25 Traditional Anniversary Gifts By Year (1–25)
Traditional Anniversary Gift List + Meaningful Ideas for Every Milestone
Celebrating a wedding anniversary is one of the sweetest traditions a couple can keep. Every year is a chance to pause, reflect, and appreciate the love that has grown through life’s seasons — the joyful days, the hard days, and all the ordinary days that make a marriage strong.
At Berkshire Ridge Wedding Venue, a locally owned St. Louis wedding venue, we love celebrating love stories — not only on the wedding day, but in all the years that follow. Anniversaries are powerful reminders of the vows you made and the life you continue building together.
Whether your celebration is a quiet dinner at home, a weekend getaway, or a big family gathering, the meaning is the same: you are choosing each other again. And that’s worth celebrating.
Why Traditional Anniversary Gifts Matter
Traditional anniversary gifts have been celebrated for centuries. Each year has a “theme” (like paper, cotton, wood, crystal, or silver) meant to represent the journey of marriage — from the fragile and delicate early years to the strong and enduring milestones later on.
These materials may sound simple at first, but their symbolism is beautiful. The tradition gives couples a thoughtful way to recognize time, growth, and commitment — and it can make even small gifts feel meaningful.
Traditional Anniversary Gifts by Year (1–25)
Below is a year-by-year guide to traditional anniversary gifts for the first 25 years of marriage, including symbolism and gift ideas to inspire your celebration.
Year 1 – Paper Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: A blank slate, new beginnings, and the fragile beauty of a brand-new marriage.
Gift Ideas: A custom star map of your wedding night, framed vows, love letters, a memory journal, or tickets to a show.
Year 2 – Cotton Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Comfort and connection — two lives becoming intertwined.
Gift Ideas: Luxury sheets, matching bathrobes, embroidered blankets, personalized pillowcases, or a backyard hammock.
Year 3 – Leather Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Strength, security, and protection — your relationship becoming durable.
Gift Ideas: Leather wallet, handbag, monogrammed keychains, leather photo album, or a personalized belt.
Year 4 – Fruit or Flowers Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Growth, beauty, and love that’s blossoming.
Gift Ideas: Favorite bouquet, rose bush, fruit subscription box, vineyard day, or fruit-picking date.
Year 5 – Wood Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Deep roots, wisdom, and strength.
Gift Ideas: Custom cutting board, engraved wood sign, wooden keepsake box, rustic cabin getaway, or a tree planted together.
Year 6 – Candy or Iron Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Sweetness + strength.
Gift Ideas: Chocolate tasting, candy jar with notes inside, cast-iron skillet, iron décor, or an iron firepit for outdoor evenings.
Year 7 – Wool or Copper Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Warmth, comfort, and a love that lasts through every season.
Gift Ideas: Cozy wool blanket, sweaters, copper mugs, copper jewelry, or copper-toned home accents.
Year 8 – Bronze or Pottery Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: A strong partnership formed through life’s shaping moments.
Gift Ideas: Handcrafted pottery mugs, couples pottery class, bronze sculpture, or a decorative bronze bowl.
Year 9 – Pottery or Willow Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Flexibility and resilience — the ability to bend without breaking.
Gift Ideas: Willow picnic basket, pottery vase, willow tree to plant, or willow furniture décor.
Year 10 – Tin or Aluminum Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Durability + flexibility = long-term love.
Gift Ideas: Custom tin sign with your name, aluminum cookware, keepsake tin filled with love notes, or a vintage-style tin item.
Year 11 – Steel Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Unbreakable strength and loyalty.
Gift Ideas: Stainless watch, strong kitchen knife set, steel jewelry, or a metal sculpture.
Year 12 – Silk or Linen Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Beauty, purity, comfort, and connection.
Gift Ideas: Linen bedding, silk robe, silk tie, linen journal, or engraved linen keepsake.
Year 13 – Lace Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Intricate, beautiful, delicate love.
Gift Ideas: Lace-trimmed keepsake, lace décor, antique lace framed, or lace handkerchiefs.
Year 14 – Ivory Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Purity and tradition (now typically represented with ivory-colored items due to ethical concerns).
Gift Ideas: Ivory-colored sweater, meaningful keepsake, donation to elephant conservation, or a wildlife sanctuary trip.
Year 15 – Crystal Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Sparkle, clarity, and transparency in your relationship.
Gift Ideas: Crystal wine glasses, vase, decanter, or crystal jewelry.
Year 16 – Wax Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Warmth and the steady glow of love.
Gift Ideas: Scented candles, wax seals for love letters, customized candle set, or candlelight dinner at home.
Year 17 – Furniture Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Building a life and home together.
Gift Ideas: Accent chair, coffee table, patio furniture, or a cozy reading nook piece.
Year 18 – Porcelain Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Beauty, delicacy, and strength.
Gift Ideas: Porcelain dish set, figurine, framed porcelain keepsake, or upgraded servingware.
Year 19 – Bronze Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: A strong union and shared history.
Gift Ideas: Bronze décor item, bronze jewelry, or a family heirloom-style gift.
Year 20 – China Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Elegance and timeless love after two decades.
Gift Ideas: Fine china, teapot, heirloom serving set, or a mosaic made of broken china pieces.
Year 21 – Brass or Nickel Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Strength and endurance.
Gift Ideas: Brass photo frame, nickel jewelry, brass candle holders, or home accents.
Year 22 – Copper Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Warmth and lasting connection.
Gift Ideas: Copper cookware, copper mugs, copper bracelet, or copper-accented décor.
Year 23 – Silver Plate Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Polished love that shines through time.
Gift Ideas: Engraved serving tray, silver-plated frame, jewelry, or keepsake box.
Year 24 – Opal Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: Beauty, mystery, and deep love.
Gift Ideas: Opal earrings, necklace, ring, or an opal-inspired keepsake.
Year 25 – Silver Anniversary Gift
Symbolism: A shining milestone — 25 years of devotion and partnership.
Gift Ideas: Sterling flatware, silver picture frame, matching bracelets, silver locket, or engraved keepsake.
Planning a Wedding? Start Your Love Story at Berkshire Ridge
Your wedding day isn’t just one event — it’s the beginning of all the anniversaries you’ll celebrate for years to come.
Berkshire Ridge Wedding Venue is a locally owned St. Louis wedding venue created for couples who want nature, open space, and unforgettable memories.
If you’ve been searching for an outdoor woodland ceremony space near St. Louis, you’ll fall in love with our peaceful wooded ceremony site. And our stunning two-level patio, wrapped in glowing string lights and surrounded by cocktail-height fire tables, creates the perfect atmosphere for guests to mingle, laugh, and soak in those magical evening moments.
Whether you're envisioning a romantic woodland ceremony, an open-air patio celebration under the lights, or an elegant indoor reception with outdoor charm — Berkshire Ridge is designed to feel like home, while still feeling like something truly special.
Book a Tour at Berkshire Ridge Wedding Venue
We would love to show you around and help bring your dream wedding to life.
👉 Schedule a tour today and explore why so many couples choose Berkshire Ridge as their St. Louis wedding venue for unforgettable celebrations.