Classic Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas by Year

Saying "I do" is just the beginning of a long and happy life together. Celebrate every trip around the sun with these fun and creative gift ideas to let your one and only know you still care — no matter how much time has gone by. Traditional and modern gifts, as well as color themes and gemstones, are listed below (where applicable) for inspiration to make your sweetie feel special! After 30 years of wedded bliss, the themes, colors and gifts come around every five years — the perfect excuse to create your own tokens of affection and find even more personal and wonderful ways to say, "I love you." Happy anniversary and congratulations! 1-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Paper Modern Gift: Clocks Color: Gold or Yellow Gemstone: Gold Gift Idea: Go simple and write your BFF and partner in crime a love note letting him or her know what you've treasured most about your first year together. 2-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Cotton Modern Gift: China Color: Red Gemstone: Garnet Gift Idea: Surprise your significant other with a t-shirt with his or her alma mater, favorite sports team or order a "bride" and "groom" set to wear around town. 3-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Leather Modern Gift: Crystal or Glass Color: Jade or White Gemstone: Pearl Gift Idea: Delight your loved one with a crystal or glass frame with a picture from your wedding day alongside a recent picture. 4-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Fruit or Flowers Modern Gift: Appliances Color: Blue or Green Gemstone: Blue Topaz Gift Idea: Whether you go with a beautiful fruit or flower arrangement delivered to the house or office, or spring for a new dishwasher — it's a total win, win! 5-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Wood Modern Gift: Silverware Color: Blue, Pink or Turquoise Gemstone: Sapphire Gift Idea: Celebrate your love by planting a tree in your yard or public space and enjoy watching it grow together. 6-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Iron Modern Gift: Wood Objects Color: Purple, White or Turquoise Gemstone: Amethyst Gift Idea: An iron monogram art piece would look stunning in your bedroom, kitchen or outdoor area. 7-Year Anniversary Gifts Traditional Gift: Copper or Wool Modern Gift: Desk set Color: Yellow or Off-white Gemstone: Onyx Gift Idea: Your partner will think of you every time they get to work when you surprise them with stylish items for their office.. If the wool gift is more your style, make or find a warm blanket to keep both of you warm on movie night. 8-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Bronze or Pottery Modern Gift: Linen or lace Color: Bronze Gemstone: Tourmaline Gift Idea: Sign up for a pottery class and make beautiful works of art for each other. 9-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Willow or Pottery Modern Gift: Leather Color: Terracotta Gemstone: Lapiz Lazuli Gift Idea: Why not give your favorite travel buddy a leather passport cover with their initials, then get busy planning your next adventure! 10-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Aluminum or Tin Modern Gift: Diamond Jewelry Color: Silver or Blue Gemstone: Diamond Gift Idea: This one is easy — go for diamond anything for a sure-to-please gift or pick out some new Christmas ornaments to symbolize your decade of love. 11-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Steel Modern Gift: Fashion Jewelry Color: Turquoise Gemstone: Turquoise Gift Idea: Keep your better half protected all year with the gift of turquoise. One of the oldest charms against evil, turquoise brings good health, fortune and peace. 12-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Silk or Linen Modern Gift: Pearl Color: Oyster White Gemstone: Jade Gift Idea: The 12-year anniversary gives you tons of options. Pearls (real or imitation) never go out of style or pick up some matching pajamas and really up the cute factor. 13-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Lace Modern Gift: Textiles or Furs Color: White Gemstone: Citrine Gift Idea: Go with the textile theme and buy new sheets for the bed, towels for the bathroom, or placemats for the kitchen table. 14-Year Anniversary Gifts Traditional Gift: Ivory Modern Gift: Gold Jewelry Color: Ivory Gemstone: Opal Gift Idea: Opal jewelry can be a perfect gift! Just as significant as gold, these stunning gems represent unification, eternity and perfection. Or play off of the elephant theme with a day trip to the zoo. 15-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Crystal Modern Gift: Watch Color: Red Gemstone: Ruby Gift Idea: Keep it simple and beautiful with his or her favorite flowers in a crystal vase or go all out and celebrate your great "times" together with matching watches. 16-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Silverware Modern Gift: Wax Color: Silver or Emerald Green Gemstone: Peridot Gift Idea: Purchase a new serving platter or visit a make your own candle store and bring home the perfect gift. 17-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Furniture Color: Yellow Gemstone: Carnelian Gift Idea: If your couch, mattress or rug is still around after 17 years of wedded bliss, this anniversary is the perfect excuse to get something new! 18-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Porcelain Color: Blue Gemstone: Cat's Eye, Opal, Aquamarine Gift Idea: Add to your kitchen gadgets with a porcelain mortar and pestle set and try your hand at making homemade pesto, dressings or hummus. Yum! 19-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Bronze Color: Bronze Gemstone: Aquamarine Gift Idea: A modern twist on number 19 is jade. Challenge yourselves to find a restaurant with "Jade" in the name and order take out or dress up and enjoy a night out. 20-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: China Modern Gift: Platinum Color: Emerald Green Gemstone: Emerald Gift Idea: Replace your dishware with something that reflects your style as a couple. Splurge on a cool china pattern or go with an everyday set to stylishly mark 20 years together. 21-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Nickle Modern Gift: Fire theme Color: Orange Gemstone: Lolite Gift Idea: There's a lot to work with on this hot anniversary. Enjoy dinner by candlelight, a fire pit with friends or make an enviable s'mores platter for two. 22-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Copper Modern Gift: Water theme Color: Green Gemstone: Spinel Gift Idea: With water as the theme, the living is easy! Take a trip to the beach or lake, rent a kayak or paddleboard or find new "his" and "her" water bottles. 23-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Silver Plate Modern Gift: Air theme Color: Silver Gemstone: Imperial Topaz Gift Idea: Let your love take flight on a hot air balloon ride, hop a plane for a surprise getaway weekend or purchase Chinese lanterns and watch them take to the sky. Very romantic. 24-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Opal Modern Gift: Musical Instruments Color: Lavender Gemstone: Tanzanite Gift Idea: Twenty-four years of wedded bliss is the perfect excuse for a night out to see a favorite band, make each other an old school "mix" tape or head to the symphony. Extra points for writing your muse an original love song! 25-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Sterling Silver Color: Silver Gemstone: Silver Gift Idea: Spending a quarter of a century in love is worth celebrating your "silver anniversary." For the dashing couple, treat him to a pair of cufflinks and silver earrings for her. 26-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Artwork/Photographs Color: None Gemstone: None Gift Idea: Create a personal photobook for each other filled with your favorite memories and adventures you've shared along the way. 27-Year Anniversary Modern Gift: Sculpture Color: None Gemstone: None Gift Idea: Head to your local museum and hold hands as you explore fine works of art. Stop by the gift shop and purchase a memento to remember the occasion. 28-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Orchids Color: Lavender Gemstone: Amethyst Gift Idea: This is the perfect occasion to get outside and explore a botanical garden. Plus, lots of fab picture opportunities! 30-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Pearl Modern Gift: Diamond Color: Green Gemstone: Pearl Gift Idea: Go with pearl or mother-of-pearl jewelry, frames, knives or picture frame. 35-Year Anniversary Traditional Gift: Coral Modern Gift: Jade Color: Coral Gemstone: Emerald Gift Idea: Grab your bathing suits and dive deep or reserve your chair on the cruise deck and go on a second honeymoon for your "coral" anniversary. 40-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Ruby Color: Red Gemstone: Ruby Gift Idea: Jewelry is a popular go-to gift after 40 years or head to the local wine shop and pick up a bottle of red wine as timeless, special and spicy as your love. 45-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Sapphire Color: Blue or Red Gemstone: Sapphire Gift Idea: Make your 45th anniversary colorful with a bouquet of flowers or new plants and shrubs for your home. 50-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Gold Color: Gold Gemstone: Gold or Imperial Topaz Gift Idea: Congrats, you made it to 50 years together! That is quite an accomplishment. The gold theme can offer lots of options for the perfect gift. Go traditional with jewelry or a gold plate with your wedding date engraved or opt for a smaller memento like a Christmas tree ornament. 55-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Emerald Color: Emerald Green Gemstone: Alexandrite Gift Idea: Relive the moment where it all began by ordering a delicious cake to share with green champagne flutes. Extra points for using the cake cutter from your wedding. 60-Year Anniversary Traditional and Modern Gift: Diamond Color: Diamond White Gemstone: Diamond Gift Idea: Wow, 60 years later and still in love. You know this person better than anyone else on the planet. Take time to make a special list of 60 attributes you love about your significant other. Guaranteed to tug at the heartstrings. Anniversaries are milestones in your ever-growing love and relationship, celebrate each and every year with something special. Courtney McLaughlin is a freelance writer in Charlotte, N.C. She gratefully shares her life, home and heart with her daughter and their dog.

Classic Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas by Year

1-Year Anniversary

2-Year Anniversary

3-Year Anniversary

4-Year Anniversary

5-Year Anniversary

Sample Sign Ups

6-Year Anniversary

7-Year Anniversary Gifts

8-Year Anniversary

9-Year Anniversary

10-Year Anniversary

11-Year Anniversary

12-Year Anniversary

13-Year Anniversary

14-Year Anniversary Gifts

15-Year Anniversary

16-Year Anniversary

17-Year Anniversary

Sample Sign Ups

18-Year Anniversary

19-Year Anniversary

20-Year Anniversary

21-Year Anniversary

22-Year Anniversary

23-Year Anniversary

24-Year Anniversary

25-Year Anniversary

26-Year Anniversary

27-Year Anniversary

28-Year Anniversary

30-Year Anniversary

35-Year Anniversary

40-Year Anniversary

45-Year Anniversary

50-Year Anniversary

55-Year Anniversary

60-Year Anniversary

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