Also, this list is a little different than the ones for the United Kingdom and other countries. I focused on the United States of American traditions for wedding anniversaries for this list.
I have seen other lists of this. Mine is a little different because it is all on the same page and formatted for easy access to the Wedding Anniversary Year of your choice. I also didn't add links to products to buy or anything like many of the lists have.
This is really intended to be more informational and does not really meet my goals of increasing Fibromyalgia Awareness or sharing my life with others. Well, other than sharing my interest in Wedding Anniversary traditions that came about due to my husband and I celebrating our 10th Anniversary.
This is really intended to be more informational and does not really meet my goals of increasing Fibromyalgia Awareness or sharing my life with others. Well, other than sharing my interest in Wedding Anniversary traditions that came about due to my husband and I celebrating our 10th Anniversary.
This post is a little long, so I'm adding a little menu here so that you can click on the section you're interested in, if you'd like.
Wedding Anniversary Menu:
History
Wedding Anniversary by Year
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 55 | 60 | ||||||
| 65 | 67 | 70 | 75 | 80 | |||||||||||||||
| 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 |
Top 5 Longest Documented Marriages
References
History
It's hard to track the origins of the traditional and modern lists, but it appears that the first mention of wedding anniversaries seems have originated in Europe and focuses on Silver (25th), Gold (50th) and Copper (12 ½) Anniversaries.The first lists started to make appearances in the late 1800's. In 1937, the American National Retail Jeweller Association released a more complete list that included every year up to the fifteenth and then every five years after that. The modern list seems to be a convergence of multiple lists that came out many years ago, so the title of modern may be a little outdated. Where are the e-cards and Facebook posts after all?
The result of my fanatical interest is a listing of Wedding Anniversaries by Year that includes the Traditional Gift and Symbolic Meaning, the Modern Gift and Symbolic Meaning, Gemstone, Color, Flower and the Meaning of the Flower.
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Wedding Anniversary Gifts (in USA)
First Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Paper Paper Symbolizes: Strength due to the interlaced connections of the paper's individual threads  Modern Gift: Clocks Clocks Symbolize: Time being eternal for those who are in love. Gemstone: Gold jewelry, Pearl, Peridot Color: Gold or Yellow | Flower: Orange Blossom or Pansy
|
Second Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Cotton Cotton Symbolizes: A good marriage needs to be both durable and versatile, like cotton. Cotton also is recognized as a symbol of prosperity. Modern Gift: China China Symbolizes: China is elegant and beautiful, like Love. Gemstone: Garnet Color: Red | Flower:Cosmos
Meaning of the Flower: Cosmos means modesty. |
Third Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Leather Leather Symbolizes: Like leather, the qualities that help marriages continue to thrive are: durable, warm, strong, flexible, and resilient. Modern Gift: Crystal Crystal Symbolizes: A meaningful marriage can touch the lives of others like a crystal can dazzle with its beauty and reflection of light. Gemstone: Pearl or Jade Color: White or Jade Green | Flower: Fuchsia
Meaning of Flower: Fuchsia means taste. |
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Fourth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Flowers Flowers Symbolize: Flowers represent the blossoming partnership of a couple. Modern Gift: Appliances Appliances Symbolize: Appliances represent the practical side of marriage and the compatibility needed to be successful. Gemstone: Blue Topaz or Blue Zircon Color: Blue or Green | Flower: Geranium
Meaning of Flower: Geranium has more than one meaning; including stupidity, folly, comfort and gentility. I'm focusing on the comfort and gentility! |
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Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Wood Wood Symbolizes: Wood represents the strength of a solidified relationship. Modern Gift: Silverware Silverware Symbolizes: Silverware represents the connection of two people formed over shared meals. Gemstone: Sapphire, or pink tourmaline Color: Blue, Pink, or Turquoise | Flower: Daisy
Meaning of Flower: Daisies represent innocence, loyal love, and purity. |
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Sixth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Candy or Iron Candy & Iron Symbolize: Candy represents the sweetness in your marriage and iron represents good luck and strength. Modern Gift: Wood Wood Symbolizes: A long-lasting and solid relationship. Gemstone: Amethyst, or Turquoise Color: Purple, Turquoise, or White | Flower: Calla Lily
Meaning of Flower: The Calla Lily represents magnificent beauty. |
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Seventh Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Wool or Copper Wool & Copper Symbolize: Wool represents the comfort, durability, security and warmth of a lasting relationship. Copper means prosperity, good luck and good fortune. Modern Gift: Desk Set Desk Set Symbolizes: A more practical approach in which you can combine wood and copper to represent prosperity and strength. Gemstone: Onyx or Yellow Sapphire Color: Yellow or Off-White | Flower: Jack-in-the-Pulpit or Camelia
Meaning of Flowers: Jack-in-the-Pulpits represent shelter and Camelias represent admiration, good luck, and perfection.
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Eighth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Bronze or Pottery Bronze or Pottery Symbolize: Bronze, created by combining copper and tin to make a stronger metal, represents the joining of two individuals who have taken the time to create a strong bond. Pottery symbolizes the growth of a relationship from a lump of clay into something beautiful. Modern Gift: Linens or Lace Linens or Lace Symbolize: This practical and pretty gift of purchasing something for the home that both can use represents the joining of two sides into a strong relationship Gemstone: Tourmaline or Tanzanite Color: Tourmaline, Tanzanite, or Bronze | Flower: Chematis
Meaning of Flower: Clematis is a beautiful climber that means clever and intellectual. |
Ninth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Pottery and Willow Pottery and Willow Symbolize: Pottery symbolizes the growth of a relationship from a lump of clay into something beautiful. Willow represents flexibility and gracefulness. Modern Gift: Leather Leather Symbolizes: The durability, warmth, strength, flexibility, and resilience of a long lasting marriage. Gemstone: Lapis Lazuli Color: Terra Cotta | Flower: Poppy
Meaning of Flower: Poppies represent the humble loyalty and faith between two people in a loving marriage. |
Tenth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Tin or Aluminum Tin or Aluminum Symbolize: A successful marriage needs to be flexible and durable; the pliability of tine and aluminum showcase that it can be bent without being broken. Modern Gift: Diamond Jewelry Diamonds Symbolize: The beauty and durability of a marriage lasting ten years. Gemstone: Diamond or Blue Sapphire Color: Silver or Blue | Flower: Daffodil
Meaning of Flower: Daffodils represent joy, cheerfulness and happiness. |
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Eleventh Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Steel Steel Symbolizes: Steel represents a strong marriage that can stand the test of time and withstand outside forces that try to break them down. Modern Gift: Fashion Jewelry Fashion Jewelry Symbolizes: This one is just a modern twist on steel. Gemstone: Turquoise, Citrine, or Yellow Zircon Color: Turquoise or Yellow | Flower: Morning Glory
Meaning of Flower: Morning glories signify love and affection. Because the flower blooms and dies in one day, it also represents mortality. |
Twelfth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Silk or Linen Silk or Linen Symbolize: These symbolize luxury and comfort. Modern Gift: Pearls Pearls Symbolize: A pearl symbolizes the love, success, and happiness of a long lasting marriage. Gemstone: Jade or Opal Color: Jade, Opal, or Oyster White | Flower: Peony
Meaning of Flower: Peonies, known as the flower of riches and honor, embody romance and prosperity and are an omen of good fortune and a happy marriage. |
Thirteenth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Lace Lace Symbolizes: The delicate balance between two people working together to create a lasting and beautiful marriage. Modern Gift: Textiles or Fur Textiles or Fur Symbolize: The intertwined experiences of marriage that have created a stronger, new fabric of life together. Gemstone: Citrine, Moonstone, Hawk's Eye Color: Citrine or White | Flower: Hollyhock or Chrysanthemum
Meaning of Flower: Hollyhock means ambition and fruitfulness.
Chrysanthemums mean abundance, loveliness, fidelity, wealth, optimism and joy. |
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Fourteenth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Ivory Ivory Symbolizes: Quiet calmness, purity, intellectual, and pleasantness are the meanings of Ivory. Since you really shouldn't and in many places can't (illegal) to get ivory, it can also be a symbol of rarity and uniqueness. Modern Gift: Gold Jewelry Gold Jewelry Symbolizes: Gold, that does not tarnish, rust, or corrode, is like a marriage withstanding the test of time while maintaining value and integrity Gemstone: Opal, Agate, Bloodstone Color: Opal, Ivory | Flower: Orchid or Dahlia
Meaning of Flower: Orchid means mature charm, love, long life, beauty, thoughtfulness, refinement and wisdom.
Dahlia represents dignity, elegance, good taste, and promise of forever. |
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Fifteenth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Crystal Crystal Symbolizes: Crystal represents the clear and sparkling love between two people that needs to be handled with care. Modern Gift: Watch Watch Symbolizes: Watches symbolize the time that the two of you've had together. Gemstone: Ruby, Garnet, Alexandrite Color: Ruby Red | Flower: Rose
Meaning of Flower: A rose symbolizes passion, love, and perfection (especially a red rose). |
Sixteenth Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Silver Holloware Silver Holloware Symbolizes: Silver Holloware is said to symbolize the spirit of wonder and appreciation for a shared life. Gemstone: Peridot (Evening Emerald) and Red Spinel Color: Emerald Green, Red, or Silver Flower: None |
Seventeenth Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Furniture Gemstone: Citrine and Amethyst Color: Yellow Flower: None |
Eighteenth Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Porcelain Porcelain Symbolizes: Porcelain has a subtle appeal that represents beauty and strength in marriage. Gemstone: Cat's Eye or Aquamarine Color: Blue Flower: None |
Nineteenth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Bronze Bronze Symbolizes: Bronze symbolizes the durability of a marriage lasting so long and becoming stronger as two people become more and more entwined.
Gemstone: Aquamarine, Garnet Color: Bronze Flower: None |
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Twentieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: China China Symbolizes: China symbolizes the elegant and delicate beauty of your love for one another over twenty years. Modern Gift: Platinum Platinum Symbolizes: Platinum is strong and enduring like a 20 year marriage. Gemstone: Emerald, Yellow or Gold Diamond Color: Emerald Green and White | Flower: Daylily
Meaning of Flower: The daylily symbolizes playfulness and flirtatiousness. |
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Twenty First Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Brass or Nickel Brass or Nickel Symbolizes: They symbolize the strength of the union. Gemstone: Lolite Color: Orange Flower: None |
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Twenty Second Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Copper
Copper Symbolizes: Copper represents prosperity, good luck and good fortune. Gemstone: Spinel Color: Green Flower: None |
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Twenty Third Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Silver Plate
Silver Plate Symbolizes: The joining of silver to another object in order to plate it symbolizes the joining of two individuals in a union and the increased strength the object has after being silver plated relates to the increased strength and durability of the love shared between two people. Gemstone: Imperial Topaz Color: Silver Flower: None |
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Twenty Fourth Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Musical Instruments Musical Instruments Symbolize: Music is a means for communicating deep emotions with its own unique voice and emphasizes the harmony between two people in love. Gemstone: Tanzanite Color: Lavender Flower: None |
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Twenty Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Silver Modern Gift: Silver Silver Symbolizes: The radiance and brilliance of a couple in a loving and lasting relationship. Gemstone: Silver, Tsavorite, Green Garnet Color: Silver | Flower: Iris
Meaning of Flower: The Iris represents flame, wisdom, faith, hope, valor, valued friendship and passion. |
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Twenty Sixth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Original Pictures Original Pictures Symbolize: These represent the opportunity to commemorate your love either with a new picture or ones containing the memories of past years together.
Gemstone: Jade Color: Jade Flower: None |
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Twenty Seventh Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Sculpture
Sculpture Symbolizes: The creation of something new in a tangible form like the continued creation of love in a strong relationship. Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Twenty Eighth Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Orchids Gemstone: None Color: Orchid or Lavender Flower: Orchids Meaning of Flower: The Orchid represents refinement, mature charm, love, long life, and rare beauty. |
Twenty Ninth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Furniture
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Pearl Pearl Symbolizes: Pearls symbolize the love, success, and happiness of a long lasting marriage. Modern Gift: Diamond Diamond Symbolizes: Diamonds represent he beauty and durability of a marriage lasting thirty years. Gemstone: Pearl Jubilee Color: Green | Flower: Sweet Pea
Meaning of Flower: The Sweet Pea symbolizes a Thank You for a lovely time, bliss and pleasure. |
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Thirty First Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Time Pieces
Time Pieces Symbolize: A memento of the time spent together and the commitment for your love to have no ending in time. Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirty Second Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Conveyances
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None Note: Ok, I admit it. I'm not really sure what conveyances are about. I know it means transportation, so I added a picture of horses, but this may not be totally true to the intention. |
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Thirty Third Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Amethyst Gemstone: Amethyst
Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirty Fourth Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gift: None
Modern Gift: Opal Gemstone: Opal Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirty Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Coral Modern Gift: Jade Coral and Jade Symbolize: The strength of your marriage bond
Gemstone: Emerald Color: Coral Flower: None |
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Thirty Sixth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Bone China
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirty Seventh Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Alabaster
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirty Eighth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Beryl or Tourmaline Gemstone: Beryl or Tourmaline
Color: None Flower: None |
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Thirty Ninth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Lace
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
Fortieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Ruby Modern Gift: Ruby Ruby Symbolizes: The ruby symbolizes health, wisdom, wealth and love. Gemstone: Ruby Color: Ruby Red
Flower: Nasturtium and Gladiolus
| Meaning of Flowers: Nasturtium means conquest, patriotism, and victory in battle.
Gladiolus symbolizes generosity, sincerity, remembrance, strength of character, infatuation, and admiration. |
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Forty First Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Land
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Forty Second Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Improved Real Estate
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
Forty Third Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Travel
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
Forty Fourth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Groceries
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
Forty Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Sapphire Modern Gift: Sapphire Sapphire Symbolizes: The Sapphire means precious and is considered to be the "Stone of Destiny." It represents the indestructibility of fidelity and love. Gemstone: Sapphire or Cats Eye Color: Sapphire Red | Flower: Blue Iris
Meaning of Flower: The Blue Iris represents faith and hope. |
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Forty Sixth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Original Poetry
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Forty Seventh Wedding Anniversary
Modern Gift: Books
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Forty Eighth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Optical Goods
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Forty Ninth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Luxuries
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Gold Modern Gift: Gold Gold Symbolizes: Gold, like a marriage that has lasted fifty years, is beautiful, strong, and resistant to corrosion. Gold is also associated with optimism and wealth. Gemstone: Golden Jubilee, Imperial, or Golden Topaz Color: Gold
Flower: Violet and Yellow Rose
| Meaning of Flowers: The Violet represents the combination of humility and commitment needed to sustain an enduring relationship. Violets also mean virtue, modesty, and faithfulness.
The Yellow Rose represents the inner light and beauty of a long, prosperous marriage. |
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Fifty First Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Blue Sapphire Gemstone: Blue Sapphire
Color: None Flower: None |
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Fifty Second Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Ruby Gemstone: Ruby
Color: None Flower: None |
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Fifty Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Emerald Modern Gift: Emerald Emerald Symbolizes: Emeralds symbolize the endurance of a long term relationship, because they are associated with stability, balance, love, and sensuality.
Color: Emerald Green Flower: None |
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Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Yellow Diamond Modern Gift: Diamonds
Diamond Symbolizes:Diamonds mean unconquerable and enduring. Some people also believe the fire in the diamond represents the constant flame of love. Gemstone: Diamond Jubilee, Star Ruby Color: Diamond White Flower: None |
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Sixty Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Blue Sapphire Modern Gift: Star Sapphire
Sapphire Symbolizes: The Sapphire means precious and is considered to be the "Stone of Destiny." It also represents the indestructibility of fidelity and love. Gemstone: Blue Spinel Color: Sky Blue Flower: None |
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Sixty Seventh Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: None Modern Gift: Star Sapphire  Sapphire Symbolizes: The Sapphire means precious and is considered to be the "Stone of Destiny." It also represents the indestructibility of fidelity and love. Gemstone: Sapphire Color: Purple Flower: None |
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Seventieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Diamond and Gold Diamonds and Gold Symbolize: The combination of Diamonds and Gold represents the best of both a marriage of seventy years is unconquerable, enduring, and cannot tarnish, rust or corrode.
Gemstone: Sapphire Jubilee, Smoky Quartz Color: Platinum, Gray Flower: None |
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Seventy Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Diamonds, Diamond like Stones, Gold Modern Gift: Diamond, Gold Diamonds and Gold Symbolize: The combination of Diamonds and Gold represents the best of both a marriage of seventy years is unconquerable, enduring, and cannot tarnish, rust or corrode.
Color: Diamond White Flower: None |
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Eightieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Oak Oak Symbolizes: An oak tree can live for more than a hundred years, so a marriage that lasts 80 years celebrates longevity. Modern Gift: Diamond, Pearl
Diamonds and Pearls Symbolize: The combination of Diamonds and Pearls represents the best of both a marriage of eighty years like diamonds in that it is unconquerable and enduring and like pearls in that it has love, success and happiness. Gemstone: Ruby Jubilee Color: Ruby Red Flower: None |
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Eighty Fifth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Wine Wine Symbolizes: Wine represents maturation, culture, history and tradition. Wine also gets better with age. Modern Gift: Diamond, Sapphire Diamonds and Sapphire Symbolize: The combination of Diamonds and Sapphires represents the best of both a marriage of eighty years like diamonds in that it is unconquerable and enduring and like sapphires in that it represents the indestructibility of fidelity and love.
Gemstone: None officially Color: None Flower: None |
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Ninetieth Wedding Anniversary
| Traditional Gift: Stone Stone Symbolizes: I actually wasn't able to locate information on what stone symbolizes for the 90th wedding anniversary, but it seems a little bit of a letdown, unless you get to choose the type of stone. Modern Gift: Diamond and Emeralds Diamonds and Emeralds Symbolize: The combination of Diamonds and Emeralds represents the best of both a marriage of eighty years like diamonds in that it is unconquerable and enduring and like emeralds in that it represents stability, balance, love and sensuality.
Gemstone: None Color: None Flower: None |
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Ninety Fifth Wedding Anniversary
Modern Gift: Diamond, Ruby
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One Hundredth Wedding Anniversary
Modern Gift: Ten Carat (10k) Diamond
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References:
Online Resources
Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_the_longest_marriages
About.com at http://marriage.about.com/cs/anniversaries/a/wedannivideas.htm
Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_anniversary
UK Royal Government http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/Queenandanniversarymessages/Factsandfigures.aspx
Wedding Anniversaries by Year https://sites.google.com/site/weddinganniversarygiftsbyyear/wedding-anniversary-flower/1st-anniversary-flowers
Offline Resources
- Britannia Encyclopaedia
- The Continuum Encyclopaedia of Symbols
- An Anniversary to Remember
- The Art of Marriage
This is a very nice post! Very specific, detailed and nice explaining the traditions of wedding anniversaries. I suggest that you include some wedding anniversary wishes that couples can use to greet each other since most couples considered it as tradition as well.
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