Anniversary gifts can be tricky – particularly if you are only going by the traditional present options. In this article, we will be exploring the first 10 years of marriage and what the modern, traditional and alternative gifts are for every milestone.
Classic & Contemporary Anniversary Gifts for the First Ten Years of Marriage
For every year of marriage, there are traditional gifts which can be given to celebrate a momentous milestone – but did you know that there are some alternative ideas that you can use? If the traditional gifts don’t pique your interest, there will almost certainly be an alternative that will!
It’s fairly well-known that the first year of marriage is typically celebrated with paper, but did you know you can also gift gold jewellery or even a bouquet of pansies? Below is our full list of alternative wedding anniversary gifts for the first 10 years of marriage.
First Year:
- Traditional: Paper
- Modern: Plastic
- Alternative: Clocks
- Associated flowers: Pansy
- Alternative stones: Gold Jewellery
Second Year:
- Traditional: Cotton
- Modern: Cotton & Calico
- Alternative: China
- Associated flowers: Cosmos
- Alternative stones: Garnet
Third Year:
- Traditional: Leather
- Modern: Leather
- Alternative: Crystal & Glass
- Associated flowers: Fuchsia
- Alternative stones: Pearls & Jades
Fourth Year:
- Traditional: Fruit & Flowers
- Modern: Linens, Silk & Nylon
- Alternative: Appliances
- Associated flowers: Geranium
- Alternative stones: Blue Topaz & Blue Zircon
Fifth Year:
- Traditional: Wood
- Modern: Wood
- Alternative: Silverware
- Associated flowers: Daisy
- Alternative stones: Sapphire & Pink Tourmaline
Sixth Year:
- Traditional: Sweets or Sugar
- Modern: Iron
- Alternative: Wood
- Associated flowers: Calla Lily
- Alternative stones: Amethyst & Turquoise
Seventh Year:
- Traditional: Copper & Wool
- Modern: Brass
- Alternative: Desk Sets
- Associated flowers: Jack-in-the-Pulpit
- Alternative stones: Onyx & Yellow Sapphire
Eighth Year:
- Traditional: Bronze
- Modern: Pottery
- Alternative: Linen
- Associated flowers: Clematis
- Alternative stones: Tourmaline & Tanzanite
Ninth Year:
- Traditional: Pottery
- Modern: Willow
- Alternative: Leather
- Associated flowers: Poppy
- Alternative stones: Lapis Lazuli & Amethyst
Tenth Year:
- Traditional: Tin
- Modern: Aluminium
- Alternative: Diamond
- Associated flowers: Daffodil
- Alternative stones: Diamond & Blue Sapphire
First Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
The first year of marriage is often celebrated with a paper gift. Some popular gifts include love letters, customisable art pieces, tickets or vouchers. However, many choose to celebrate with an alternative, or by mixing and matching traditional gifts.
For every year of marriage, there is an associated flower and for the first year of marriage, it’s pansies. The pansy symbolises the silent exchange of lovers' thoughts, conveyed even before words are spoken. Derived from the French word for "thought" (pensée), the pansy was believed to possess mystical powers, allowing lovers to communicate telepathically. A paper bouquet of pansies would make a beautifully thoughtful gift for the occasion. Alternatively, you could further lean into the pansy motif and opt for a piece of hand-painted jewellery which could mean just as much. Our sea-glass floral pendants from Meg Muir make for a wonderful first wedding anniversary present.
Also in our list is clocks as an alternative gifting option. Gifting a clock is often thought to be an affectionate reminder to live each moment with awareness and gratitude. If you're seeking a more unique alternative to gifting a wall clock for your first year of marriage, consider purchasing our Vintage Watch Movement cufflinks as an intriguing anniversary present. These unique items are handmade from genuine vintage watch movements and are deep set in a double bezel of Sterling Silver.
Second Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
For the second year of marriage, it is tradition to gift cotton goods to your partner.
Cotton, an interwoven material, mirrors the way marriage intertwines and brings a couple closer together. Its flexibility and strength symbolise how, after two years of marriage, the couple has adapted to each other and grown stronger as a result. As well as cotton, the symbolic stone for two years of marriage is Garnet. Garnet is thought to signify protection, friendship, trust, commitment, and love - all the things you need for two years of marriage. Our Garnet jewellery collection has all been crafted with sterling silver making it a long-lasting and meaningful gift for two years of marriage.
Third Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Three years of marriage is typically represented through leather and crystal. Leather is thought to represent the durability of a marriage or relationship. Whereas crystal is symbolic of the clarity, transparency that a marriage needs and also points towards a bright future.
For associated gemstones, jade is often paired with the third year of marriage as it can be linked to our heart chakra and promotes feelings of love, compassion, and self-love. Not to mention, Jade has been used for around 7,000 years in jewellery, ornaments and tools, due to its hardness and robust nature. Jade jewellery makes for the best gift as it represents the third year of marriage perfectly.
Fourth Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
A four year wedding anniversary is all about fruits and flowers. It symbolises that love is flourishing, and bears the meaning of happiness. It represents all of the fruits of labour that you can enjoy with your partner after four years of marriage. For flowers, geraniums are associated with four years of marriage, as they are thought to be symbolic of good health and joy - similar to fruit.
For alternative gemstone gifts, we would recommend getting a blue topaz. Often thought of as an unconventional option, a blue topaz can also mark the fourth year of a happy marriage. A blue topaz represents love and affection, making it an ideal wedding anniversary present. Our Blue Topaz drop earrings are ideal for any occasion. Set in exquisite sterling silver, these earrings are adorned with captivating marquise-cut blue topaz stones. Not only do they exude elegance and charm, they are also a unique wedding anniversary gift.
Five Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Five years of marriage is marked by the gift of wood. Whilst this may sound like a tricky gift, it offers the potential to get creative! From picture frames to engraved wood signage, this year is meant to be representative of strength, wisdom and deep roots. Our HMS Victory collection has been made from reclaimed oak wood - perfect to celebrate five years of marriage. As well as a unique take on this traditional gifting ritual, oak also encompasses everything related to five years of marriage.
If wood isn’t really your style, you can instead go for an alternative, such as daisies – another tricky gift! Never fear though, we do have some inspiration for you. Our hand-painted daisy pendant from Meg Muir is a stunning five-year wedding anniversary gift. By recycling glass that has been rendered smooth by the salty depths of the sea, these pendants are an ideal romantic gesture.
Six Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Six years of marriage is sweet – literally! The sixth wedding anniversary is all about sweets or sugar as presents. Alternatively, much like the five-year milestone, people tend to give presents made of wood.
However, the alternative stones for this year are amethyst and turquoise. An amethyst typically has stunning hues of purple, violet, and deep pink derived from quartz. This precious gem is thought to hold a legacy of protection in the realm of matrimony. Turquoise is similar, as it represents luck and protection. By gifting an amethyst or turquoise pendant, earrings or ring, the wearer is able to be protected whilst on the move.
Seven Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
For traditional anniversary gifting, seven years of marriage is all about copper and wool. Our Cutty Sark Nautical cufflinks make the perfect unusual anniversary gift for him, to celebrate this momentous milestone. Unique and distinctive, these cufflinks feature original Cutty Sark copper. These stunning pieces also come in a high-quality cufflink box with a complimentary gift card and envelope, Sterling Silver jewellery care sheet, a complimentary silver polishing cloth and a certificate of provenance.
For an anniversary gift for her, we have our Black Onyx collection, which features a range of Onyx earrings, pendants and bracelets. For seven years of marriage, onyx is perfect as it represents strength, perseverance, and the ability to overcome challenges.
Eight Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Eight years of marriage is typically celebrated with pottery gifts. Here at Hepburn & Hughes, we love taking broken pottery and creating beautifully unique pieces of jewellery. Our Clarice Cliff collection has been crafted using pieces from the English ceramic artist who was renowned for her striking and distinctive ceramics and tableware. If you are looking for statement pieces, which are colourful and hark back to the art deco period, then this collection will make a wonderful wedding anniversary present.
In a similar field, we also have our Minton Pottery collection, which has been created using broken ceramics from the Minton Willow range. The hand-painted pattern on these plates depicts a romantic love story of the relationship between a Chinese Mandarin's daughter and his secretary, and their quest to escape together. Our collection of pendants, earrings and cufflinks from this range makes a charming gift for eight years of marriage.
Nine Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
After nine years of marriage, pottery also becomes a traditional gift option. So, if you see two pottery items you like, you can give them as gifts for two consecutive milestone anniversaries.
We are big fans of brightly coloured, striking pottery, using them to create beautifully unique pieces of jewellery, and for your ninth year of marriage, you can also explore our Japanese Imari collection. These upcycled jewellery pieces are made from the famous range of Japanese Imari porcelain. We acquired a plate that was damaged, and we have used fragments of it to create this stunning collection of Japanese jewellery which could be the perfect way to celebrate nine years of happy matrimony.
Ten Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Ten years of marriage marks one decade of being together and so, a good present is definitely required. The official modern gift for this milestone is aluminium, of which is present in our WW2 collection - take our Spitfire Cufflinks and Jewellery for example.
Created using reclaimed parts of the iconic Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane, these unique gifts are made from original Spitfire parts, such as the fuselage, wrapped with 925 Sterling Silver and, in the case of the cufflinks, fit this plane that is so close to the heart of the nation – tying them in perfectly as a 10-year marriage anniversary gift.
