How to Buy an Anniversary Gift

From LoveToKnow Buy

Anniversary gifts will make your anniversaries the happiest occasions in a couple's life. Whether celebrating your first year, or marking 25-year or 50-year milestones, anniversaries are times for couples to celebrate their enduring love. Giving presents to celebrating couples is customary.

Tips on buying an anniversary gift

Once you’ve set a budget, you’ll need to know the appropriate gift for a particular year. Consider the couple’s age. Younger folks married just a short time could probably still use household and kitchen items. Older couples would appreciate gifts to complement what they already have.

Themes

You can buy anniversary gifts according to traditional schedule guidelines. Anniversaries gifts marking year milestones include:

25th anniversary: silver
30th: pearl
35th: coral
40th: ruby
45th: sapphire
50th: gold
55th: emerald
60th: diamond

Gift suggestions

Values of the anniversary gift that you choose should reflect the significance of the years that have gone by, and mirror more expensive items or tastes. This list contains suggestions for both spouses and friends. Tie your choice of gifts to something they like to do as a hobby or together.

1st Paper. Frame a poem or love letter or commission an artist to sketch a wedding photograph on quality paper
2nd Cotton. Clothing, apparel items
3rd Leather. Briefcase, handbag, leather jacket, wallet
4th Linen. Imported linens
5th Wood. Artisan crafted jewelry, memento, cigar and other boxes
6th Iron. Wrought-iron, golf clubs
7th Wool. Sweaters, gloves, hats
8th Bronze. Sculpture
9th Pottery. Decorative vases, customized garden items
10th Tin/Aluminum. Metal sunglasses, digital camera, men’s tools, bicycle
11th Steel. Kitchen knives. Collectible knives and swords
12th Silk. Scarf, pajamas, apparel
13th Lace. Antique tablecloth, table runner, apparel
14th Ivory. Piano, candlesticks, clock, pipe
15th Crystal. Waterford, leaded glass, Swarowski, Polish crystal, crystal jewelry
20th China. Trip, imported place settings
25th Silver Tray, tie clip, goblets, antique coins, picture frames, broaches
30th Pearl. Earrings, necklace, mother-of-pearl inlaid items, string
35th Coral. Trip to tropics, coral beaded necklace, pendant
40th Ruby. Jewelry
45th Sapphire. Jewelry
50th Gold. Watch, clock, jewelry, chains, bracelet, broach
55th Emerald. Trip to Ireland, jewelry, ring
60th Diamond. Watch, jewelry, earrings, bracelet, rings
65th Blue Sapphire. Trip to Caribbean, Hawaii, jewelry
70th Platinum. Wedding ring, jewelry
75th Diamond. Customized jewelry