Wedding Anniversary Gift List – Traditional and Modern
There are the traditional and modern materials related to each wedding anniversary, usually progressing from the weakest to the strongest as the years go by, to symbolise the strengthening of the relationship. You can see the full lists below. If you want to find a full explanation of why each material has been chosen for each year and their meanings, visit our articles & ideas page.
Before the 1930s not all wedding anniversaries had a material representing the year. Only the first anniversary and milestone anniversaries such as 5th, 10th, 20th, 25th, 50th and 75th had a gift suggestion. Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home by Emily Post, published in 1922, contained suggestions for these milestones. Over the years more materials have been added and the list updated and modernised.
The UK list featured below is what is now considered the list to go by. The traditional and modern US versions below were compiled by librarians at the Chicago Public Library in 2000, and are based on the American National Retail Jeweler Association's list published in 1937.
A lot of research has gone into creating these lists to ensure they are correct. Browse the traditional and modern materials below — click your year to see our handmade gifts for that anniversary.
| Traditional UK | Traditional US | Modern US |
|---|---|---|
| 1st – Paper | 1st – Paper | 1st – Clocks |
| 2nd – Cotton | 2nd – Cotton | 2nd – China |
| 3rd – Leather | 3rd – Leather | 3rd – Crystal / Glass |
| 4th – Linen / Flowers What Is the 4th Wedding Anniversary? | 4th – Linen (Silk) | 4th – Appliances |
| 5th – Wooden | 5th – Wood | 5th – Silverware |
| 6th – Iron | 6th – Iron | 6th – Wood objects |
| 7th – Copper / Wool | 7th – Wool / Copper | 7th – Desk sets |
| 8th – Bronze / Pottery | 8th – Bronze | 8th – Linen, Lace |
| 9th – Pottery / Willow | 9th – Pottery (China) | 9th – Leather goods |
| 10th – Tin / Aluminium What Is the 10th Wedding Anniversary? | 10th – Tin / Aluminum | 10th – Diamond |
| 11th – Steel What Is the 11th Wedding Anniversary? | 11th – Steel | 11th – Fashion jewellery |
| 12th – Silk & Fine Linen | 12th – Silk | 12th – Pearls, coloured gems |
| 13th – Lace | 13th – Lace | 13th – Textiles |
| 14th – Ivory | 14th – Ivory | 14th – Gold jewellery |
| 15th – Crystal | 15th – Crystal | 15th – Watches |
| 16th – (see all years) | — | 16th – Silver holloware |
| 17th – (see all years) | — | 17th – Furniture |
| 18th – (see all years) | — | 18th – Porcelain |
| 19th – (see all years) | — | 19th – Bronze |
| 20th – China | 20th – China | 20th – Platinum |
| 21st – (see all years) What Is the 21st Wedding Anniversary? | — | 21st – Brass, Nickel |
| 22nd – (see all years) | — | 22nd – Copper |
| 23rd – (see all years) What Is the 23rd Wedding Anniversary? | — | 23rd – Silverplate |
| 24th – (see all years) | — | 24th – Musical instruments |
| 25th – Silver | 25th – Silver | 25th – Sterling Silver |
| 26th – (see all years) | — | 26th – Original pictures |
| 27th – (see all years) | — | 27th – Sculpture |
| 28th – (see all years) | — | 28th – Orchids |
| 29th – (see all years) | — | 29th – New furniture |
| 30th – Pearl | 30th – Pearl | 30th – Diamond |
| 31st – (see all years) | — | 31st – Timepieces |
| 32nd – (see all years) | — | 32nd – Conveyances |
| 33rd – (see all years) | — | 33rd – Amethyst |
| 34th – (see all years) | — | 34th – Opal |
| 35th – Coral | 35th – Coral / Jade | 35th – Jade |
| 36th – (see all years) | — | 36th – Bone china |
| 37th – (see all years) | — | 37th – Alabaster |
| 38th – (see all years) | — | 38th – Beryl, Tourmaline |
| 39th – (see all years) | — | 39th – Lace |
| 40th – Ruby | 40th – Ruby | 40th – Ruby |
| 41st–44th – (see all years) | — | 41st – Land 42nd – Improved real estate 43rd – Travel 44th – Groceries |
| 45th – (see 26+) | 45th – Sapphire | 45th – Sapphire |
| 46th–49th – (see all years) | — | 46th – Original poetry 47th – Books 48th – Optical goods 49th – Luxuries |
| 50th – Gold | 50th – Gold | 50th – Gold |
| — | 55th – Emerald | 55th – Emerald |
| 60th – Diamond | 60th – Diamond | 60th – Diamond |
| 65th – Blue Sapphire | — | — |
| 70th – Platinum | — | — |
| 75th – — | 75th – Diamond, gold | — |
| 80th – Oak | — | 80th – Diamond, Pearl |
| 85th – Wine | — | 85th – Diamond, Sapphire |
| 90th – Stone | — | 90th – Diamond, Emerald |
| — | — | 95th – Diamond, Ruby |
| — | — | 100th – 10-carat Diamond |
Buying a traditional gift for your wedding anniversary is very important. Each anniversary material has its own unique meaning which represents the stage you are at in your marriage — the meaning may relate to you personally and provide a really thoughtful touch to the task of buying anniversary gifts.