Wedding anniversaries – gift ideas

Wedding anniversaries: Celebrate with the right gifts. Celebrating wedding anniversaries has been a tradition in Sweden since the 18th century. In the past, these occasions were mainly celebrated in church, but today people are free to celebrate however and wherever they like.

Here you’ll find all the major wedding anniversaries, along with their names, meanings and specific gift ideas for each anniversary. Inspiration for the perfect wedding gift, year after year.

• 1 year – Cotton wedding. Clothes / bed linen / duvet / towels / apron / a stay at Cottons Hotel & Spa in Cheshire, England / yarn / mittens / a hat / a skipping rope / a bedspread / a hammock / a hanging chair.
• 2 years – Paper wedding. Write a love letter on paper / a painting / a book / a cookery book / boxes / a diary / a recipe collection / muffin tins / folded paper animals (origami) / tickets to events such as the cinema, theatre or a concert.
• 3 years – Leather Wedding. Gloves / boots / shoes / jacket / briefcase / wallet / travel case / apron / wristwatch / jewellery / handbag / belt.
• 4 years – Fruit Wedding. Fruit-scented perfume / fruit-shaped jewellery / fruit salad / fruit basket / smoothie / drink / dried fruit / fruit sweets / fruit sorbet / fruit tea.
• 5 years – Wooden Anniversary. Wooden heart with inscription / birdhouse / piece of furniture / bowl / platter / box / jewellery box / tray / photo frame / clogs.
• 6 years – Sugar Wedding. Chocolate / sugar cubes (the sweet kind) / a trip to the funfair + candyfloss = a sugar rush! / homemade sugar cake / sugar bowl.
• 7 years – Wool Wedding. Underwear / socks / hat / mittens / clothing / bed linen / yarn / yarn heart / scarf / blanket / tie / cushion cover / saddle pad (for a horse) / dog blanket / hat / driving apron / seat cushion.
• 8 years – Rubber Wedding. Heart-shaped balloons / washing-up gloves / rubber boots / rubber dinghy / swimming ring / inflatable lilo / chewing gum / gummy wings / gummy bears (sweets) / wood-burning bucket / galoshes / doormat / keyboard / mobile phone case / bucket / dumbbells.
• 9 years – Linen Wedding. Clothes / bed linen / bag / cushion cover / napkins / tablecloth / hat / curtains / nursing pillow.
• 10 years – Pewter wedding anniversary. Candlesticks / napkin rings / flower pot / box / hip flask / pewter stopper / mulled wine mugs / bowl / jewellery / lamp.
• 11 years – Steel wedding anniversary. Sunglasses / jewellery / cake server / gym weights / kitchen knife / cutlery / wall clock / boules ball / thermos flask / wristwatch / furniture.
• 12 years – Silk wedding. Underwear / nightwear / bed linen / clothing / scarf / cushion cover / curtains / silk flowers / lampshade / tie / bow tie / evening bag.
• 13 years – Lace Wedding. Clothes / underwear / curtains / tablecloth / a Spitz dog / watch the film ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ / shawl / umbrella / fan / party bag / gloves.

• 20 years – Porcelain wedding. Candle holders / cups / platters / bowls / jewellery / crockery / porcelain flowers (plants) / porcelain dental veneers.
• 25 years – Silver wedding anniversary. Jewellery / candlesticks / tie pin / napkin rings / money clip / cufflinks / silver ingot / tray / silver-coloured clothing and bags / photo frame.
• 30 years – Pearl wedding anniversary. Jewellery / mother-of-pearl nail varnish / make your own pearl jewellery / curtains / hair accessories / visit Pearl Harbour in Hawaii / go to a Pearl Jam concert / go on a cruise on the Pearl Seaways / visit Pearl in Mississippi, USA / stay at the Pearl Hotel in Rhodes.
• 35 years – Coral anniversary. Saltwater aquarium with corals / diving holiday to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia / coral-coloured item of clothing or jewellery / painting featuring a coral reef motif / stay at the Coral Hotel in Malta / visit the mysterious Coral Castle in Florida, USA.
• 40 years – Ruby wedding anniversary. Jewellery / Absolut Vodka Ruby Red / ruby-red shoes or clothes / party bag / nail varnish / glassware / hair colouring / candles / stay at the Hotel Rubin in Düsseldorf, Germany / travel to the resort of Ruby in Barbados.
• 45 years – Sapphire wedding anniversary. Jewellery / a ‘Safir’ model sailing boat / sapphire-blue party bag, clothes or shoes / stay at the Hotel Safir in Bodrum, Turkey / stay at the Sapphire Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
• 50 years – Golden wedding anniversary. Jewellery / a gold bar / baking and decorating with gold leaf / Moët & Chandon’s gold champagne / hire a gold-coloured sports car / stay at one of the Hotel Guldsmeden hotels / gold panning in Ädelfors / visit the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Colorado, USA / a golden hamster / goldfish.
• 60 years – Diamond wedding anniversary. Get a diamond tattoo / jewellery / stay at the Valamant Diamant Hotel in Porec, Croatia / champagne glasses with a diamond ring by Efva Attling, Orrefors / travel to the resort of Le Diamant in Martinique, the Caribbean / ‘The Growing Diamond’ from Stjärnringen / the board game ‘The Missing Diamond’ / the white wine ‘Diamant’.
• 65 years – Crown Diamond Wedding. Decorate a cake with a marzipan crown and edible diamonds / decorative crown with bling / lantern in the shape of a crown with hanging stones / stay at the Diamond Crown Hotel & Casino in Pailin, Cambodia.
• 70th birthday – Iron wedding. Iron tablets (for good health) / dish / casserole dish / frying pan / candle holder / candlesticks / mirror frame / garden furniture / flower pot / fireplace / mortar / doorstop / flower boxes / bird bath / teapot / umbrella stand / door knocker / trivet / dumbbells.
• 75th anniversary – Atomic wedding. A picture featuring an illustrated atom / a photograph of the celebrating couple with the text ‘Indivisible’ (atom meaning indivisible) / a cake with the text ‘Indivisible for 75 years’.
• 80th anniversary – Platinum anniversary. Jewellery / dyeing your hair platinum blonde / a watch / a stay at the Platinum Hotel in Las Vegas, USA, or the Atrium Platinum Spa Resort in Ixia, Rhodes.

No matter which wedding anniversary you’re celebrating, it’s the thought behind the gift that counts most.

Celebrating wedding anniversaries is a way of honouring love and your relationship. No matter which year you’re celebrating, there are always creative and personalised gift options to choose from. Let these ideas inspire you to create unforgettable memories every year.

Tip: Do you want to go all out for one of your upcoming wedding anniversaries? Read our inspiring articles on wedding anniversaries here.

The tradition of celebrating wedding anniversaries and naming them after different materials dates back a long way. You can read more about the history of Swedish festive customs at the Nordic Museum