Wedding anniversary gifts by year: names and ideas

Every wedding anniversary has a name, and behind the name sits a simple idea: the longer the marriage, the stronger and more precious the material. You start with paper, fragile like every beginning, and end up with diamond, which nothing can scratch. People love the tradition because it gives the gift a theme, and a theme helps a lot when you're standing in front of a shop window with no ideas at all.

An honest caveat: the names below follow the traditional English list, but lists vary from source to source and from country to country. Some years have two names, others three. In Italy, for example, the 40th is the emerald anniversary rather than the ruby. Treat them as a starting point, not a rule to follow to the letter.

Anniversary names, year by year

Year	Name	A gift idea
1	Paper	A handwritten letter, a photo album, tickets for a trip
2	Cotton	Lovely bed linen, a sofa throw, matching aprons
3	Leather	A belt, a wallet, a leather bag
4	Linen (or fruit and flowers)	A flower subscription, a plant to look after together
5	Wood	An engraved chopping board, a frame, a tree to plant
6	Iron (or sugar)	A cast-iron pot, a box of sweets from your town
7	Wool (or copper)	A jumper, a scarf, two blankets for winter evenings
8	Bronze	A small bronze piece, a print or sculpture you both love
9	Pottery (or willow)	A pottery class for two, a handmade vase
10	Tin (or aluminium)	A vintage tin, a memory box
11	Steel	A steel watch, a sturdy kitchen knife
12	Silk	A tie or a silk scarf, a dressing gown
13	Lace	Something delicate in lace, a vintage tablecloth
14	Ivory	Ivory-coloured stationery, a cream cashmere throw
15	Crystal	Engraved glasses, a glass photo frame
20	China	A tea set, a hand-painted mug
25	Silver	A piece of silver jewellery, a party with old friends
30	Pearl	A string of pearls, earrings, a trip to the seaside
35	Coral (or jade)	Coral or jade jewellery, an island holiday
40	Ruby	A ruby ring, dinner somewhere truly special
45	Sapphire	Sapphire jewellery, the trip you've been putting off for years
50	Gold	Gold jewellery, a party with children and grandchildren
55	Emerald	An emerald piece, a garden planted in green
60	Diamond	A diamond, or a keepsake that gathers the whole family

The in-between years, such as the 16th, 17th or 22nd, also have names in some lists, but they're less well known and change often.

The early years: paper, cotton, leather

The first anniversaries are the ones you celebrate light-heartedly. First-year paper is an invitation to write: a letter about how the year went, with the lovely things and the funny ones too (the wardrobe assembled upside down, the first row about the thermostat). Second-year cotton speaks of home and everyday life; third-year leather of something you wear and wear in together.

In these years the gift can be small: remembering the date matters more than spending a lot.

The silver, pearl and ruby milestones

The silver anniversary (25 years) is the first big milestone, when couples often throw a party or renew their vows. The pearl anniversary (30) evokes something that forms slowly, layer by layer, like a marriage built day by day. The ruby anniversary (40) has the colour of a passion that, apparently, hasn't gone out; five years later comes sapphire (45), a stone as deep and steady as the years behind it.

For these milestones, gifts that involve other people work well: children organising a dinner, friends gathering photos and messages, a trip you've been postponing for years.

Gold and diamond: when the gift is the story

At the golden anniversary (50 years) and the diamond (60), the object almost takes a back seat. A couple who've spent half a century together usually have everything, except one thing: hearing their own story told back to them. This is where family albums, interviews recorded by the grandchildren, and a party with the people who were there on the wedding day really make sense.

An anniversary song: the gift that suits every year

There's one gift that works as well for paper as for gold, because it depends not on the material but on you: an anniversary song written from your story. Tell us how you met, your first trip, the phrase you always say to each other, the name of the dog or the children. The lyrics grow out of that, and you read them before the music: you can edit them however you like or ask for a rewrite.

Then two musical versions come out, in the genre you prefer (an acoustic ballad, a jazz number, something pop), and you choose the right one. You listen to the preview for free and only pay if you want to unlock the full song. It arrives as a link to a gift page where the lyrics scroll in time with the music, or as a printable card with a QR code: for a paper anniversary, that's an almost perfect match.

If it's your parents' or grandparents' anniversary, you can make one as their child or grandchild: take a look at the song for grandparents. If you're still counting in months, there's the monthiversary song. And for those yet to walk down the aisle, there's the wedding song.

A few tips to get it right

• Don't get stuck on the material: if leather doesn't inspire you, the third anniversary can be celebrated perfectly well with something else.
• Combine theme and memory: a wooden chopping board engraved with your wedding date is worth more than any old board.
• Think experiences: a weekend back where you honeymooned beats almost any object.
• Always write a couple of lines: even the loveliest gift gains a lot from a sincere card. If words fail you, here's how to write a love message.

In the end, the anniversary's name is just an excuse. What matters is saying, once again, "I'd choose you all over again".