Anniversary Gifts by Year

Anniversary gifts by year chart

★ On Emily Post’s original 1922 list. † Our own pick. Most lists name something else for that year.

Where the anniversary gift list came from

Emily Post’s Etiquette, published in 1922, lists just eight wedding anniversaries: paper for the 1st, wood for the 5th, tin for the 10th, crystal for the 15th, china for the 20th, silver for the 25th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 75th.

She didn’t take the early ones too seriously: “the paper, wooden and tin wedding presents are seldom anything but jokes.” The later ones were another matter. “Silver is always serious, and the golden wedding a quite sacred event.”

Later lists filled in the missing years, which is why the answer can change depending on whose list you read. We make a gift for every year from the 1st through the 20th, plus the 25th and the 50th. For the 17th, 18th and 19th we skipped the usual furniture, porcelain and bronze and chose our own.

“I think that every man should use these flowers as it is something that is going to last forever and trust me when I tell you that women love them. At least mine does. You hit a gold mine with this. And I tell everyone about you even people I don't know.”

Your wedding anniversary is a special day that calls for a special gift, but how do you keep it fresh over the years? Collect them all! With us, you will always have a thoughtful, creative wedding anniversary gift for your special someone.

Anniversary gift questions

What are the traditional anniversary gifts by year?

The traditional list runs paper, cotton, leather, fruit or flowers and wood for the first five years, then iron or candy, wool or copper, bronze, pottery, and tin or aluminum through the 10th. Steel, silk, lace, ivory and crystal take you to the 15th. After that come china for the 20th, silver for the 25th and gold for the 50th.

Did Emily Post create the anniversary gift list?

Her 1922 book Etiquette is one of the best-known early sources, and it names only eight anniversaries: the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th and 75th. The year-by-year list most people know today came later.

Why do anniversary gift lists disagree?

There is no official list. Etiquette writers, jewelers and retailers have each published their own, so some years have two answers, like wool or copper for the 7th.

Why shell, sunflower and chili pepper?

Those are our own picks for the 17th, 18th and 19th, not part of the traditional list. Most lists name furniture, porcelain and bronze for those years. Customers keep ordering ours anyway.

What if my anniversary isn't on the list?

The traditional lists skip the 21st through the 24th and most years after the 25th. For those, we make custom roses, printed in her favorite color with her name or your year.

How long does shipping take?

Standard shipping is UPS Ground, usually 7 to 10 business days, and it is free on U.S. orders over $90. Faster delivery is available, and the cart shows the cost for your date. Next-day delivery is possible before 2:00 PM Eastern, Monday through Friday. After that, call us at 850-665-4152.

Will my spouse see what is in the box?

Not from us. U.S. orders ship in a plain brown box, and we change the return address to JPR, Inc.