Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year: Our Best Ideas

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?

The idea of giving a gift to mark a wedding anniversary has been traced back to Ancient Rome, or medieval Germany where married couples started to commemorate 25 years of marriage by gifting a wreath made of silver to the wives, and a gold wreath when they reach 50 years.

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 for your 1st year celebration, your 5th, or 50th year, we’ve put together a few thoughtful wedding anniversary present ideas in line with the ancient tradition.

Paper Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (1st Anniversary)

Designed for couples, with handy sections to fill in, this autobiography of your relationship will be written in no time! This unique 64-page book organises your entries to highlight each year you’ve been married, including room for a picture of your favourite memory together.

It includes a message on the opening page from the giver, as well as the recipient’s names, along with the wedding date on the cover. This personalised anniversary journal is the perfect present idea for your first-year celebration and can then be filled in gradually in the years to come. It comes in a beautiful ‘just for you’ gift box, meaning it’s ready to give your other half straight away. Couples of all ages can use this each year and treasure it for many years after.

Cotton Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (2nd Anniversary)

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. Our range of personalised tote bags are 100% cotton and are made with a double stitched gusset with long handles – perfect for everyday use as a strong shopping, gym, or beach bag.

Leather Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (3rd Anniversary)

Probably one of the most versatile materials used around the world, you can find endless ideas of 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 to get for your partner on your celebration day: a braided stainless steel brown leather bracelet, and an elegant personalised leather notebook customisable with your partner initials or a meaningful message of your choice. It can be a vow, a phrase, a life motto, or your partner’s best qualities.

Silk Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (4th Anniversary)

Silk gifts might be expensive, especially if you are looking for large pieces of 100% silk, such as ties, silk scarves, or any type of clothing like 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 this 15×15 inches Kraken silk handkerchief, and this silk eye mask which would both make a great gift for anyone with a 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)

Who doesn’t like a good quality wooden item? Well known for being strong, hard and durable, wood also has the properties to add a natural and warm feel to any gift. Our personalised memory box and cheese board are ideal presents to get for your partner on your 5th year together. 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.

Tin Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (10th Anniversary)

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 holder matchbook silk rose petals.

Crystal Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (15th Anniversary)

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.

China Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (20th Anniversary)

A whole range of homeware ceramics including bone china can be used as a 20th wedding anniversary gift idea. 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.

Silver Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (25th Anniversary)

Here is another easy one. Silver is a very common material used in the making of a lot of day-to-day objects. Ideas include pens, belt buckles, jewellery, lighters, ornaments, or tableware – a lot of sterling silver items are made of 92.5% pure silver, which is indicated by the number 925 engraved on them. Our elegant Hoop & Heart silver-plated necklace features a silver-plated loop that has a hammered finish, along with a delicate rose gold heart that hangs through. It’s attached to a dainty silver link chain, with a metal clasp to secure around the neck. You can also buy a sweet sterling silver jewellery box engraved with his or her name to keep the rings and precious other items safe.

Pearl Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (30th Anniversary)

An elegant and natural sea jewel – real pearls can get pretty expensive ranging from £300 to £1500 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 onto you. Or you can hunt down the vintage or old jewellery market stand to find a second-hand item for a bargain.

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

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 massively produced in China, Russia, North America, or New Zealand, and you can find Coral in diverse Mediterranean seaside cities.
Widely used for their appealing colour, durability and strength, both minerals are commonly used to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and various decorative objects.
Aside from finding some beautiful core or jade jewellery, why not surprise them with our luxury letterbox coral collection bouquet? 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)

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, or a raspberry “Ruby Beauty” patio plant for the plant lovers and avid gardeners, or the famous “Ruby Woo” lipstick by MAC.

Sapphire Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (45th Anniversary)

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 for example get a Bombay Sapphire gin bottle – Ok, it’s not the real deal, but the bottle is blue and it has the word Sapphire is in the name! You can even go above and beyond, preparing a range of mouthwateringly 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 – (50th Anniversary)

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 some gold foiled 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 pillow below.

Diamond Wedding Anniversary Gifts – (60th Anniversary)

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 get a big diamond-shaped balloon, cushion, bath bomb, or vintage diamond-shaped clock for home décor ornament. Our favourite is the 60th Diamond Anniversary personalised cushion, where you can upload one of your favourite pictures together to create a lasting memory that you can display around the home.

To find the perfect card to go with your gift, browse our wide range of wedding anniversary card designs. Or if you are looking to find the right words to write in your anniversary card this year, check out our “What to write in an anniversary card” blog.