For birthdays, weddings, baby showers, and other celebrations, family and friends can be quite creative with their gift-giving. However, wedding anniversaries have specific traditions! If you have an anniversary coming up, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the rules. After reading this article, whether a couple is celebrating one year or fifty years of marriage, you’ll know what kind of gift to give them.
The world of wedding anniversary gifts can be a bit complicated, and understanding the traditional rules is just part of the equation. It’s also important to know what the popular gifts are today! So, here’s a guide to both traditional and modern-day wedding anniversary gifts.
For the first fifteen years of marriage, there are specific gift ideas for every year. After that, it gets a little simpler. Let’s discuss the best wedding anniversary gifts for those key years.
Key Wedding Anniversary Gifts
First Wedding Anniversary Traditionally, a couple in their first year of marriage receives paper. But the modern gift for the first wedding anniversary is a clock! You can choose anything from a cuckoo clock to a more modern alarm clock with a radio, or even an antique clock. It’s no surprise that friends and family want to help the couple keep track of time, as the first year of marriage can be a chaotic period with many changes.
Fifth Anniversary By the fifth year, the couple has overcome many obstacles, and there are two distinct gift options to celebrate. Traditionally, wood is the theme for the fifth anniversary. Gifts might include plants, pine-scented candles, furniture, or even simple logs for the fire! In modern times, it’s common for the couple to receive silverware or unique silver items, such as coins.
Tenth Anniversary The tenth anniversary is a major milestone, and the traditional gift is typically made of tin or aluminum. You might consider items like jewelry boxes or vases. For the 21st century, diamond jewelry has become a popular gift, though it can be a bit pricier.
Fifteenth Anniversary For a couple celebrating fifteen years of marriage, the traditional gift is crystal, but watches are also a modern favorite.
Twentieth Anniversary A 20th wedding anniversary is significant, especially in today’s world where half of marriages don’t last. Traditionally, the theme is china, so gifts could include picture frames, plates, or salt and pepper shakers. For modern gifts, platinum is the theme, which could include platinum jewelry or collectable items.
Twenty-Fifth Anniversary The 25th wedding anniversary often gets the most attention. The traditional and modern gift theme is silver.
Thirtieth Anniversary For a 30th wedding anniversary, pearls (often in the form of jewelry) are the traditional gift. However, diamonds are a more popular choice today.
Thirty-Fifth Anniversary The 35th anniversary gifts are especially interesting. Traditionally, coral was the gift, but today, jade is very popular.
Fortieth Anniversary For a 40th anniversary, ruby is the theme for both traditional and modern gifts.
Forty-Fifth Anniversary On the 45th anniversary, sapphire is the traditional gift, and this hasn’t changed over the years.
Fiftieth Anniversary The 50th wedding anniversary is the ultimate milestone! The gift theme is gold, which suits this incredible achievement.
There are traditional and modern gifts for every wedding anniversary up to the 100th year, if you can believe it! The themes from fifty years and beyond range from diamonds to pearls, and for a 100th wedding anniversary, the theme is a 10k diamond.
So, if you’ve been invited to a wedding anniversary or will be in the future, now you’ll know exactly where to shop for that perfect gift.
