Anniversary gifts by year, from paper to diamond
The traditional and modern gift for every wedding anniversary from the 1st to the 60th, an idea for each year, and a book whose cover says which one it is.
Anniversary gifts by year
The traditional gift for each year, the modern one, and an idea that makes it personal.
| Year | Traditional | Modern |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper Love letters, a map print of where you met, or a book of reasons. | Clocks |
| 2nd | Cotton A soft throw stitched with your wedding date, or new bedding for two. | China |
| 3rd | Leather A leather journal with the first page already written, or a weekend bag. | Crystal and glass |
| 4th | Fruit and flowers A fruit tree to plant together, or flowers delivered every month for a year. | Appliances |
| 5th | Wood A wooden keepsake box with five things inside, one for each year. | Silverware |
| 6th | Sugar and iron A cast-iron pan and the recipe from your first home together. | Wood |
| 7th | Wool and copper A wool blanket for winter nights, or a pair of copper mugs. | Desk sets |
| 8th | Bronze Bronze bookends for the books you've shared, or good linen napkins. | Linens and lace |
| 9th | Pottery and willow A pottery class for two, or a willow tree for the backyard. | Leather |
| 10th | Tin and aluminum A tin of ten folded notes, one memory from each year. | Diamond jewelry |
| 11th | Steel A steel watch engraved with your wedding date. | Fashion jewelry |
| 12th | Silk and linen Silk pajamas, or linen bedding for slow Sunday mornings. | Pearls |
| 13th | Lace Something with lace, or a cozy faux-fur throw. | Textiles and furs |
| 14th | Ivory Anything ivory-colored (never real ivory), or a piece of gold jewelry. | Gold jewelry |
| 15th | Crystal Crystal glasses for a toast, or a watch with the date on the back. | Watches |
| 20th | China A china tea set, or a platinum ring for the next twenty years. | Platinum |
| 25th | Silver A silver frame holding your wedding photo and one from this year. | Silver |
| 30th | Pearl Pearl earrings or cufflinks, and a reason from every year you've had. | Diamond |
| 35th | Coral A jade plant that keeps growing, or coral-colored roses. | Jade |
| 40th | Ruby Ruby jewelry, or a bottle of ruby port to open together. | Ruby |
| 45th | Sapphire Sapphire jewelry, or a trip somewhere with deep blue water. | Sapphire |
| 50th | Gold A book of reasons from the whole family, children and grandchildren included. | Gold |
| 55th | Emerald Emerald jewelry, or a trip to the Emerald Isle. | Emerald |
| 60th | Diamond A party with everyone who's here because the two of you met. | Diamond |
Whatever the year, the cover says it
Years of Reasons is a book of fifty reasons you love them, one per page, written from your memories, with the two of you illustrated on the cover in the style you choose. Pick the year and the cover says it: our 1st year, our 10th, our 25th.
For a first anniversary it is the paper gift. For every other year it sits alongside the traditional one: give it with a tin of ten notes, a silver frame or a bunch of carnations. Digital $12 (£9), hardcover $49 (£39).
Years of Reasons
Mei · our 25th year
Why the gifts get stronger each year
The traditional list starts with paper and ends with diamond, and that's the idea behind it: each material is a little stronger and longer lasting than the one before, the way a marriage is. Paper for a new start, wood at five once you've put down roots, tin at ten for bending without breaking, silver at 25 and gold at 50.
The modern list is newer and leans toward jewelry and things for the home. Neither is a rule, and the lists differ a little by country: British lists often give cotton for the first anniversary and paper for the second.
If a material doesn't suit you, use it to hold the gift instead: a wooden box for five notes, a silver frame for a photo, a tin for ten memories. The words inside are what they'll keep.
Questions people ask
More ideas: paper anniversary gifts, 10 year anniversary gifts, what to write in an anniversary card and our anniversary books.
What are the traditional anniversary gifts by year?+
Paper for the 1st, cotton for the 2nd, leather for the 3rd, fruit and flowers for the 4th, wood for the 5th, tin for the 10th, crystal for the 15th, china for the 20th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, ruby for the 40th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th. The full list is above.
What's the difference between traditional and modern anniversary gifts?+
The traditional list is older and runs through materials, from paper to gold. The modern list is newer and leans toward jewelry and things for the home, like clocks for the 1st and diamond jewelry for the 10th. Plenty of couples mix the two.
Which anniversary is silver, and which is gold?+
Silver is the 25th anniversary and gold is the 50th. Ruby is the 40th, and diamond the 60th.
Do we have to follow the traditional gifts?+
No. They're a prompt, not a rule. A personal gift usually means more, like a book of fifty reasons with the year on the cover, and you can still give it with something from the list.
Can the book be for a dating anniversary?+
Yes. The cover says "our 1st year", "our 5th year" and so on, so it suits any anniversary you count, married or not.
How much is the book?+
The digital book is $12 (£9), the softcover $29 (£22) and the hardcover $49 (£39). Printed books include the digital book. Ordering is open: make your book, read every page, then order the digital book or a printed copy.