The best anniversary gift ideas
No matter how many years you've been married, choosing the perfect anniversary gift for your partner can be a bit tricky. Unlike wedding and housewarming gifts where you can often pick from a registry or give money towards a honeymoon fund, buying wedding anniversary presents involves a blend of sentiment, thoughtfulness, and understanding your partner's personal style and preferences.
There’s also some weird added pressure because not only are you shopping for the person you love most in the world, but wedding anniversary presents also celebrate your marriage, the day you said ‘I do’ and probably one of the most special memories you have made together too. Oh, and that's without factoring in the whole 'anniversary gifts by year' thing (we’ll chat more about that in a minute...) So yeah, we get that it can be A LOT.
To make finding the best anniversary gifts easier – and fun, like shopping should be! – we’ve pulled together this nifty little anniversary gift guide. It starts with a breakdown of wedding anniversary gifts by year (sorry, but we just love a brief and when else are you given the challenge to choose a prezzie based on material?), followed by loads more non-material-based anniversary ideas... anniversary gifts for her, anniversary gifts for him and wedding anniversary cards. Oh and, all of the pressies featured are up to 60% less than the RRP. Win-win!
PSA: we know anniversary cards should *technically* fall under ‘material-based ideas’ but we have a really cute selection, so you have to let us off.
Wedding anniversary gifts by year
One way to tackle wedding anniversary gifts is to look to traditional anniversary themes for inspiration. Published over 100 years ago by Emily Post (and added to afterwards), the list of traditional anniversary themes was created to help couples choose practical, long-lasting presents for each other.
If you can’t already tell, we adore this approach – it’s cute, creative and a clever way to keep anniversary gift ideas fresh. Fancy giving it a go? Whether you’re searching for a significant wedding anniversary present for a partner or celebrating a couple you love, you’ll find our fave traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year below.
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One-year anniversary gifts
The traditional one-year anniversary gift is paper. Nicely affordable (which is super handy if you're still paying off your wedding!), paper represents how a new marriage is a blank sheet – ready to be filled in! We love the idea of printing off photographs from your special day or honeymoon and presenting them in an album. A coffee table book with a sentimental subject is also a wonderful gesture. -
Two-year anniversary gifts
Cotton, the traditional two-year anniversary gift, is said to symbolise the strength, comfort and resilience of marriage. It may be obvious, but your second anniversary is the perfect opportunity to pick something for your home together. While soft furnishings – a cotton throw to cuddle under or a picnic blanket for sunny days by the sea – are great anniversary ideas, you could also consider a cotton-scented candle and embroidered wall art. -
Three-year anniversary gifts
Said to represent the durability of your marriage, leather is the traditional three-year anniversary gift. The material has conventionally been used to protect things – similar to how each of you protect one another – and, luckily for you, it makes up some of our most stylish wedding anniversary gifts. Sleek wallets, chic handbags, designer belts and Gold Label shoes – the list of luxe leather accessories goes on and on and on...
Top TK Maxx tip
We’ve listed a few anniversary gift ideas per year but remember when it comes to wedding anniversary presents, always go for quality over quantity. All of our gifts are high quality (obviously) – by ‘quality over quantity’ we mean focus on the thought and meaning behind the present rather than its size or price.
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Five-year anniversary gifts
The traditional five-year anniversary gift is wood. The association comes from the strength and wisdom symbolised by trees – your marriage will be pretty solid and deep rooted by now, after all. Wooden bowls and chopping boards are timeless wedding anniversary presents as they'll be cherished and used for years to come (plus, they always look gorgeous on display). Fragrances featuring oud wood and sandalwood also make thoughtful gifts. -
10-year anniversary gifts
Symbolising protection and the durability of marriage, the traditional 10-year anniversary gift is tin (or aluminium), thanks to its inability to rust. While this hardy metal may sound like a dull way to celebrate a decade of marriage, we've come up with a couple of fun anniversary ideas... 1) An aluminium suitcase – an exciting 10-year anniversary present if you love going away together. 2) A tin filled with your partner's favourite things! -
15-year anniversary gifts
Crystal, the traditional 15-year anniversary gift was chosen for its purity and is said to represent how a couple sees one another clearly after 15 years. And, in our humble opinion, it's the perfect way to celebrate your marriage. Why's that? Because crystal wedding anniversary presents often come in the form of fancy glassware – and we love to raise a toast. You'll spot champagne flutes, whiskey tumblers and decanters galore in our selection.
Fun fact
Although the origins of anniversary themes are unclear, they’re believed to date back to Roman times when husbands would give their wives silver wreaths as a 25-year anniversary gift and gold wreaths as 50-year anniversary gift. Now *that* is our Roman empire.
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20-year anniversary gifts
The traditional 20-year anniversary gift is china, which symbolises how marriage is fragile but when looked after properly will stand the test of time. With an abundance of sophisticated dining sets to choose from – not to mention quirky plates, playful mugs and unique trinket dishes – we're pretty sure you’ll find the perfect 20-year anniversary gift for your partner right here. You'll also see that not all fine china is old-fashioned... -
25-year anniversary gifts
Silver, the traditional 25-year anniversary gift is the first precious metal on this list. When treated carefully and polished regularly, silver will continue to shine – just like your marriage – that's why it was chosen to celebrate such a special milestone. While jewellery makes a stunning 25-year anniversary present (we'd never say no!), you'll hopefully have plenty more chances for gems. Consider a silver cake server, champagne cooler or coffee maker for something out of the ordinary. -
30-year anniversary gifts
For three decades of commitment, comes the timeless gift of pearl, a gemstone that symbolises purity and wisdom. Again, jewellery is a gorgeous 30-year anniversary gift – anything from delicate pearl pendants to striking pre-loved earrings and cocktail rings – but remember there are plenty of other options too. Think mother of pearl trinkets and homeware (somewhere to store jewellery perhaps) and even pearl-embellished accessories.
Top TK Maxx tip
If you’re thinking of treating your partner to a piece of jewellery for their wedding anniversary gift – whether that’s a silver bracelet, a gold watch or a pearl ring – you can make it even more personal with an engraving. Add their initials, your wedding date or a meaningful quote for an extra special touch.
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40-year anniversary gifts
Ruby is the traditional 40-year anniversary present and seeing as red is a colour that's long associated with love, passion and protection, it feels like a fitting choice. While we adore ruby jewellery (us? fancy?), we can appreciate it's not to everyone's taste. If you want something different to spoil your partner with, why not consider ruby red ceramics or a lavish bouquet of ruby red roses in a vase you know they'll love? -
50-year anniversary gifts
The traditional wedding anniversary present for five decades is gold. Representing the enduring strength and beauty of a long-lasting marriage, this precious metal couldn’t be more perfect. Gold jewellery is always a winning choice for 50-year anniversary gifts, but you’ll find lots more anniversary ideas out there too, from gold photo frames to gold-infused skincare sets. After a lifetime together, we hope you know your partner well enough to pick. -
60-year anniversary gifts
Cue the big one! Thanks to their strength, durability and ability to flourish under extreme pressure, the 60-year wedding anniversary gift is that of diamonds. The precious gemstone is said to be invincible, which is undoubtedly how you'll feel after six decades of marriage. Any present that features real diamonds is sure to be a special, but there are other brilliant anniversary ideas too. Think something sparkling... like fizz from the year you married.
Wedding anniversary gifts for her
You obviously don’t need to pick a traditional anniversary present for your wife; it’s just a cute anniversary idea. If you don’t think she’ll be into the whole old-school thing, it’s probs best to steer clear entirely and dive straight into our edit of anniversary presents for her.
From big-brand perfume and designer sunnies to more fabulous fashion than you thought possible – we have luxe gifts for every kind of lady, and they’re all up to 60% less than the RRP. Have fun filling your bag!
Wedding anniversary gifts for him
Still wondering what to buy your husband for your anniversary? We totally get it... guys are difficult to shop for at the best of times and sometimes the key to buying the best anniversary gifts isn’t a sentimental approach. Have no fear, our comprehensive edit of anniversary presents for him is sure to have you covered.
If he’s a fan of high-end labels, then you’re definitely in luck. Gorgeous grooming kits? We’ve got plenty of those too – along with luxe accessories, top-tier tech and stacks of new-season shoes. You know what to do...
