A Year-by-Year Guide to Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts (2023)

FAQs

What are traditional anniversary gifts by year? ›

1st Anniversary: Paper

On your first-ever anniversary, paper represents the traditional gift. The threads within paper symbolize the strength and connectivity of your blossoming relationship. Paper is also a blank slate, a reference to the beginnings of a new life together.

Celebration and gifts

These gifts vary in different countries, but some anniversary years now have well-established connections common to most nations: 5th Wood, 10th Tin, 15th Crystal, 20th China, 25th Silver, 30th Pearl, 35th Jade, 40th Ruby, 45th Sapphire, 50th Gold, 60th Diamond, and 70th Platinum.

Typically, milestone anniversaries come every 5 or 10 years, but of course the very first wedding anniversary is considered a milestone as well. Here are the most important anniversary milestones not to be missed: 1st Milestone Anniversary (theme: paper)

The first few years of your marriage up to 10 years are all considered major anniversary landmarks. After that, the big celebrations usually come every 5 and 10 years. The anniversary where the traditional gift starts becoming more precious is your 25th, when silver is the traditional material.

While there are countless divorce studies with conflicting statistics, the data points to two periods during a marriage when divorces are most common: years 1 – 2 and years 5 – 8. Of those two high-risk periods, there are two years in particular that stand out as the most common years for divorce — years 7 and 8.

An anniversary band is a wedding band, just given on an anniversary instead of your wedding day. Typically featuring a traditional band styling, an anniversary ring may feature diamond or gemstone accents, or be a solid gold or platinum band.

Modern Theme for 1st Anniversary Gifts: Clocks

The modern gift for the first anniversary is a clock, symbolising the timeless nature of love.

What are the anniversary colors? ›

1st Anniversary: Gold or Yellow. 2nd Anniversary: Red or Linen White. 3rd Anniversary: White or Jade Green. 4th Anniversary: Blue or Green.

Celebrate the Date

Use the number of years you've been together as the basis for the gift. For example, if you have been together for two years, chose a gift which has 'two items' to it – like, tickets for a show or the cinema. For three years, perhaps try drinks, dinner and dancing.

1st Anniversary: Gold or Yellow. 2nd Anniversary: Red or Linen White. 3rd Anniversary: White or Jade Green.

What Is the Traditional One-Year Anniversary Gift? The traditional first anniversary gift is paper, while the modern gift is a clock. Paper anniversary gifts symbolize the blank page your new marriage gives you, while a clock is said to mark the time you've spent together.

Traditionally, your one year wedding anniversary is the "paper" anniversary, meaning you're supposed to celebrate by giving each other paper-based gifts. While we love this notion, we also think there's nothing wrong with breaking with tradition by celebrating your first anniversary with a memorable experience instead.

The longest marriage ever was enjoyed by Herbert Fisher (USA, b. 1905) and Zelmyra Fisher (USA, b. 1907). The couple had been married for 86 years 290 days as of 27 February 2011, when Mr Fisher passed away.

An increase in distress around the anniversary of a traumatic event is commonly known as an "anniversary reaction" and can range from feeling mildly upset for a day or two to a more extreme reaction in which an individual experiences significant psychiatric or medical symptoms.

Milestone anniversaries occur every five years in the beginning, starting with five years of marriage and followed by the 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th anniversaries. After your three-decade milestone, it typically switches to every 10 years (40th, 50th, 60th anniversary and so on).

In most parts of the country, the deep winter months (January, February and March) are the least popular for weddings. In fact, only 5% of weddings take place during winter, according to our study. Per our data, 3% of weddings took place in December, 1% took place in January and 1% took place in February.

Most commonly, brides want to avoid the busiest dates to save on the expensive prices this demand can bring. This information can also be useful if you are planning a trivia game for your wedding reception. June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September and October.

What is the luckiest date to get married in 2022? ›

“The ideal age to get married, with the least likelihood of divorce in the first five years, is 28 to 32,” says Carrie Krawiec, a marriage and family therapist at Birmingham Maple Clinic in Troy, Michigan. “Called the 'Goldilocks theory,' the idea is that people at this age are not too old and not too young.”

What is the average length of marriage? On average, the length of a marriage in the U.S. is seven to eight years. Some states have a higher rate than others, but the divorce rate for the country is around 50%.

Some of the most common include disagreements over money, infidelity, lack of communication, passive aggressive behavior and more. Other reasons for divorce include longer life expectancy, which may compel older couples to divorce, or the mental and emotional strain that comes with having young children.

There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing, designing, or wearing engagement and wedding rings. You can wear none, one, two, three, or even more rings—just make sure that the ring (or rings) you choose to wear to symbolize your love and marriage will have enduring meaning for you for many years to come.

A Karma ring uses a combination of circles to symbolize the spiritual notion of "what goes around comes around".

1st anniversary – Carnation

The 1st wedding anniversary is always a time of excitement and joy as you celebrate your first year as a married couple together. And, because of their vibrant and youthful appearance, carnations are the traditional flower for this anniversary.

1st Anniversary: Carnation

Your first anniversary as a married couple is one of the most exciting times in both your lives! Celebrate your youthful and new love with a bouquet of carnations. Carnations, also known as Dianthus caryophyllus, are the traditional first wedding anniversary flowers.

Since carnations are often friendship flowers, they emphasize how a good bond is the basis of a strong marriage. Orange blossoms and pansies are also traditional first anniversary flowers, especially if they are in white to symbolize the purity of a love's beginning.

An anniversary commemorates one year, as the word comes from annual (or per annum). So, a monthiversary is a more accurate term for the one-month mark. It typically references a dating or marriage relationship. If a couple's first date is August 14^th, then their monthiversary is September 14^th.

How do I calculate my marriage? ›

As per the general rule, dates 1 and 9 of every month are best dates to get married for all persons born on any date. Also, if the destiny number of the marriage date is 1 or 9 (totaling all the digits in the given date) then the date is suitable for marriage for all people.

10th Anniversary - Tin. 11th Anniversary - Steel. 12th Anniversary - Silk & Fine Linen. 13th Anniversary - Lace.

This occasion calls for something truly special. The 30^th Anniversary is known as the Pearl Anniversary. A pearl starts out as a tiny bit of grit inside an oyster and slowly grows year after year gaining gorgeous luster, strength and beauty, just as a marriage does.

Traditional 14th Anniversary Gift: Ivory

Historically, the traditional 14-year anniversary gift is ivory.

An anniversary ring symbolizes a milestone in a marriage and is typically gifted on a wedding anniversary. Anniversary rings are typically worn stacked with your wedding and engagement ring. Anniversary bands serve as an opportunity to celebrate your commitment to one another now, and your years to come!

For your own wedding anniversary, we recommend a gift budget of around $100. For giving to others on their anniversaries, such as your parents milestone anniversaries, we recommend a gift of $25-$50.

1st Wedding Anniversary Gemstone: Gold

These include citrine, yellow topaz, golden South Sea cultured pearls, yellow sapphire, amber, zircon and even two garnet species: grossularite and spessartine.

It doesn't matter whether you are celebrating your 1st anniversary or your 10th, every anniversary that passes is a chance to look back and reflect how marriage has shaped you and your spouse. Taking a peek at the past, without letting it rule your lives, can be a significant part of understanding your relationship.

What is the first wedding anniversary called? ›

The name of a first anniversary in year one is Paper. Gifts can include stationery and a modern alternative is a clock. For year 2 it's cotton, but giving china is also acceptable. Year 3 is called leather and a present can include crystal or glass gifts.

If you're married or in a partnership, you'll be happy to know that you're most likely going to get an anniversary gift from your beloved. Nearly three quarters (74.2%) of married people buy their partner anniversary gifts, 20% only sometimes, and 6% not at all.

Absolutely! In fact, that might be an even better fit for your husband–bonus points if it's something you can do together to celebrate your anniversary. Especially if you both have busy schedules and don't often get much time alone, an experiential gift for just the two of you is an excellent choice.

"The first year of any relationship is by far one of the most important because it is during this time that couples get into healthy or unhealthy habits that can last throughout the relationship," psychologist Dr. Sal Raichbach PsyD, LCSW, tells Bustle.

For your first wedding anniversary, try something romantic and have a cozy movie night. Stay in each other's presence or sign up for an adventure sport together. Go for the classic vows renewal and relive your wedding day by visiting the same places.

1st Anniversary: Paper

On your first-ever anniversary, paper represents the traditional gift. The threads within paper symbolize the strength and connectivity of your blossoming relationship. Paper is also a blank slate, a reference to the beginnings of a new life together.

Milestone anniversaries occur every five years in the beginning, starting with five years of marriage and followed by the 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th anniversaries. After your three-decade milestone, it typically switches to every 10 years (40th, 50th, 60th anniversary and so on).

Traditionally, tin or aluminum is meant to commemorate the 10th wedding anniversary. Known for their resilience and inability to rust, they symbolize the durability of your marriage. But if you want to give—or receive—a bit more glamorous of a gift, you might prefer the more modern 10th-anniversary theme: diamonds.

Wedding anniversary names common to most nations include: Wooden (5th), Tin (10th), Crystal (15th), China (20th), Silver (25th), Pearl (30th), Ruby (40th), Golden (50th), and Diamond (60th).

How do you calculate an anniversary year? ›

An anniversary of 100 years is simply called a centenary.

25th anniversary: Silver. 50th anniversary: Gold. 75th Anniversary: Diamond white.

According to relationship therapist Aimee Hartstein, LCSW, as it turns out, the first year really is the hardest—even if you've already lived together. In fact, it often doesn't matter if you've been together for multiple years, the start of married life is still tricky.

According to etiquette, the traditional 10 year anniversary gifts for him are aluminum or tin items while the modern gift is diamonds. Of course, non-traditional gifts are always a good idea if diamonds or aluminum isn't his style.

The 11-year anniversary stone is turquoise, which symbolizes prosperity and makes for stylish fashion jewelry. The milestone's color is also turquoise—or, if you'd prefer, yellow. All that said, there's no reason why you can't get creative for the 11th wedding anniversary.

In fact, an anniversary ring can be worn on either hand and on any finger. It's entirely up to your personal preference! If you don't want to overwhelm the ring finger on your left hand by adding another ring, you can wear the new piece of jewelry on your right ring finger.