Looking for the perfect anniversary gift? Look no further! For the second decade of marriage, finding the perfect gift can be tricky. With so many years of matrimony under your belt, getting something to celebrate another momentous year together can seem overwhelming. In this article, we will be exploring some of our favourite ways to celebrate every year together, from your 11th to 20th wedding anniversary.
Traditional and Modern Anniversary Wedding Gifts for 11-20 Years of Marriage
Years from 11 to 20 years of marriage are all important milestones that deserve to be celebrated in style. Whether you are looking for a more traditional gift or just want something a little unique to commemorate your commitment, we’ve got you covered.
Eleventh Year:
- Traditional: Steel
- Modern: Steel
- Alternative: Jewellery
- Associated flowers: Morning Glory
- Alternative stones: Turquoise, Citrine
Twelfth Year:
- Traditional: Silk
- Modern: Linen
- Alternative: Pearl
- Associated flowers: Peony
- Alternative stones: Jade, Opal
Thirteenth Year:
- Traditional: Lace
- Modern: Lace
- Alternative: Textiles, Faux Fur
- Associated flowers: Hollyhock
- Alternative stones: Citrine, Moonstone & Hawk’s Eye
Fourteenth Year:
- Traditional: Ivory
- Modern: Ivory
- Alternative: Gold
- Associated flowers: Dahlia
- Alternative stones: Opal, Agate & Bloodstone
Fifteenth Year:
- Traditional: Crystal
- Modern: Glass
- Alternative: Watches
- Associated flowers: Roses
- Alternative stones: Ruby, Alexandrite & Garnet
Sixteenth Year:
- Traditional: Wax
- Modern: Silver Holloware
- Alternative: Wax
- Associated flowers: The statice
- Alternative stones: Peridot & Red Spinel
Seventeenth Year:
- Traditional: Furniture
- Modern: Furniture
- Alternative: Shell roses
- Associated flowers: Roses
- Alternative stones: Watches, Carnelian
Eighteenth Year:
- Traditional: Porcelain
- Modern: Porcelain
- Alternative: Feather flowers
- Associated flowers: 18 flowers
- Alternative stones: Tigers eye
Nineteenth Year:
- Traditional: Bronze
- Modern: Bronze
- Alternative: Chilli peppers
- Associated flowers: Poppy
- Alternative stones: Aquamarine and Almandine Garnet
Twentieth Year:
- Traditional: China
- Modern: China
- Alternative: Platinum
- Associated flowers: Day Lily
- Alternative stones: Emerald or Yellow Diamond
Eleventh Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
The 11th wedding anniversary is often celebrated with a steel gift, both in the traditional and modern understanding. Steel is a versatile gift and therefore can find its way into many popular presents, including steel jewellery, candles holders and other keepsakes. However, the alternative gifting for this year of marriage is simply ‘jewellery’, which is the option that many people choose to focus on. With the stones of this anniversary being turquoise and citrine, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to anniversary gift ideas.
Turquoise symbolises healing and protection, often believed to promote mental and physical well-being, reduce stress and anxiety, and safeguard against negative energies – perfect as a gifting option to celebrate 11 years of marriage. Gifting a set of turquoise earrings, cufflinks or necklace would be a very well-thought-out present.
Citrine, on the other hand, is the traditional gemstone for the 11th wedding anniversary, as it symbolises happiness, prosperity and positive energy, often associated with bringing joy, success, and abundance into a couple’s life. Often recognisable for its orange hues, this beautiful stone would also make a wonderful gift for a loved one.
Twelve Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
To celebrate the 12th year of marriage, it is tradition to give silk goods to your partner. Silk represents an ever-woven bond, which is soft and enduring. As well as silk, the symbolic flower for the 12th wedding wedding anniversary is peony. A peony is a very romantic flower, thought to represent prosperity and a world of good fortune. Whilst many buy flowers for this occasion, may we suggest something a little more long-lasting? Our beautiful hand-painted pendants from Meg Muir feature a stunning peony drawing, which your other half can enjoy for years to come.
Thirteen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Thirteen years of marriage is typically represented through lace, which represents the refined and detailed craftsmanship of a strong, enduring relationship or marriage. Alternatively, many are turning to gemstones to also represent this milestone. To celebrate the 13th wedding anniversary, Citrine, Moonstone and Hawk’s Eye are the named gemstones.
Moonstone, in particular, is a beautiful stone which represents intuition, emotional balance, and new beginnings. Whilst 13 years is a long time to be married, you are constantly learning new things about one another, and Moonstone symbolises this perfectly. As a 13-year wedding gift, a Moonstone pendant or cufflinks could be the ideal gift to mark the occasion.
Fourteen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
A 14th wedding anniversary is all about ivory, both in the traditional and modern understanding. Ivory is thought to represent strength, longevity, and purity, symbolising the enduring and resilient nature of a relationship as it matures and evolves over time.
For alternative gemstone gifts, we can recommend opal. Often thought to symbolise love and the dynamic and ever-changing nature of a relationship, an opal is much more than simply a gemstone. Try gifting your partner a pair of Dendritic Opal Earrings as a way to celebrate the milestone of 14 years of happy matrimony.
Another alternative gift idea that is increasing in popularity is agate, perfect for showing the stability and security found within a long-lasting marriage. In our Agate collection, we have a range of different jewellery pieces, including cufflinks, earrings and pendants, all of which are made from this precious gem and set in sterling silver.
Fifteen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
The 15th wedding anniversary is marked by the gift of crystal in the traditional sense, or glass if you are looking for a modern twist. These two options offer the potential to get super creative when it comes to buying presents.
One of our favourite alternative gifts is watches and this fits perfectly for celebrating 15 years of marriage. Our Vintage Watch Movement cufflinks are not only an intriguing anniversary present, but offer another take on the concept of gifting a watch. These unique items are handmade from genuine vintage watch movements and are deep set in a double bezel of sterling silver.
Sixteen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
The 16th wedding anniversary is all about wax, for both the traditional gifting option and the alternative. Many people choose candles to celebrate this anniversary, but if you are looking for a different gift, we suggest going down the gemstone route.
Our Peridot Gemstone Ring holds the anniversary stone for 16 years of marriage. The Peridot stone represents protection, healing, prosperity, harmony, spiritual growth, and is often associated with the heart chakra. Cast in sterling silver, our Peridot Gemstone Ring is the ultimate gift for celebrating 16 wonderful years of marriage.
Seventeen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
For traditional and modern gifting ideas for the 17th wedding anniversary, it’s all about furniture. The tradition of giving furniture as a gift for the 17th wedding anniversary is rooted in the idea of providing something durable, useful, and symbolic of stability and comfort.
However, if after 17 years together, you have more than enough furniture, an alternative gift idea may be needed. Personally, we love the flower gift for this anniversary, which is roses.. Our Hand-painted Sea Glass Pendant from Meg Muir would make a thoughtful present that your other half would love. Made from recycled sea glass, this pendant is a sustainable and beautiful option.
Eighteen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
Whilst porcelain gifts traditionally mark the 18th wedding anniversary, consider celebrating with a unique and symbolic alternative like Tiger's Eye. This striking gemstone represents strength, courage and protection, making it a meaningful and distinctive choice for commemorating 18 years of marriage. With our Tiger’s Eye range, we have everything from earrings and pendants to cufflinks.
Nineteen Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
To celebrate the 19th wedding anniversary, bronze becomes a traditional and modern gift option. However, we much prefer the alternative stone for this month, which is aquamarine. Beautiful and blue, aquamarine jewellery makes a stunning and meaningful gift to celebrate this special occasion. This precious gemstone is admired for its natural beauty and elegance, making it a cherished keepsake that can be treasured for a lifetime.
Twenty Years of Marriage Anniversary Gift Ideas
The 20th wedding anniversary marks two decades of being together and so, a good present is a must. For traditional and modern gifting, the focus is on china. Here at Hepburn & Hughes, we specialise in upcycling china pieces into beautiful jewellery, which your loved one can cherish for years to come.
China can seem like a pretty uncreative idea, but what if you opted to get them a recycled jewellery piece that was once iconic crockery? For example, our Clarice Cliff collection features broken pieces from her pottery designs which we find on auction sites and antique dealers. Every piece of our Clarice Cliff jewellery is unique, perfect if you are looking for a striking and unusual ‘china’ gift for your spouse of 20 years.
