Anniversary Gifts by Year: The Traditional UK List (and What to Give)

Every anniversary has a traditional material attached to it, from paper on your first to diamond on your sixtieth. The idea is that the materials get stronger and more precious as the marriage does. It is a lovely tradition, and it also solves the eternal problem of what on earth to buy.

Below is the traditional UK list, year by year. Where we make something that genuinely fits the theme, we have said so. Where we do not, we have been honest about it and suggested a playful alternative instead. There is no prize for following the list to the letter, and a thoughtful gift beats a forced one every time.

The traditional UK anniversary list

Year	Traditional theme	A personalised idea
1st	Paper	Personalised notebook for year two’s plans
2nd	Cotton	Matching t-shirts or an apron (a loose nod, see below)
3rd	Leather	Ask about custom engraving
4th	Linen / fruit	Glass chopping board for the fruit bowl
5th	Wood	Engraved wooden photo coasters
6th	Iron / sugar	Steel water bottles or a mug for sweet tea
7th	Wool / copper	Cosy matching hoodies
8th	Bronze / pottery	Ceramic photo mugs
9th	Pottery / willow	Ceramic mugs or a ceramic hanging ornament
10th	Tin	Metal photo keyrings
11th	Steel	Stainless steel tumblers
12th	Silk	Photo necklace
13th	Lace	Your choice, see below
14th	Ivory	An all-white photo mug
15th	Crystal	Crystal photo block
20th	China	Photo mugs for two
25th	Silver	Silver photo keyrings or a crystal block
30th	Pearl	Photo necklace
35th	Coral	Pink-handled mugs or a pink bottle
40th	Ruby	Red-handled mugs or a crystal block
45th	Sapphire	Blue water bottles
50th	Gold	Gold photo keyrings or a large crystal block
55th	Emerald	Green-handled mugs
60th	Diamond	Large crystal photo block

Lists vary a little from source to source, especially in the later years, so do not worry if you have seen a slightly different version. Here is a bit more detail on each.

The early years: 1st to 4th

1st: Paper

Paper is about a fresh start. A personalised notebook with “Year Two Plans” on the cover, filled with ideas for the year ahead, is sweet and genuinely useful. Tuck a handwritten letter inside the front page and you have nailed it.

2nd: Cotton

We will be straight with you: our printed clothing is polyester, not cotton, because sublimation printing only bonds to polyester fibres. So this is a nod rather than a match. Matching photo t-shirts from the wedding day, or an apron for whoever does the cooking, still make a fun second-anniversary gift.

3rd: Leather

We do not currently sell leather products in the shop. If you have something specific in mind, get in touch through our custom laser engraving page and we will tell you honestly whether it is something we can do.

4th: Linen or fruit

Fruit is the easier one to have fun with. A glass chopping board with your names and wedding date, ready for the Sunday fruit salad, fits the brief and gets used every week.

5th: Wood, our favourite

This is the anniversary we were made for. A set of engraved wooden photo coasters with your wedding photo in the centre, your names curved over the top and the date underneath is a proper fifth-anniversary gift. Each coaster is 95mm round and 7mm thick, laser engraved in our Sowerby Bridge workshop, with four rubber feet underneath. The wood grain shows through the engraving, so no two are quite alike.

If you have a home bar, the engraved wooden beer mats with “The Smiths · Est. 2021” are another lovely option.

6th to 14th: the middle years

Many of these themes are not easy to buy for, so treat them as inspiration rather than rules.

• 6th, iron or sugar. Steel is mostly iron, so a pair of stainless steel water bottles is a fair match. Or go with sugar and give a photo mug labelled “Two sugars, please”.
• 7th, wool or copper. Wool is about warmth, so matching photo hoodies for the sofa make a cosy gift, even though ours are not woollen.
• 8th and 9th, pottery. Both include pottery, and a ceramic photo mug each is a nice, everyday fit. For year nine, a ceramic star, heart or round hanging ornament with your wedding photo works all year round, not just at Christmas.
• 10th, tin. We do not work in tin, but a metal photo keyring each, with “10 years” on it, is a small, lasting token.
• 11th, steel. A proper match: a stainless steel tumbler or a pair of water bottles.
• 12th and 13th, silk and lace. We do not make either. A photo necklace is a delicate alternative for year twelve, and for thirteen we would simply pick whatever suits the two of you.
• 14th, ivory. Never real ivory, of course. Today it is usually taken as the colour, so an all-white photo mug or a natural-coloured tote bag is a gentle nod.

15th: Crystal

Another perfect match. A crystal photo block printed with your wedding photo and “15 years” makes a beautiful piece for a shelf or windowsill. It comes in two sizes: a small 8 × 6cm block in a presentation box, or a large 20 × 15cm block that makes more of a statement.

The milestone years: 20th to 60th

• 20th, china. Our mugs are ceramic rather than fine bone china, but a pair of photo mugs, one with your wedding photo and one with a photo from this year, is a lovely “then and now”.
• 25th, silver. Silver-finish photo keyrings are a small touch. For something bigger, the large crystal block with “25 years” is a natural centrepiece for a party.
• 30th, pearl. A photo necklace with the wedding photo.
• 35th, coral. Play with colour: pink-handled photo mugs or a pink water bottle.
• 40th, ruby. Red-handled mugs, or a crystal block with “Ruby Anniversary” and the date.
• 45th, sapphire. Blue water bottles or light blue-handled mugs.
• 50th, gold. Gold-finish keyrings, and a large crystal block of the original wedding photo. Old black and white photos often look wonderful in crystal.
• 55th, emerald. Green-handled mugs with a photo of the whole family.
• 60th, diamond. We do not sell diamonds, but a large crystal block with the wedding photo and “60 years” sparkles in its own way.

For milestone anniversaries, a photo slate showing the couple with their children and grandchildren is often the gift that gets the biggest reaction.

A few tips

• Use the original wedding photo if you can. For older photos, scan the print or ask a relative for the best copy. Our photo tips guide explains what to look for.
• Write the date clearly. “14.06.1986” or “14th June 1986” both read well.
• Order in good time. Every gift is made to order in 1–3 working days, then delivered by Royal Mail in 2–3 working days. UK delivery is £4.99.

Browse all our personalised anniversary gifts and gifts for couples, or, if the anniversary is still a little way off, our guide to wedding gifts couples will use.