What is a 45 year marriage called?

A 45-year marriage is called the sapphire wedding anniversary. The name comes from the sapphire gemstone, which is the traditional and modern gift for the 45th year on UK anniversary lists.

What is the traditional gift for 45 years of marriage?

Sapphire is the traditional gift for 45 years of marriage, and it is the modern gift too. You can give a sapphire itself, or honour the theme with something blue, such as blue flowers, blue wrapping or a personalised keepsake.

What is the flower for a 45th wedding anniversary?

There is no single agreed flower for the 45th. Blue flowers are the natural choice because they match the sapphire theme, so irises, delphiniums or cornflowers make a fitting bouquet or table arrangement.

What colour is the 45th wedding anniversary?

Blue is the colour of the 45th wedding anniversary, taken from the classic deep blue of a sapphire. It is a simple theme to follow for cards, flowers, wrapping paper and table decorations.

What Is the 45th Wedding Anniversary? Sapphire Explained

The 45th wedding anniversary is the sapphire wedding anniversary, and sapphire is both the traditional and the modern gift. It marks forty-five years of marriage, sits between the ruby 40th and the golden 50th, and takes deep blue as its colour. Here is what the sapphire anniversary means, how to mark it and what to give.

At a glance: the 45th anniversary

Name: Sapphire wedding anniversary
Traditional gift: Sapphire
Modern gift: Sapphire
Colour: Blue
Flower: No widely agreed flower – blue flowers such as irises are a natural fit
Gemstone: Sapphire

Why is the 45th the sapphire anniversary?

Anniversary names grow in value and strength as the years go by, and sapphire earns its place. It is one of the hardest natural gemstones, rating 9 on the Mohs scale, second only to diamond. That toughness makes it a fitting symbol for a marriage that has lasted forty-five years. Sapphire has long been linked with loyalty and trust, and its deep blue colour gives the anniversary its theme. Sapphires come in many colours, but blue is the one most people picture, and it is the colour used for cards and decorations.

45th anniversary gifts: traditional and modern

On UK anniversary lists the 45th is one of the simpler years: sapphire is the traditional gift and the modern gift. Whether you search for the 45 year anniversary gift traditional and modern or the modern and traditional 45th anniversary gift, the answer is the same. You can see how it compares with the years around it in our full wedding anniversary gift list. Sapphire jewellery is the classic choice between spouses. Family and friends often follow the theme with something blue instead, or choose a personalised keepsake to mark the number.

Is 45 a big wedding anniversary?

The 45th is a milestone, but a quieter one. It falls five years after the ruby wedding and five years before the golden wedding, which most families save for the big celebration. That makes the sapphire anniversary a good moment for something more personal: a gift that reflects forty-five years together, a weekend away, or a meal with the people closest to the couple. If the 50th is likely to be a large party, the 45th can be the intimate one.

Things to do on your 45th wedding anniversary in the UK

A few ideas that suit the sapphire theme and a UK calendar:

Revisit where it began. Return to the church, register office or town where you married, or the place you spent your honeymoon.
Go coastal. Blue is the colour of the year, so a few days by the sea, from Cornwall to the Northumberland coast, fits nicely.
Host a blue-themed family lunch. Blue table linen, blue flowers and a cake with sapphire-blue details are easy to arrange at home.
Make a memory book. Gather photographs from each decade and ask family to add notes and stories.

For more ideas, see our guide to marking the milestone anniversaries.

Sapphire anniversary gifts we make

A few handmade pieces from our 45th anniversary gifts collection that suit forty-five years together. Both scrapbooks can be engraved with a year from 1 to 50, so they work for the 45th.

"Your Year" Ago We Said I Do Scrapbook£24.14

Engraved Anniversary Scrapbook (Years 1–50)£24.14

Moon And Back Hammered Pendant£35.64

Cast Metal Rose£32.19

Frequently asked questions

What is a 45 year marriage called?: A 45-year marriage is called the sapphire wedding anniversary. The name comes from the sapphire gemstone, which is the traditional and modern gift for the 45th year on UK anniversary lists.
What is the traditional gift for 45 years of marriage?: Sapphire is the traditional gift for 45 years of marriage, and it is the modern gift too. You can give a sapphire itself, or honour the theme with something blue, such as blue flowers, blue wrapping or a personalised keepsake.
Is 45 a big wedding anniversary?: Yes. The 45th is a milestone anniversary, falling between the ruby 40th and the golden 50th. It is usually celebrated more quietly than those two, which makes it a good year for a meaningful gift or a family meal rather than a big party.
What is the flower for a 45th wedding anniversary?: There is no single agreed flower for the 45th. Blue flowers are the natural choice because they match the sapphire theme, so irises, delphiniums or cornflowers make a fitting bouquet or table arrangement.
What colour is the 45th wedding anniversary?: Blue is the colour of the 45th wedding anniversary, taken from the classic deep blue of a sapphire. It is a simple theme to follow for cards, flowers, wrapping paper and table decorations.