What is the traditional gift for each wedding anniversary?

In the UK: 1st paper, 2nd cotton, 3rd leather, 4th linen, 5th wood, 10th tin, 25th silver, 30th pearl, 40th ruby, 50th gold and 60th diamond.

What anniversary is 11 years?

Steel, on the traditional UK list.

Which wedding anniversaries are celebrated with a party?

The 25th (silver), 40th (ruby), 50th (golden) and 60th (diamond) are the usual milestones for a family party.

Who organises a golden wedding anniversary party?

Usually the couple’s children or grandchildren, with the couple’s agreement.

All guides

Wedding anniversaries by year: names, gifts and how to celebrate

Sammy at hitherHosts and guests · 7 min read · Updated 1 November 2026

Every year of marriage has a material attached to it, and nobody can remember which. Paper is easy, silver and gold everyone knows, but ask what year eleven is and a room goes quiet. Here’s the traditional UK list, a few gift ideas that go beyond the obvious, and how to throw a party for the big ones, which I’ve helped with for both sets of my grandparents.

The traditional UK list

Lists vary a little between countries and publishers, and the US list differs in several years. This is the one most commonly used in Britain.

1st: paper · 2nd: cotton · 3rd: leather · 4th: linen (or fruit and flowers)
5th: wood · 6th: iron (or sugar) · 7th: wool (or copper) · 8th: bronze
9th: pottery · 10th: tin · 11th: steel · 12th: silk · 13th: lace · 14th: ivory · 15th: crystal
20th: china · 25th: silver · 30th: pearl · 35th: coral · 40th: ruby
45th: sapphire · 50th: gold · 55th: emerald · 60th: diamond · 65th: blue sapphire · 70th: platinum

Gift ideas that aren’t clichés

The materials are a prompt, not a rule. Paper can be tickets to something, a printed map of where you met, or a letter you actually write by hand. Cotton can be good bedding, which nobody regrets. Wood can be a tree planted somewhere you both love. Tin can be a tin of the biscuits from your wedding, if you were organised enough to remember which ones.

For later anniversaries, experiences tend to land better than objects. Most couples married 40 years have enough ornaments.

The milestones worth a party

The 25th, 40th, 50th and 60th are the ones families gather for. A ruby, golden or diamond anniversary is often as much about the family the marriage made as the couple themselves, so it’s usually children or grandchildren who organise it. Do check the couple want a party. Some would far rather a quiet lunch.

Planning a ruby, golden or diamond party

Pick a date that suits the guestsOlder friends and relatives may not travel far or stay late. A Sunday lunch often works better than a Saturday night.
Find the original guest listIf anyone from the wedding is still around, the best man or a bridesmaid, invite them. It’s often the highlight.
Dig out the photosScan the wedding album and family pictures for a slideshow or a table display. Ask relatives for theirs ahead of time.
Keep the speeches shortOne from the family, maybe one from the couple. A toast to the next anniversary goes down well.
Make it easy to replyA simple event page lets the grandchildren reply online and gives the great-aunt a phone number to ring instead.

Wording for the invitation

“Please join us to celebrate the golden wedding anniversary of Margaret and John Reid, married 14 August 1976. Sunday 16 August, 1pm, The Old Rectory, Ludlow. No gifts, please: your company is the present.”

Including the original wedding date is a small touch people love. If you’d rather not have gifts, say so, or suggest a charity close to the couple.