapis lazuli is the gemstone and is the next stone of protection to see you safely through the decade. The colour is terracotta and the flower is poppy, which is a flower of hope. 

Traditional Gift: Willow or Pottery

Modern Gift: Leather

Colour: Terracotta

Gemstone: Lapis Lazuli

Flower: Poppy

10-year anniversary 

You’ve been married ten years! Wow! Congratulations! If you’re following the traditional gifts you’re still a long way off from any precious stones. It’s aluminium or tin for you! This is because these materials will never rust, just like your marriage. However, the modern gift is diamond jewellery. Don’t mind if we do! With their bright yellow colour that's as radiant as your love for each other, daffodils are strong and resilient and look absolutely incredible when arranged in a bouquet! 

Traditional Gift: Aluminum or Tin

Modern Gift: Diamond Jewellery

Colour: Silver or Blue

Gemstone: Diamond

Flower: Daffodil

15-year anniversary 

15 years have passed since you first got married, but help keep the love just as strong as it was when you first said your vows, and indulge in some meaningful and sentimental anniversary gifts. The traditional gift is crystal and the modern gift is a watch. Your 15th year is all about romance and passion with the colour for this year being red, the gemstone being ruby and the flower being roses. 

Traditional Gift: Crystal

Modern Gift: Watches

Colour: Red

Gemstone: Ruby

Flower: Rose

20-year anniversary

This is a serious milestone worth celebrating and with the modern gift being platinum and the gemstone being emerald, we’re thinking a vow renewal or a new eternity ring wouldn’t be remiss. The traditional gift is china and the flower is aster, which is symbolic of love and wisdom. After 20 years together, we hope you’ll feel very wise. You’ve come a long way together. 

Traditional Gift: China

Modern Gift: Platinum

Colour: Emerald Green

Gemstone: Emerald

Flower: Aster

25-year anniversary

The gifts align on this one, sterling silver is the traditional and modern gift as well as the colour and metal for the year. 25 years is known as the silver wedding anniversary and is an achievement that should be celebrated with something a bit more expensive. If silver isn’t for you, there’s still the flower! The beautiful purple iris is the flower for this year that highlights strength, courage and admiration. 

Traditional Gift: Sterling Silver

Modern Gift: Sterling Silver

Colour: Silver

Metal: Silver

Flower: Iris

30-year anniversary

Flirty and thirty applies to not only age but your wedding anniversary too. Pearls and diamonds are the best wedding anniversary gifts as you approach 30 years together. These timeless gemstones are all about appreciating hidden beauty and the endurance of your marriage. The lily flower is representative of rebirth. After three decades together, you can add a new lease of life to your marriage. 

Traditional Gift: Pearl

Modern Gift: Diamond

Colour: Green

Gemstone: Pearl

Flower: Lily

35-year anniversary

Coral and emerald are both bold and unusual colours and materials to celebrate the 35th anniversary. Coral is this year's traditional gift. It's believed to have magical healing powers that shield you from harm. However, due to the rarity and unsustainability of this gift, you might take this to mean something coral in colour. Two green gemstones are also anniversary gifts for this year, lucky jade is the modern material and emerald is the associated gemstone.

Traditional Gift: Coral

Modern Gift: Jade

Colour: Coral

Gemstone: Emerald

Flower: Coral Rose

40-year anniversary

If you’re here to celebrate your 40th wedding anniversary, then a huge congratulations from us. This is a feat not many achieve. Your love is strong and deep just like a ruby. The 40th wedding anniversary is known as the ruby wedding anniversary. This fiery red gemstone is thought to possess a flame that never burns out, much like your love and commitment. The ruby has plenty of symbolic and spiritual meaning that you want to take with you in your marriage. Gladioli are the striking blooms for this year and mean integrity and infatuation. It’s nice to show your partner you still fancy them after all this time. 

Traditional Gift: Ruby

Modern Gift: Ruby

Colour: Red

Gemstone: Ruby

Flower: Gladioli

45-year anniversary

We’re in the run-up to the big one now. The 45th anniversary is the sapphire wedding anniversary. Loyalty, sincerity, faith and devotion are symbolised by the blue iris and blue sapphire. Sapphire is also a stone that has a long history with royalty and is included in a lot of royal jewellery and fashion. 

Traditional Gift: Sapphire

Modern Gift: Sapphire

Colour: Blue 

Gemstone: Sapphire

Flower: Blue Iris

50-year anniversary

It’s official, you’ve been married for half a century! There’s only one right way to celebrate that. This is the golden anniversary. Gold is one of the most coveted things in the world and has always held incredible value, just like your marriage. Many people covet the kind of love you’ve built over 50 years together. If you’re looking for more options, there are also yellow roses or violets to buy. 

Traditional Gift: Gold

Modern Gift: Gold

Colour: Gold

Metal: Gold

Flower: Yellow Rose and Violet

55-year anniversary

Another five years, another precious stone. This is the emerald wedding anniversary. The anniversary gifts for this year are all emerald. The deep green tone is symbolic of true love and devotion. The designated gemstone is actually alexandrite. It can be mistaken for an emerald in direct sunlight, but this colour-changing stone also turns ruby-red under incandescent light. The rare stone brings good fortune and prosperity. 

Traditional Gift: Emerald

Modern Gift: Emerald

Colour: Emerald Green

Gemstone: Alexandrite

Flower: "Green Goddess" Calla Lily

60-year anniversary

Finally, we have the diamond anniversary. After a whopping 60 years together, it’s only right that you celebrate with diamonds. What you have is the rarest of the rare and that should be acknowledged. When it comes to the anniversary gifts by year, this is the one you’ve been waiting for. Plus, in this day and age, anything can be bedazzled with diamonds so you really have the freedom to choose what you want. Orchids are the flower gift for 60 years and mean respect and reverence. We actually have a tear in our eye thinking about what an incredible achievement this would be to reach. 

Traditional Gift: Diamond

Modern Gift: Diamond

Colour: Diamond White

Gemstone: Diamond

Flower: Orchid

The complete guide to wedding anniversary gifts by year

So, there we have it. A complete guide to wedding anniversary gifts by year with traditional and modern meanings. If you’re thinking about how you can make your anniversary special, you might think about a vow renewal. We have a guide to vow renewals where we answer all your burning questions on the topic. If you like looking at the deeper meaning of things, you’ll be interested in our birth flower chart. Your wedding bouquet could be made up of your and your partner's birth flowers. What a lovely detail!