MICHAEL HILL AUSTRALIA GIFT GUIDES
Wedding Anniversary Gift Guide by Year: From Traditional to Modern
Wedding anniversaries are significant moments in life that deserve to be celebrated. They present an opportunity to affirm your enduring love and dedication, and to reflect on all of the moments and milestones you have shared together.
Mark the occasion with a thoughtful wedding anniversary gift. Choose from the traditional anniversary gifts for each year of marriage, each with unique symbolism dating back centuries, or contemporary gift ideas to tap into their meaning. Discover anniversary gift ideas for her and for him below.
Anniversary Gifts by Year
1st Anniversary
The traditional gift for your first wedding anniversary is paper; representing a blank slate for you to write your story together. The modern iteration is a clock, and a chic way to tap into this symbolism is by gifting your partner a watch. The first wedding anniversary is also a popular time to give your partner an eternity ring. Eternity rings symbolise your everlasting love, and are usually given on a significant anniversary or to honour a meaningful life milestone.
2nd Anniversary
Cotton is the classic choice for second anniversary gifts. The interwoven threads of cotton fabric symbolise your lives and aspirations becoming more entwined as your marriage progresses. For something unique but perfectly tied to the symbolism of your second anniversary, a jewellery piece from our exclusive Knots collection is a lasting, wearable reminder of your connection.
3rd Anniversary
Leather represents the strength and durability of your marriage, and is the traditional gift for your third anniversary. Gift your partner a chic leather-strap watch, or a men’s leather bracelet. The modern gift is crystal, and you can honour this with a beautiful piece of gemstone jewellery featuring your partner’s favourite stone.
4th Anniversary
The traditional four year anniversary gift is fruit or flowers, signalling how your marriage has blossomed. While a bouquet of fresh flowers is beautiful, a symbolic piece of jewellery will endure as a reminder of the moment. For a unique gift idea, opt for a symbolic, nature-inspired pendant such as a clover, Tree of Life, or lotus.
5th Anniversary
After five happy years of marriage, your relationship has its roots. Fittingly, the traditional five year anniversary gift is wood, often given in the form of furniture or homewares, symbolising the strength and stability of trees. As your fifth anniversary is a significant milestone, many couples choose it as the time to give a diamond eternity ring.
10th Anniversary
Your 10th wedding anniversary is a significant milestone. 10 happy years together is traditionally represented by a gift of tin or aluminium, metals which represent both strength and flexibility; an important balance in harmonious relationships. The modern gift is diamonds, a universal symbol of strength. As a special milestone, your 10th anniversary may also be the perfect time to give your partner a diamond eternity ring.
25th Anniversary
A quarter of a century together is celebrated with silver. While this traditionally takes the form of homewares, a beautifully crafted piece of sterling silver jewellery creates a wearable symbol of your enduring love.
30th Anniversary
30 years of marriage is marked by pearls – nature's poignant symbol of resilience and beauty. Pearls are the only gem formed by living creatures, and are the result of time and patience. Gift your partner a piece of pearl jewellery, such as a pearl pendant or earrings, for a beautiful and traditional way to mark your 30th anniversary.
40th Anniversary
40 years of marriage is only achieved with deep love for each other. Fittingly, the 40th anniversary gift is ruby. This precious gem symbolises love and passion, making ruby jewellery the perfect anniversary gift and one that honours tradition.
50th Anniversary
Precious and durable, gold is the apt symbol for your 50th wedding anniversary. Celebrate this incredible milestone with an expertly crafted piece of gold jewellery; such as a solid gold bangle or chain, or a men's gold ring.
60th Anniversary
60 years of marriage is about strength and love; represented by the 60th wedding anniversary gift of diamonds. The name diamond comes from the ancient Greek word for 'unbreakable', perfectly aligned with the strong, lifelong bond between the two of you. A piece of diamond jewellery such as a diamond ring, stud earrings, or a diamond pendant necklace, is perfect to mark this milestone.
Why do we celebrate anniversaries?
Wedding anniversaries are a reminder of the time that you have spent together. Rather than simply marking another year since you first said "I do", celebrating your anniversary encourages you to express your love and care for one another, to reflect on how far you have come together and all the things you have learned. In an increasingly busy and distracted world, anniversaries are a meaningful reminder to pause and focus on the things that are truly important.
Which anniversaries are the most important?
All anniversaries are important, because they mark your ongoing love and commitment to one another. It is common for couples to celebrate in a bigger way when they reach milestone anniversaries; which are usually 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 25 years, 50 years and 60 years.
What's the difference between traditional and modern anniversary gifts?
Like many changing traditions, anniversary gifts have evolved over time for practical reasons. Many of the modern iterations of anniversary gifts are aligned with items that are useful, or that are more in line with what people enjoy today.
What is an anniversary ring?
An anniversary ring, also known as an eternity ring, is a special piece of jewellery that you give to your loved one after you're married, as a reminder that your love is for eternity.
The concept of an anniversary ring dates back to an ancient symbol, the Ouroboros, which depicts a serpent biting its own tail. This represents a continual loop, or eternity.
Modern anniversary rings look similar to wedding bands, with their shared symbolism of love that lasts forever. The most popular styles of anniversary rings are set with diamonds, and usually the anniversary ring will feature a row of diamonds along the top and shoulders of the ring, or all the way around.
Your anniversary ring is worn on your left-hand ring finger, the same finger as your wedding and engagement rings, and it's traditionally worn on top of your engagement ring – closest to your fingertip.
Couples will usually exchange this special piece of jewellery on a milestone anniversary, such as 5, 10 or 25 years of marriage.
YOUR DIAMOND DESTINATION
