Wedding anniversaries are traditionally celebrated with milestone gifts, based on the number of years a couple has been married - each year associated with a particular item or colour. It's suggested these anniversary year-based gifts date back to the Middle Ages, with silver and gold garlands gifted to symbolise the 25th and 50th years of marriage.
The value of these gifts was said to increase year after year, which reflected the strength of commitment of the couple. It's also believed they were given to help build a new home together - starting with more practical items and extending to luxuries such as diamonds and gold.
The modern take on the gift list is much broader, with the acceptable anniversary gifts matching in colour - rather than just the precious gems and metals!
| Celebrated every year | Then every 5 years | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Anniversary | Paper | 20th Anniversary | China |
| 2nd Anniversary | Cotton | 25th Anniversary | Silver |
| 3rd Anniversary | Leather | 30th Anniversary | Pearls |
| 4th Anniversary | Linen | 35th Anniversary | Coral |
| 5th Anniversary | Wood | 40th Anniversary | Ruby |
| 6th Anniversary | Iron | 45th Anniversary | Sapphire |
| 7th Anniversary | Copper | 50th Anniversary | Gold |
| 8th Anniversary | Bronze | 55th Anniversary | Emerald |
| 9th Anniversary | Pottery | 60th Anniversary | iamond |
| 10th Anniversary | Tin | 65th Anniversary | Sapphire |
| 11th Anniversary | Steel | 70th Anniversary | Platinum |
| 12th Anniversary | Silk | 75th Anniversary | Diamond |
| 13th Anniversary | Lace | 80th Anniversary | Oak |
| 14th Anniversary | Ivory | 85th Anniversary | Wine |
| 15th Anniversary | Crystal | 90th Anniversary | Stone |
I've created a collection of memory cushions, with coloured dates to match many of the biggest gifting years. These cushions not only capture the gifting year colour, but also add personalised memories alongside important dates of the marriage.
View Anniversary cushions