Wedding Anniversary Names


What is a Wedding Anniversary?

A wedding anniversary is the anniversary of the date a wedding took place.

On a wedding anniversary in many countries it is traditional to give a gift to your partner (or couples) that symbolize the number of years of marriage.

The names of some wedding anniversaries provide guidance for appropriate or traditional gifts for the spouses to give each other; if there is a party to celebrate the wedding anniversary these gifts can be brought by the guests and/or influence the theme or decoration of the venue.

Wedding anniversary names common to most nations include:

Wooden (5th), Tin (10th), Crystal (15th), China (20th), Silver (25th), Pearl (30th), Ruby (40th), Golden (50th), and Diamond (60th).

 

U.S. and U.K. Traditional and Modern Wedding Anniversary Gifts List:

Year U.S. Traditional Wedding Anniversaries U.K. Traditional U.S. Modern Flower Type
1st Paper Paper Clock Carnation
2nd Cotton Cotton China Lily of the valley
3rd Leather Leather Crystal, glass Sunflower
4th Linen, silk Fruit and flowers Appliances (electrical) Hydrangea
5th Wood Wood Silverware Daisy
6th Iron Sugar Wood objects Calla
7th Wool, copper Woolen Desk sets/pen and pencil sets Freesia
8th Bronze Bronze Linens, lace Lilac
9th Pottery Pottery Leather goods Bird of paradise
10th Tin, Aluminum Tin Diamond jewelry Daffodil
11th Steel Fashion jewelry, accessories Tulip
12th Silk Silk and fine linen Pearls, colored gems Peony
13th Lace Textiles, furs Chrysanthemum
14th Ivory Gold jewelry Dahlia
15th Crystal Crystal Watches Rose
16th Silver Holloware
17th Furniture
18th Porcelain
19th Bronze
20th China China Platinum Aster
21st Nickel
22nd Copper
23rd Silver plate
24th Opal Musical instruments
25th Silver Silver Silver Iris
28th Orchid
30th Pearl Pearl Diamond Lily
35th Coral, jade Coral Jade
40th Ruby Ruby Ruby Gladiolus
45th Sapphire Sapphire
50th Gold Gold Gold Yellow roses, violets
55th Emerald Emerald
60th Diamond (yellow) Diamond Diamond
65th Blue sapphire
70th Platinum
75th Diamond, gold Diamond, gold
80th Oak Diamond, pearl
85th Wine Wife’s birthstone
90th Stone

 

NOTE: In the United States, one can receive a greeting from the President for any wedding anniversary on or after the 50th.

In the British Commonwealth domains you may receive a message from the monarch for your 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries, and any wedding anniversary after that by applying to Buckingham Palace in the U.K., or to the Governor-General’s office in the other Commonwealth realms. An exception being Australia and Canada. In Canada you may also receive a message from the Governor General for the 50th anniversary, and every 5th anniversary after that. In Australia may receive a letter of congratulations from the Governor General on the 50th and all subsequent wedding anniversaries; the Prime Minister, the federal Opposition leader, local members of parliament (both state and federal), and state Governors may also send salutations for the same anniversaries.

Roman Catholics may apply for a Papal blessing through their local diocese for wedding anniversaries of a special nature such as their 25th, 50th, 60th, etc. anniversaries.


Posted in English, Events.

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