Question · Anniversary symbols
What are the traditional wedding anniversary symbols?
The UK traditional list pairs a material with each anniversary year — paper, wood, tin, silver, gold and more — building from fragile to enduring as the years pass.
The traditional UK anniversary list assigns a material to each year of marriage, running from the most fragile early on to the most enduring by the big milestones: 1st paper, 5th wood, 10th tin, 15th crystal, 20th china, 25th silver, 30th pearl, 40th ruby, 50th gold, 60th diamond, and further named years in between. The idea behind the sequence is that a marriage should be marked as it matures — soft materials for the early years, metals and gems as it lasts.
A separate "modern" list exists too, and the two don't always match (year one is clocks on the modern list, for instance). Most UK couples follow the traditional list, which is what every guide on this site uses. See the silver wedding anniversary for one milestone in detail, or browse anniversary keepsakes for gift ideas by year.
Written by Craig Fearn, Printed Weddings.