Anniversary Gifts by Year

Every wedding anniversary has a theme. Year one is paper, year five is wood, year ten is tin, year twenty five is silver and year fifty is gold. Tap your year in the finder above, or type your wedding date, and you get the traditional, modern and UK theme, the gemstone, flower and color, plus ten gift ideas and ten things to do. Filter by budget, at home with no babysitter, or apart. It is free, with no sign-up.

Anniversary gifts by year: the short list

The finder has every year from 1 to 75. Tap All years to see them in one table, or Print chart for a clean one page version.

How does the finder work?

1. Choose Married or Dating, then pick your year in the strip, or tap a milestone under it. Add your wedding date (or the day you got together) if you like: it stays on your phone, so next time the finder opens on your next anniversary, tells you how many days are left and can add a yearly reminder to your calendar.
2. Read the theme. You see the traditional and modern gift, the UK theme when it is different, and the gemstone, flower and color where a list names one.
3. Choose gift ideas or things to do. Each shows up to ten ideas with a price tag: free, under $50 or splurge.
4. Filter for your life. At home keeps only ideas you can do at home after bedtime. Apart keeps ideas that work by mail or on a video call. For parents switches to ideas from children for their parents' anniversary, with a card line from all of you. This week keeps only things you make yourself or can buy in a local shop today.
5. Save and share. Tap the heart on any idea or year to keep it on this phone. Share sends a link that opens on the same year and filters, so you can plan with your partner or your siblings.

Where do the anniversary themes come from?

There is no official list. The silver and golden names go back to an old German custom of a silver wreath at 25 years and a gold one at 50. In her 1922 book Etiquette, Emily Post listed eight anniversaries, from paper at one year to diamond at seventy five. In 1937 the American National Retail Jewelers Association published a longer list that filled in more years, which is why the modern column leans toward jewelry. Later lists from the Chicago Public Library and greeting card makers added themes for the in-between years.

So use the theme as a starting point, not a rule. A good gift fits the person first and the theme second. If the theme gives you nothing, pick from Things to do: time together usually beats a thing.

Anniversary ideas for parents with no babysitter

Most lists assume you can go out. If you have small kids, that is often not true. Turn on At home and every idea fits after bedtime: cook the menu from your wedding, slow dance in the kitchen, look through your wedding photos and each pick a favorite, or answer deep questions over dessert with the phones in another room. For more, see our date night ideas at home and date night games.

Long distance anniversary ideas

If one of you travels for work, is deployed, or you are in a long distance relationship, turn on Apart. You get ideas like eating the same meal on a video call, mailing a box to open together on camera, and toasting at the same moment. Counting the days until you meet again? Use our countdown until I see you. More ideas are in long distance date ideas and video call ideas.

Dating anniversaries: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months

No list sets a theme for dating months, so the finder keeps it simple. Switch to Dating and the first spots in the strip are 1, 3, 6 and 9 months, with small, personal ideas: a letter about the first weeks, a playlist of your songs so far, or recreating your first date. For things to talk about, try our questions to ask your partner.

What are the limits?

• Lists disagree on some years, mostly 6 to 9, the twenties, and the colors and flowers after 20. The finder says which list a theme comes from, and says "our suggestion" for years no list covers.
• Prices are rough US guides, not quotes. Shops and countries vary.
• Saved ideas and your wedding date live in this browser only. Clear your browser data and they are gone. A shared link holds only the year and filters.
• Year 14 is ivory on the old list. Never buy real ivory: use the color, or the modern gift, gold jewelry.