Traditionally, certain wedding anniversaries have specific materials associated with them. While there are different modern lists that have roots in the US, we’ve kept it simple with our full list of traditional UK wedding anniversary themes, as well as gift ideas for each!
The List
Here is the full list of traditional wedding anniversary milestones. (Keep reading for the full wedding anniversary gift guide.)
1st Anniversary – Paper
2nd Anniversary – Cotton
3rd Anniversary – Leather
4th Anniversary – Linen
5th Anniversary – Wood
6th Anniversary – Iron
7th Anniversary – Copper
8th Anniversary – Bronze
9th Anniversary – Pottery
10th Anniversary – Tin
11th Anniversary – Steel
12th Anniversary – Silk
13th Anniversary – Lace
14th Anniversary – Ivory
15th Anniversary – Crystal
20th Anniversary – China
25th Anniversary – Silver
30th Anniversary – Pearl
35th Anniversary – Coral
40th Anniversary – Ruby
50th Anniversary – Gold
60th Anniversary – Diamond
65th Anniversary – Blue Sapphire
70th Anniversary – Platinum
80th Anniversary – Oak
85th Anniversary – Wine
90th Anniversary – Stone
Yearly Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas
Paper
The first wedding anniversary gift is affordable and can come in all sorts of forms. Handmade cards, art commissions or even tickets for a live performance, they can all be given as a paper wedding anniversary gift.
Cotton
This is a very practical theme. Think bedding, socks and matching dressing gowns – something that can be used for years to come.
Leather
Here’s another very practical, long lasting material. Leather gifts can include bags, wallets, purses and belts as well as boots and covered journals. Vegan leather is also available on loads of products now too, so this theme is suitable for any couple.
Linen
For a linen wedding anniversary we’re thinking cushion covers, posh pyjamas and tapestries. Having a personalised tapestry with your names or a ‘story so far’ framed design is perfect.
Wood
There are personalised wooden plaques, handmade coasters and beautiful driftwood pieces to be found for this anniversary. Our favourite has to be a wooden photo frame though.
Iron
For the iron anniversary, you have the option to be practical or do something fancy. There are iron hearts, iron bowls and iron pans as well as book ends and the more traditional horseshoe.
Copper
Copper has become more popular in recent years, so there are lots of gifts to choose from. The copper pipe candlesticks are one of our favourites.
Bronze
For a bronze wedding anniversary, ornaments and keyrings are the most popular choices. Most of the keyrings we’ve found can be personalised too.
Pottery
Pottery is one of our favourite anniversaries. Think teapots, sculptures and ornate bowls. You could even go a step further and purchase a gift for a pottery class.
Tin
This is a simple anniversary to find a gift for. Lots of things come in tins! If you want to create something personal, try scrubbing the labels off a tin or two from your cupboard and planting succulents in them.
Steel
Along with the personalised spoons and keyrings, steel blade knives are a popular choice for the steel wedding anniversary. And if you’re feeling sentimental, you can always personalise your gift with the words “I steel love you”!
Silk
Silk is a luxurious anniversary. Think silk pyjamas, flowers, scarves and fancy bedding for this one. If you’re looking for something less extravagant, wrapping any gift with a silk bow will cover it.
Lace
While underwear is the most obvious choice for this anniversary it may not always be the most practical gift. Lace can be found in lots of places, from curtains to tablecloths, even bookmarks and on scarves. Our favourite is a lace pattern etched into a wine glass.
Ivory
While the ivory wedding anniversary is meant to contain real ivory, we strongly advise against it. Choose something ivory in colour, or even elephant themed for this year. There are so many options!
Crystal
There are lots of crystal gifts to choose from, but our favourite will always be the crystal glasses. There is also the option of jewellery, or even an actual crystal!
China
China tea sets are the most obvious gift for the china wedding anniversary. There are delicate sets with ornate patterns or more modern personalised options too. If you’d like to do something different, try looking at china ornaments and jewellery.
Silver
The silver wedding anniversary gives lots of options. From spoons to jewellery and even silver coins, there are so many ideas to choose from. Our favourite is a silver coin with the date of the wedding stamped into it.
Pearl
For the pearl wedding anniversary, gifting a pearl necklace or earrings is very popular. Recently we’ve also seen pearls used to decorate everyday items like plant post and cocktail shakers too.
Coral
Much like Ivory, we recommend adding a touch of imagination to the coral wedding anniversary gifts. Choosing something that’s coral in colour, or includes images of coral is much healthier than gifting coral pieces. If you wanted to help save the coral reefs while giving a gift, there are lots of charities you can donate to on behalf of the happy couple such as The Reef-World Foundation.
Ruby
As well as rubies in jewellery, it’s now possible to get them set into wine glasses and other household items too. Our favourite ruby anniversary gift that doesn’t involve real rubies has to be ruby chocolates!
Gold
The possibilities are (almost) endless for the gold wedding anniversary. From accessories to watches, clocks, glasses, using the colour gold, even a solid gold piece, there are so many things to choose from. One of our favourites is a golden wedding anniversary guest book, full of messages from guests who were at the wedding day.
Diamond
Diamond can be etched to create beautiful, bespoke wedding gifts. One of our favourites is a large diamond shaped ornament with a personalised message included.
Blue Sapphire
We’re not going to lie, when it comes to the blue sapphire wedding anniversary our first thought is gin. Try creating your own blue sapphire gift set by matching blue gin glasses with a bottle of Bombay Sapphire.
Platinum
Platinum lends itself to jewellery and accessories that can be set with almost any stone. Recently we found these platinum records that can have a personalised plaque attached to them, which we love.
Oak
We love the variety that comes with the oak wedding anniversary. Almost anything can be created from this wood, and there are even classes where you can make your own gifts. With The Woodland Trust it’s also possible to dedicate a tree to someone.
Wine
We don’t know many people who wouldn’t appreciate a good bottle of wine. But, if it wouldn’t be appropriate for your recipients you can always find glasses and wine coloured gifts for this anniversary.
Stone
For stone wedding anniversary gifts, we love these personalised framed pictures made out of all types of pebbles and stone.
Looking for more gift ideas? See our Baby Shower Gift Guide for some more inspiration.