Every year of marriage has its material, its symbol and its way of being celebrated. Here is the complete calendar, with everything you need to find the right words and the right gift.
Each year of marriage is traditionally linked to a material, an image of what the relationship becomes over time. Here are the main milestones, with a focus on the early years.
Here is the traditional French list of wedding anniversaries, year by year. After 50 years, anniversaries are mostly celebrated every five years.
| Years married | Anniversary |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cotton |
| 2 | Leather |
| 3 | Wheat |
| 4 | Wax |
| 5 | Wood |
| 6 | Chypre |
| 7 | Wool |
| 8 | Poppy |
| 9 | Earthenware |
| 10 | Tin |
| 11 | Coral |
| 12 | Silk |
| 13 | Lily of the valley |
| 14 | Lead |
| 15 | Crystal |
| 16 | Sapphire |
| 17 | Rose |
| 18 | Turquoise |
| 19 | Cretonne |
| 20 | Porcelain |
| 21 | Opal |
| 22 | Bronze |
| 23 | Beryl |
| 24 | Satin |
| 25 | Silver |
| 26 | Jade |
| 27 | Mahogany |
| 28 | Nickel |
| 29 | Velvet |
| 30 | Pearl |
| 31 | Sheepskin |
| 32 | Copper |
| 33 | Porphyry |
| 34 | Amber |
| 35 | Ruby |
| 36 | Muslin |
| 37 | Paper |
| 38 | Mercury |
| 39 | Crepe |
| 40 | Emerald |
| 41 | Iron |
| 42 | Mother-of-pearl |
| 43 | Flannel |
| 44 | Topaz |
| 45 | Vermeil |
| 46 | Lavender |
| 47 | Cashmere |
| 48 | Amethyst |
| 49 | Cedar |
| 50 | Gold |
| 55 | Orchid |
| 60 | Diamond |
| 65 | Rosewood |
| 70 | Platinum |
| 75 | Alabaster |
| 80 | Oak |
The logic follows a simple progression: fragile materials at the start of a marriage (cotton, wood), becoming more and more precious and enduring over time (silver, then gold and later diamond). Each milestone has its poem, its words for a bouquet and a matching jewellery idea.
On every page you'll find the meaning of the year, an original poem, words to go with a bouquet and, if you're looking for a gift that truly lasts, direct access to personal advice.
Find the right piece →Which anniversary for which year of marriage?
1 year cotton, 5 years wood, 10 years tin, 15 years crystal, 20 years china, 25 years silver, and later pearl (30), ruby (35), emerald (40), gold (50), diamond (60).
Where does the anniversary tradition come from?
It became codified in Europe in the 19th century, with materials becoming ever more precious and durable as the years of marriage add up.
Do you have to give the material linked to the year?
No, it's an inspiration, not a rule. Many couples choose a piece of jewellery made to last, whatever the year.
1 year cotton, 5 years wood, 10 years tin, 15 years crystal, 20 years china, 25 years silver, 30 years pearl, 35 years coral or ruby, 40 years ruby or emerald, 50 years gold, 60 years diamond. Each milestone has its own page with a poem and gift ideas.
No, it's a source of inspiration, not a rule. Many couples choose a piece of jewellery meant to last instead, whatever the year's traditional material.
It became codified in Europe during the 19th century, following a logic of increasingly precious and durable materials as the years of marriage accumulate, from fragile materials early on (cotton, wood) through to diamond.
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