The milestones

For this occasion

Not every year gets a party. In Britain the list runs annually to fifteen and then jumps in fives, so the anniversaries people gather for are the ones carrying a name: silver, pearl, ruby, gold, diamond. Find the material for the year you're marking below, and what's worth doing about it.

The names come from Debrett's: silver at twenty-five, pearl at thirty, ruby at forty, gold at fifty, diamond at sixty and platinum at seventy. One difference matters more than the material. GOV.UK lists the King's anniversary message for the 60th, the 65th, the 70th and every year after the 70th, so the golden wedding at fifty does not get one. The pages below say which is which.

Year by year

The short answers

What the 10th anniversary is

The 10 year wedding anniversary is the tin anniversary.

What the silver wedding is

The 25th wedding anniversary is the silver wedding, and silver is the traditional symbol for the milestone.

What the pearl wedding is

The 30th wedding anniversary is the pearl wedding: pearl is the traditional symbol, and the modern list gives diamond.

What the ruby wedding is

A ruby wedding is 40 years of marriage, the 40th anniversary, and its material is ruby.

What the golden wedding is

A golden wedding is 50 years of marriage, the 50th anniversary, and its material is gold.

The diamond wedding at sixty

The diamond wedding anniversary is the 60th year of marriage, and the first that qualifies for a message from the King.

The 65th: no material

Sixty-five years qualifies for a message from the King.

Platinum at seventy

Seventy years of marriage is the platinum wedding.

How the portrait is made

A portrait of the two of you, from a photograph you already have.