Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year: Classic Themes, Modern Spins in 2025
Wedding anniversary gifts by year have been around for generations. Each milestone gets a symbol — paper at one, oak at eighty — not to box you in, but to give the day a shared language and a little continuity. According to TIME and Jewelers of America, the tradition started in Europe but was later broadened to include lists of materials and then gemstones. That’s why you’ll see both traditional and modern themes in circulation today.
Why follow them? Because a theme makes choosing easier and more meaningful. You take the year’s material as direction, translate it to real life and add one small personal anchor so it feels like your story. And the way we gift is already moving this way: according to the National Retail Federation, couples are leaning into experiences and personalized pieces they’ll actually use — both fit neatly when you treat the material as a prompt rather than a script.
Jump to Section
- Years 1 to 5 — Paper to Wood, First Chapters
- Years 6 to 10 — Sugar to Tin, Strength in the Making
- Years 11 to 15 — Steel to Crystal, Polished Traditions
- Milestones 20, 25 and 30 — China, Silver and Pearl
- Milestones 35, 40 and 45 — Coral/Jade, Ruby and Sapphire
- Milestones 50 to 60 — Gold, Emerald and Diamond, True Milestones
- Milestones 65, 70 and 80 — Blue Sapphire, Platinum and Oak
Years 1 to 5 — Paper to Wood, First Chapters
These early milestones set the tone for how you’ll celebrate going forward. You can use these years to start simple traditions that you can build on year after year: a written note on paper each year, textiles you rotate by season or a wooden piece that shows up at every gathering. If you're not sure whether you lean traditional or modern, let the meaning, color or texture guide you, and personalize it with a discreet date or line from your vows so the habit sticks.
1st Anniversary: Paper or Clock
This all-important first anniversary gift is a chance to reflect on what made the year special and to make plans for the future. Paper anniversary gifts symbolize the blank sheet of many years you will spend together. Great wedding anniversary gifts by year for the first year include paper items like journals, photo albums and planners. Or you could also can also create personal wedding-related mementos like blown-up wedding photos, broadsides that include your vows or personalized couple stationery.
The first anniversary is also known as the clock anniversary, so instead of paper, you can lean in with timepiece-related items like new watches or soothing alarm clocks that wake each other up with the sound of birdsong, soft music or rain.
These items also make great wedding gift ideas to start the couple off in their first year. Thinking outside of the box, paper can be incorporated as a material that also makes a great inspiration for wedding favors for guests and wedding decoration ideas, which can be turned into keepsakes a year after the big event.
2nd Anniversary: Cotton or China
Cotton represents strength and flexibility. If you're leaning towards traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year, you can go with bedding and linen items like new sheets, towels, tablecloths, napkins and other items made of cotton. It’s also a great chance to give your husband or wife a luxurious new cotton robe or comfy cotton pajama set.
The traditional path will tell you the second is the china anniversary, think second anniversary gifts like dishware, sugar and creamer sets, teapots or decorative bowls.
3rd Anniversary: Leather, Crystal or Glass
The third anniversary boasts several ideas according to tradition for wedding anniversary gifts by year, from leather to crystal to glass.
If you're going leather, consider gifting each other new luggage, totes or wallets, which represent the durability and strength of your relationship.
Great ideas for crystal or glass anniversary include glassware sets, barware and beautiful glass serving items like punch bowls, pitchers and trays. Crystal suncatchers are a pretty anniversary gift that the couple can hang in the window and think of you every time it catches the light.
Find plenty more 3rd anniversary gifts for your better half beyond leather, crystal or glass.
4th Anniversary: Fruit or Flowers
Representing a marriage that is in full bloom, the fourth year is a great chance to gift flowers and flower-related items as perfect wedding anniversary gifts by year. Go with lavish bouquets or a floral subscription service that delivers new blooms monthly.
It's also a great chance to give gifts related to gardening, like lush hanging baskets or flats of annuals or perennials. Or you could always go with a gift card to a garden center.
The fourth anniversary is also known as the fruit anniversary, so a great gift is a fruit or jelly basket or box or even a monthly fruit subscription.
Go beyond fruit and flowers with these 4th anniversary gifts.
5th Anniversary: Wood or Silverware
Perfect options for the fifth year of wedding anniversary gifts by year are wood items, representing sturdiness and durability, that can include everything from custom wood signs with special messages to small items like cheese boards or to larger pieces of furniture like dressers, tables or intricately carved headboards.
You can also give a hand-carved wooden memento box from a local artisan or carved wood sculptures. Just don't give anything in oak, this is reserved for one of the most special wedding anniversary gifts by year, as you'll see later on.
Also known as the silverware anniversary, this is a great chance to give new silver pieces like flatware or candlesticks. But if you want to go beyond silver or wood, you can find plenty more 5th anniversary gifts to make your partner happy.
Years 6 to 10 — Sugar to Tin, Strength in the Making
This stretch moves from comfort into staying power. Let sweetness and warmth set the mood (desserts you actually share, copper you season, wool you curl up with), then bring in materials that age well — bronze, pottery, willow — before landing on tin/aluminum for outdoor-friendly, durable picks. Build one small ritual around each addition so it gets used, not stored.
6th Anniversary: Sugar
This sweet anniversary has many options for wedding anniversary gifts by year, including gifts of candy or baked goods. Give each other boxes of chocolate, candy bouquets or gourmet baked treats.
Or, for a gift that keeps on giving, give a subscription for companies that send treats, jam, maple syrup or organic honey in a variety of flavors each month of the year. You could even go with an experience gift and visit to an old-school candy store or vintage ice cream parlor.
Looking for more than sugary delights, here are some 6th anniversary gifts that go beyond.
7th Anniversary: Copper or Wool
Copper represents warmth and coziness, so great gifts for this anniversary include copper cookware like measuring spoons, measuring cups, utensils or copper cookware. Got a home bar? Go with a shiny new set of Moscow mule mugs.
For more meaningful wedding anniversary gifts by year, copper jewelry, like rings, bracelets and pendants are a beautiful choice. And since this year is also known as the wool anniversary, wonderful ideas include cozy woolen throw blankets, slippers or winter wear like scarves and hats. Combine your bronze and wool with these unique 7th anniversary ideas.
8th Anniversary: Bronze or Pottery
The eighth wedding anniversary gifts by year focus on bronze, a material known for its strength. Great gift options for this anniversary include jewelry made of bronze, art or sculptures in bronze or bronze vases. Other suggestions include intricately carved bronze frames, bronze-bordered mirrors or bronze or brass windchimes for hanging outdoors.
Also known as the pottery anniversary, great gifts for the year include small or large pieces of pottery like hand-hewn mugs, decorative bowls and vases. Or better yet, an experiential gift like pottery classes could be a fun choice. Then the couple can make their own ceramics to suit their tastes. You could even go with creative gift cards to let them choose what type of class suits them.
Move beyond ceramic ideas with these fantastic 8th anniversary ideas.
9th Anniversary: Willow or Pottery
The ninth year, known as the willow anniversary, represents both strength and flexibility. There are many choices when it comes to the perfect wedding anniversary by year gift for year nine, including willow-themed and decorated items like jewelry, sculptures and artwork. Woven items are also popular gift items, including baskets, totes, wreaths and cane furniture.
For a couple with a yard, a great gift is a weeping willow sapling that will grow into a large and beautiful tree that gets bigger every year. Or willow wood items, like boxes or furniture, are also a great option. The ninth anniversary is also sometimes considered the pottery anniversary, so you could also go with handmade pottery or lean right in with a pottery workshop, so you can DIY your own gifts. Find more fun experiences and great ideas with these 9th anniversary gifts.
10th Anniversary: Tin
The tin anniversary, which represents rust-proof durability, is a chance to give each other gifts for decorating the garden like signage, lanterns, planters and decorative objects. Other great options include carved tin or aluminum objects like decorative plaques or signs, as well as lanterns or lighting fixtures made of tin or similar metals. For inexpensive tin gifts, go with tins of popcorn or treats or a delicious-smelling travel candle.
Years 11 to 15 — Steel to Crystal, Polished Traditions
Here the themes get more refined: strong tools, better rest, thoughtful texture, a touch of sparkle. Treat these years as a quiet upgrade cycle — replace placeholders with the versions you’ll keep, choose silk/linen you’ll maintain, read “ivory” as a color palette rather than a new material, and bring crystal out for an easy, repeating toast. Aim for pieces you reach for weekly.
11th Anniversary: Steel
Traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year for the eleventh year of marriage are represented by stainless steel's unbreakable strength. Go with top choices like objects made of metal, including knife sets, cookware or stainless steel appliances like toasters, blenders, or espresso machines. Lawn or camping gear are also great options, including outdoor grills, camp stoves and metal-framed tents. For a more luxurious gift option for each other, this is an excellent chance to gift a new automobile or large home appliances, like a fridge or stove.
12th Anniversary: Silk or Fine Linen
For twelfth wedding anniversary gifts by year, look toward softness and luxury. This year represents the finer parts of the life you’ve built together. Silk is a great material that can be found on everything from sumptuous bath robes to silk sleep masks and pajama sets. You could also go with new lingerie or luxurious silk boxers.
The twelfth wedding anniversary is also known as the fine linen anniversary, so a great gift could also be new table linens, high-end bedding or clothing items in linen.
13th Anniversary: Lace or Textiles
Perfect ideas for wedding anniversary gifts by year for the thirteenth year include clothing or accessories with lace or lace detailing, which represent the intricate webbing of your lives together. Great gift options include new kitchen towels, potholders, placemats or tablecloths. You can also gift each other new throw pillows, blankets or other soft items for the home.
And since it’s also known as the textile anniversary, it's a great opportunity to reupholster furniture, buy new drapes or invest in new linens for the home.
14th Anniversary: Ivory
Traditionally, the 14th anniversary is marked with ivory — a material once associated with luck and prosperity. Today, most couples prefer to honor the tradition in ethical ways. That might mean choosing jewelry or decorative pieces made with ethically sourced or reclaimed ivory, or opting for ivory-colored gifts instead.
Cream-toned scarves, towels, or clothing carry the symbolism without using the material itself. Elephant-inspired artwork and patterns also capture the theme while celebrating the beauty of nature responsibly.
15th Anniversary: Crystal
The crystal anniversary is another chance to give gifts that sparkle and shine. It represents something both strong and fragile. Glassware, barware and items like candlesticks and vases are great ideas. You can also use it as a chance to give zirconia or diamond jewelry for the fifteenth year. Other fun ideas include lighting fixtures like chandeliers or lamps.
Milestones 20, 25 and 30 — China, Silver and Pearl
Ten anniversaries live in this decade. Use the in-between years to quietly build the table you actually live with: set a service goal, choose one pattern or metal and stick to it, retire placeholders and add pieces that don’t need babying. When a theme feels abstract, translate it into finish or color (matte, glossy, bone white, ruby red) and tuck a discreet date or initials underneath. With that foundation, 20 (China), 25 (Silver) and 30 (Pearl) become the years you inscribe, photograph and pass down.
20th Anniversary: China
These wedding anniversary gifts by year include china, which makes dishes and serving pieces great gifts for this anniversary. Decorative bowls, vases and candle holders made out of china are also great gift ideas. Mosaic art or housewares with a lot of broken china bits fused beautifully together are another fun way to celebrate the twentieth year of marriage.
25th Anniversary: Silver
While jewelry is the most obvious choice for this traditional wedding anniversary gift by year, you're really just looking for items that represent beauty and strength. So think housewares that incorporate or are made of silver, like silverware or silver serving pieces, candlesticks or silver frames are also fun gift ideas. Perfect anniversary gifts for her include beautiful silver rings, bracelets, earrings or necklaces. While anniversary gifts for him include watches, tie tacks or cufflinks.
30th Anniversary: Pearl
The thirtieth anniversary is traditionally linked to pearls, symbols of endurance and beauty that echo the strength of a long marriage. Classic choices like pearl earrings or necklaces always feel timeless, while modern options might include handbags, compacts, or even furniture accented with pearl inlay. For the home, mother-of-pearl brings the same elegance in everyday pieces such as frames, vases, or decorative trays, turning practical items into keepsakes.
Milestones 35, 40 and 45 — Coral/Jade, Ruby and Sapphire
Color and symbolism lead the way across these years. Let the palette do the work — coral’s vitality, jade’s calm, ruby’s heat, sapphire’s depth — and work it into daily objects (glassware, textiles, table pieces) or a single keepsake you’ll wear. When a legacy material is complicated, follow the color rather than the source and add a short note about why that shade fits your story now.
35th Anniversary: Coral or Jade
The thirty-fifth year of marriage offers a chance to celebrate with some color, either vibrant coral or vivid green. Coral has good health properties associated with it, as does jade. Jewelry pieces are popular wedding anniversary gifts for her with either material as the focus, as well as jade items like beautiful lamps, letter openers, candles, vases and decorative accents made from real or faux jade stone. Pretty and ethereal vintage jadeite dishware is also a great option for antique lovers as a gift for three and a half decades of marriage.
40th Anniversary: Ruby
For this wedding anniversary gift by year, opt for rubies, a stone that represents an undying flame, in jewelry pieces like pendants and rings where their vivid red can really shine. You can also choose to gift items in a ruby or deep garnet hue, like housewares, clothing and accessories. New or vintage red dishware is also a great gift idea to celebrate this milestone.
45th Anniversary: Sapphire
Another anniversary that’s perfect for jewelry, the forty-fifth can be marked with sapphire rings, earrings, or pendants. You can also branch out into blue-themed gifts like housewares and accessories. Sapphires are thought to attract abundance and wealth, so deep blue glassware, candle holders, or even a bar decanter capture both the color and the spirit of the stone.
Milestones 50, 55 and 60 — Gold, Emerald and Diamond
These are the “bring everyone to the table” anniversaries. Keep the balance between keepsake and comfort: choose precious materials you’ll actually wear or use, plan one simple ritual around them (a family toast, a favorite song, a photo at the table), and make maintenance easy so nothing feels too precious. Inscribe where only you’ll see it.
50th Anniversary: Gold
One of the easiest wedding anniversary gifts by year to shop for, the fiftieth year celebration calls for gold in all its finest, representing wisdom, strength and endurance. For a 50th wedding anniversary idea, this can mean sumptuous real gold, white gold or rose gold jewelry pieces or other golden-hued pieces for the home. Great inexpensive takes on the year’s themes include gold photo frames, decorative accents like candles and vases or gold textile pieces like scarves and clothing. Hot tip: Invest in gold in your first year of marriage and unleash the profits of your investment in your 50th year!
If you and your partner aren't really into material possessions, try some other 50th wedding anniversary ideas with a golden theme, like traveling to California, the Golden State, to watch the Golden State Warriors while eating a gold-plated chocolate cake!
55th Anniversary: Emerald
Beautiful and vibrant green is the focus of this wedding anniversary gift by year and represents love and devotion. Opt for beautiful emerald jewelry pieces or accessories incorporating the stone. It’s also a great chance to gift green housewares, clothing or textiles. This celebration would be the perfect time to take a trip to the Emerald Isle and visit Ireland as an anniversary getaway.
60th Anniversary: Diamond
For the sixtieth anniversary, diamonds symbolize the endurance and clarity of a lifelong partnership. Jewelry is the traditional choice, but you can also look for gifts that echo the brilliance of the stone. Cut-glass vases, candlesticks, or decorative bowls bring sparkle into the home, while a crystal photo frame with a favorite picture adds a personal touch to this milestone year.
Milestones 65, 70 and 80 — Blue Sapphire, Platinum and Oak
Use this long stretch to steady the home base. In the in-between years, keep a quiet through-line—add a deep-blue accent you see daily, choose one metal finish and stick to it, and bring in wood you’ll actually sit on or use—then favor comfort (lighter pieces, easy clasps) and tuck dates where only you’ll see them.
65th Anniversary: Blue Sapphire
Another year devoted to deep blue sapphires, the sixty-fifth wedding anniversary gift by year should reflect this deep blue shade, whether it's the actual stone or simply the brilliant blue color. It is also a great chance for an anniversary trip to a seaside locale where the sapphire blues of the sea can be best appreciated. Great trip options include locales along the Mediterranean or the Caribbean sea.
70th Anniversary: Platinum
This major anniversary milestone is worthy of this durable and almost indestructible metal. Platinum rings are popular choices for celebrating seventy years, as are platinum watches and bracelets. You can also gift platinum housewares like candlesticks, vases and decorative objects made from this shiny metal.
80th Anniversary: Oak
The eightieth anniversary is among the rarest milestones, celebrated with oak — a symbol of strength and endurance, much like a marriage that has lasted this long. Traditional gift ideas include furniture or decorative objects crafted from sturdy oak. For a more personal touch, consider adopting an oak tree with a plaque honoring the couple, or placing an oak bench in a favorite public spot. DIY wood projects can also be a meaningful way to mark the occasion.
With wedding anniversary gifts by year, mark the year — not a checklist. Take the theme, choose something you’ll actually use, add one small shared moment and a quiet inscription, and you’ve got a gift that feels like yours now and when you look back next year.
For even more fun wedding anniversary gifts by year, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
