Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year | The Complete Guide

Paper for the 1st year, cotton for the 2nd, wood for the 5th, silver for the 25th and so on — but where did that tradition come from?

Traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year date back to Ancient Rome and medieval Germany, where married couples began marking milestone anniversaries with symbolic materials.

To keep the tradition going and commemorate your special day, get your partner something meaningful and precious to keep for years to come. Whether it’s your 1st, 5th, or 50th wedding anniversary, we’ve put together a few thoughtful wedding anniversary gift ideas in line with ancient traditions.

Paper Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (1st Anniversary)

Paper Anniversary Meaning: Paper symbolises a fresh start and a blank page, representing the beginning of your life together and the story you’re about to write.

Designed for couples, a personalised anniversary journal is the perfect gift for your first-year celebration and can be filled in gradually over the years to come. Couples of all ages can use this each year and treasure it for years to come.

1st Anniversary Gift Ideas:

A personalised 1st anniversary card with a heartfelt message
A framed photo or illustration of your favourite memory together
A personalised photo book capturing your first year together
A “letters to each other” booklet to open on future anniversaries
A printed map showing key places from throughout your relationship, like where you met or first lived together

Cotton Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (2nd Anniversary)

Cotton Anniversary Meaning: Cotton represents comfort, flexibility, and growing strength as your relationship becomes more intertwined and settled.

Probably one of the easiest to find, as cotton is everywhere around us! Whether it’s a duvet, blankets, bedsheets, pillows, clothing, bandages, cosmetic products, or towels.

2nd Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Personalised cushions or soft furnishings
Matching pyjamas
A cosy printed blanket
A personalised t-shirt or matching photo hoodies or sweatshirts
A custom pair of cotton socks with a special date
Personalised towels or bathrobes

Leather Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (3rd Anniversary)

Leather Anniversary Meaning: Leather symbolises durability and protection, reflecting a marriage that has grown stronger while remaining flexible.

Probably one of the most versatile materials used around the world, you can find endless ideas for leather wedding anniversary gifts. From clothing to quality shoes, house furnishings, wallets, and bags – there’s an abundance of leather products to choose from.

We have two special items perfect for your partner on your celebration day: a braided stainless steel brown leather bracelet and an elegant personalised leather notebook, customisable with your partner’s initials or a meaningful message of your choice. It can be a vow, a phrase, a life motto, or your partner’s best qualities.

3rd Anniversary Gift Ideas:

A personalised leather keyring or wallet
A stylish faux leather notebook
A leather-look photo frame
A leather watch strap
A travel tag or passport holder for future travel adventures

Silk Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (4th Anniversary)

Silk Anniversary Meaning: Silk represents luxury, elegance, and comfort, celebrating the refinement and closeness that develop over time in a marriage.

Silk gifts might be expensive, especially if you are looking for large pieces of 100% silk, such as:

Silk Ties
Silk scarves
Pyjama sets, dresses, or a dressing gown.

Even if you can always find cheaper ideas by scouring the vintage shops, weekend markets, second-hand shops, or eBay – why not get a smaller silk piece, which can be just as meaningful? For a more reasonable price, we found:

15×15 inches Kraken silk handkerchief
Silk eye mask

Both make a great gift for anyone with flair and style.

Also, if you both love travelling together, why not book some plane tickets and go on the Silk Road Tour in Asia? A perfect surprise present, especially if you’re both into travelling and have the money to do it.

Wooden Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (5th Anniversary)

Wood Anniversary Meaning: Wood symbolises deep roots, stability, and strength, marking a relationship that has firmly grown and matured.

Who doesn’t like a good quality wooden item? Well known for being strong, hard, and durable, wood also has the ability to add a natural, warm feel to any gift. Our personalised memory box and cheese board are ideal gifts for your partner on your 5th anniversary. Both can be engraved with a beautiful phrase, your surname(s), or your wedding date to make it a truly customised and meaningful anniversary favour.

5th Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Personalised wooden decorations
A keepsake memory box
A wooden photo frame capturing a standout moment of the last 5 years
A tree or plant to grow together over time

A custom wooden map or sign featuring a meaningful place

Tin Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (10th Anniversary)

Tin Anniversary Meaning: Tin represents resilience and flexibility, symbolising a decade of strength without becoming brittle.

Forget the biscuit, coffee, tea, or any food tin items – and instead, find something more romantic and sensual to celebrate, such as a soothing candle to light up at dinner or for a bath. You can also get the perfect kit to set a romantic mood which includes: one tealight candle, two incense sticks with a holder, a matchbook and silk rose petals.

Gift Ideas for 10th Anniversary:

Custom canvas prints
A keepsake tin filled with memories or treats.
A personalised 10th anniversary card to mark the milestone
A tin star map showing the night sky from your wedding date
A hand-stamped tin ornament or decoration

Crystal Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (15th Anniversary)

Crystal Anniversary Meaning: Crystal reflects clarity, transparency, and trust; qualities forged through 15 years of shared experiences.

Why not get real crystal glasses to cheers together on your wedding anniversary day? Whether you prefer whisky, champagne, wine, or brandy, we have a wide range of engraved glasses, flutes, or tumblers for you to choose from. Add your names to one side of the glass and include your wedding date. With up to three lines of text and a limit of 14 or 20 characters per line, you can make a unique and thoughtful keepsake to use for years to come.

15th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Elegant, custom crystal glassware
A personalised print with meaningful dates
A framed photo with crystal-style accents
A crystal-style ornament
A sparkling experience, like a celebratory dinner or wine tasting

China Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (20th Anniversary)

China Anniversary Meaning: China symbolises beauty, care, and delicacy, representing a relationship that is valuable and worth protecting.

A wide range of homeware ceramics, including bone china, can be used as a 20th wedding anniversary gift. Why not personalise a cute chocolate fondue set with a message of up 30 characters? Our set includes two forks, and the bowl can be used in a microwave or washed in the dishwasher.

Otherwise, for something a little more fun, you can buy a special Windsor mug set which says: “Mrs Always Right” and “Mr Never Right”. A truly perfect token to share a good laugh about a married life dilemma.

20th Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Decorative homeware
Personalised mugs or plates
A sentimental photo display
A tea set for shared moments together
An afternoon tea experience

Silver Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (25th Anniversary)

Silver Anniversary Meaning: Silver represents harmony and reflection, celebrating a shining milestone of 25 years together.

Here is another easy one. Silver is a common material used in the production of many everyday objects. Ideas include pens, belt buckles, jewellery, lighters, ornaments, or tableware. Many sterling silver items are made of 92.5% pure silver, indicated by the number 925 engraved on them.

Gift Ideas for 25th Anniversary:

Silver-toned jewellery
A personalised silver-style photo frame
A luxury 25th anniversary card
Engraved silver keepsakes or ornaments
A special silver-themed celebration or party

Pearl Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (30th Anniversary)

Pearl Anniversary Meaning: Pearls symbolise wisdom gained over time, with beauty formed slowly and naturally through life’s experiences.

An elegant and natural sea jewel – real pearls can get pretty expensive, ranging from £300 to £1,500 per pearl. So, to find an affordable pearl gift, it might be good to ask your mum or grandmother if they have a piece of pearl jewellery that they can pass on to you. Or you can hunt down the vintage or old jewellery market stand to find a second-hand item for a bargain.

30th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas:

A personalised necklace
Elegant home décor
A personalised print celebrating 30 years together
A framed timeline of your relationship milestones
A romantic getaway or meaningful shared experience

Coral or Jade Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (35th Anniversary)

Coral or Jade Anniversary Meaning: Coral and jade represent protection, longevity, and strength, reflecting a marriage that continues to endure and flourish.

Mineral ornaments, mostly known for their deep green or vibrant orange colour, jade and coral are extremely popular gemstones you can find pretty much anywhere. Jade is widely produced in China, Russia, North America, and New Zealand, and you can find Coral in diverse Mediterranean seaside cities.

35th Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Widely used for their appealing colour, durability and strength, both minerals are commonly used to make:

Necklaces
Bracelets
Earrings
Decorative objects

Aside from finding some beautiful coral or jade jewellery, why not surprise them with our bright and colourful selection of spring flowers containing subtle jade and coral tones? It might not be a gemstone or jewel, but it’s certain to bring a smile to their face, and it fits through the letterbox thanks to our innovative packaging.

Ruby Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (40th Anniversary)

Ruby Anniversary Meaning: Ruby symbolises passion, devotion, and lasting love, celebrating four decades of deep commitment.

Celebrate your 40 years spent together with a ruby gemstone present. It can be a ruby red colour inspired present too, like a Weigela “Bristol Ruby” garden shrub, a raspberry “Ruby Beauty” patio plant for the plant lovers and avid gardeners, or the famous “Ruby Woo” lipstick by MAC.

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas:

Red-themed personalised gifts
Romantic artwork or prints
A meaningful anniversary card with a ruby colour palette
Jewellery or keepsakes inspired by ruby tones
A weekend away with a theatre trip and dining experience to celebrate the milestone

Sapphire Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (45th Anniversary)

Sapphire Anniversary Meaning: Sapphire represents loyalty, trust, and sincerity; qualities that define a long and successful marriage.

Kate Middleton’s engagement ring might be the world’s most famous and expensive sapphire present but if you’re looking for something different than a jewellery piece with the gemstone, there’s plenty of other options. You could choose:

A Bombay Sapphire gin bottle – Ok, it’s not the real deal, but the bottle is blue, and it has the word Sapphire in the name!

You can even go above and beyond, preparing a range of mouth-wateringly good cocktails using the sapphire gin from our Easy Cocktail Recipes to Make at Home blog to celebrate being married for 45 years. So, whether you go for an expensive gemstone or romantic cocktails, you’re sure to have a great anniversary.

Golden Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (50th Anniversary)

Gold Anniversary Meaning: Gold symbolises strength, success, and enduring love, marking a truly rare and remarkable milestone.

Half a century spent together – how beautiful and rare it truly is nowadays! Well worth celebrating and inviting the whole family over to join you. You could send gold foil printed party invitations or organise to renew your vows and get your partner a brand-new gold ring. For more easy options, you can get a gold heart necklace, a gold watch, or any sort of gold home décor like the ideas below.

Gift Ideas for 50th Wedding Anniversary:

Gold-toned personalised frames
Keepsake prints marking 50 years
A heartfelt anniversary card celebrating a lifetime together
Engraved gold-style ornaments or plaques
A family celebration or memory book filled with messages from loved ones

Diamond Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (60th Anniversary)

Diamond Anniversary Meaning: Diamonds represent eternal love and unbreakable bonds, celebrating a lifetime spent together.

After 60 years together, why don’t you get your partner a (new) diamond ring? He or she might like to get a modern design, or a bigger diamond – who knows!

However, if diamonds are out of budget, you can still make it special with smaller but thoughtful touches, such as:

A big diamond-shaped balloon
A cushion
A bath bomb
A vintage diamond-shaped clock for home décor.

Our favourite is the Personalised Photo Upload Heart Cushion, which lets you upload a photo of you and your favourite person to create a lasting memory you can display around the home.

How to Choose the Right Anniversary Gift

Still unsure? Here are a few simple tips:

Think personal – a meaningful message often matters more than the gift itself.
Match the milestone – bigger anniversaries may call for more sentimental keepsakes.
Use the theme creatively – colours, materials or symbols can all nod to the anniversary year without having to hit the theme on the head.

The Best Anniversary Gifts Come from the Heart

Choosing the perfect anniversary gift doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you follow traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year, lean into modern alternatives, or simply pick something personal, the most important thing is celebrating your journey together.

A thoughtful anniversary card or personalised gift can turn any present into a lasting memory – because it’s not just about the year you’re celebrating, but the love behind it.