Wedding Anniversary Years And Gifts: The Full UK List

Wedding anniversary years and gifts

Every anniversary has a traditional material attached to it, and most people only look it up the week before. Here is the whole list, plus what the material actually translates to when you are buying a present in 2026.

The traditional list is a prompt, not a rule. Nobody has ever been disappointed to receive something thoughtful that was made of the wrong substance.

Anniversary cards

Anniversary cards from the range, printed and posted from the UK.

Elegant wedding anniversary card for a daughter and son-in-law, featuring an illustration of a loving couple. Anniversary Card For Daughter And Son In Law £2.75 An illustrated wedding anniversary card for son and daughter-in-law featuring two people in love on the front. Anniversary Card For Son And Daughter In Law £2.75 I Still Fancy You Peach Emoji Anniversary Card I Still Fancy You Peach Emoji Anniversary Card £3.87 Wifey For Lifey Huge Text Anniversary Card Wifey For Lifey Huge Text Anniversary Card £3.75 I Still Fancy You Eggplant Emoji Anniversary Card I Still Fancy You Eggplant Emoji Anniversary Card £3.87 365 Days Still Not Bored Anniversary Card 365 Days Still Not Bored Anniversary Card £3.87

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Years one to ten

  • 1st - Paper. A card, a framed print, tickets to something.
  • 2nd - Cotton. Bedding, a decent throw, matching pyjamas if you are that couple.
  • 3rd - Leather. A wallet, a belt, a notebook cover.
  • 4th - Linen or fruit. Table linen, or a hamper.
  • 5th - Wood. A chopping board, a planted tree, a wooden keepsake.
  • 6th - Iron or sugar. Cast iron pan, or something baked.
  • 7th - Wool or copper. A blanket, or copper kitchenware.
  • 8th - Bronze or pottery. A handmade mug or bowl.
  • 9th - Pottery or willow. A ceramic piece, or a picnic basket.
  • 10th - Tin or aluminium. Traditionally tin, usually now jewellery or a trip away.

Years eleven to twenty-five

  • 11th - Steel. 12th - Silk. 13th - Lace. 14th - Ivory, now usually gold.
  • 15th - Crystal. Glassware or a crystal ornament.
  • 20th - China. A dinner set, or a china keepsake.
  • 25th - Silver. The first big one: silver jewellery, a silver frame, a party.

The big milestone years

  • 30th - Pearl.
  • 35th - Coral. 40th - Ruby.
  • 45th - Sapphire. 50th - Gold.
  • 55th - Emerald. 60th - Diamond.
  • 65th - Blue sapphire. 70th - Platinum.

What to buy when the material is awkward

  • Turn it into a card design rather than a gift - a wooden anniversary card for five years, for instance.
  • Use the material as the colour theme for flowers or wrapping instead of the present itself.
  • Skip it entirely for the big years and give the thing they will actually use: a night away, a meal out, a framed photo.
  • For a parents' anniversary, a photo of their wedding day reprinted and framed beats almost anything on the list.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Write the year on the card - it becomes the record of the date for the next anniversary.
  • For a parents' or grandparents' anniversary, ask for their wedding photo first and build the gift around it.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What is the 25th wedding anniversary called?

Silver. The 40th is ruby, the 50th is gold and the 60th is diamond.

Do you have to follow the traditional anniversary list?

No. It is a useful prompt when you are stuck, but a gift they actually want beats a technically correct one made of tin.

What is the 1st wedding anniversary gift?

Paper. In practice that means a good card, a framed print, a photo book or tickets to something.

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