Wedding Anniversaries: List of All Wedding Anniversaries & Their Meanings

What wedding anniversaries are there, and why does the 10th wedding anniversary have a different name than, say, the 40th? Some anniversaries are even said to have multiple names. To help you keep track of all the celebrations marking the years of marriage, we’ll explain all the notable wedding anniversaries here. Here we go!

What kinds of wedding anniversaries are there, anyway?

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Which wedding anniversaries are actually celebrated? And which ones are more like gentle reminders for married couples to celebrate each other and not take anything for granted? After all, whether you’re invited to a wedding anniversary celebration or are already celebrating your own 5th wedding anniversary, you should know the proper term for each anniversary. After all, the various anniversary terms—such as the rose anniversary, orchid anniversary, or pearl anniversary—often provide inspiration for appropriate anniversary gifts. Here you’ll find a clear list of all wedding anniversaries, organized by years of marriage:

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• 1 Year of Marriage: Paper Wedding
• 2 Years of Marriage: The Cotton Anniversary
• 3 Years of Marriage: Leather Anniversary
• 4 Years of Marriage: The Silk Anniversary
• 5 Years of Marriage: The Wooden Wedding
• 6 Years of Marriage: Sugar Anniversary
• 7 Years of Marriage: Copper Wedding Anniversary
• 8 Years of Marriage: Tin Wedding
• 9 Years of Marriage: Ceramic Anniversary
• 10 Years of Marriage: The Rose Anniversary
• 11 years of marriage: Steel Wedding
• 12 years of marriage: Nickel anniversary
• 12 ½ years of marriage: Parsley Anniversary—Halfway to the Silver Anniversary
• 13 Years of Marriage: Violet Wedding
• 14 Years of Marriage: Ivory Anniversary
• 15 Years of Marriage: Crystal Wedding Anniversary
• 16 Years of Marriage: Sapphire Wedding Anniversary
• 17 Years of Marriage: Orchid Anniversary
• 18 Years of Marriage: Turkish Wedding Anniversary
• 19 years of marriage: Mother-of-Pearl Anniversary
• 20 Years of Marriage: Porcelain Wedding
• 21 Years of Marriage: Opal Wedding Anniversary:
• 22 years of marriage: Bronze Wedding Anniversary
• 23 Years of Marriage: Titanium Wedding Anniversary
• 24 Years of Marriage: Satin Wedding Anniversary
• 25 Years of Marriage: Silver Wedding Anniversary

• 26 Years of Marriage: Jade Wedding / Nephrite Wedding
• 27 Years of Marriage: Mahogany Anniversary
• 28 Years of Marriage: The Carnation Anniversary
• 29 Years of Marriage: The Velvet Anniversary
• 30 Years of Marriage: Pearl Wedding Anniversary
• 31 Years of Marriage: Linden Wedding Anniversary
• 32 years of marriage: Soap Wedding
• 33 Years of Marriage: Tin Wedding Anniversary
• 33.3 years; Garlic Anniversary
• 34 Years of Marriage: Amber Wedding Anniversary
• 35 Years of Marriage: Linen Anniversary
• 36 Years of Marriage: Emerald Wedding Anniversary
• 37 years of marriage: Malachite anniversary
• 37.5 years of marriage: aluminum wedding anniversary
• 38 Years of Marriage: The Fire Wedding Anniversary
• 39 Years of Marriage: Golden Anniversary
• 40 Years of Marriage: Ruby Wedding Anniversary
• 41 Years of Marriage: Birch Wedding
• 42 Years of Marriage: Garnet Wedding Anniversary
• 43 Years of Marriage: Lead Wedding Anniversary
• 44 Years of Marriage: Diamond Anniversary
• 45 Years of Marriage: Brass Wedding Anniversary
• 46 Years of Marriage: Lavender Anniversary
• 47 Years of Marriage: Cashmere Anniversary
• 48 Years of Marriage: The Tiara Anniversary
• 49 Years of Marriage: The Cedar Wedding
• 50 Years of Marriage: Golden Wedding Anniversary

• 51 Years of Marriage: The Willow Wedding
• 52 Years of Marriage: Topaz Wedding Anniversary
• 53 Years of Marriage: Uranium Wedding Anniversary
• 54 Years of Marriage: The Zeus Wedding
• 55 Years of Marriage: Platinum Wedding Anniversary
• 56 Years of Marriage: The Aster Wedding Anniversary
• 57 Years of Marriage: Jade Wedding Anniversary
• 58 Years of Marriage: The Angel Wedding
• 59 Years of Marriage: A "Tide" Wedding
• 60 Years of Marriage: Diamond Wedding Anniversary
• 61 Years of Marriage: The Elm Wedding
• 62 Years of Marriage: Aquamarine Wedding Anniversary
• 63 Years of Marriage: The Mercury Wedding Anniversary
• 64 Years of Marriage: A Heavenly Wedding
• 65 Years of Marriage: The Iron Wedding Anniversary
• 66 Years of Marriage: The Chive Wedding
• 67 Years of Marriage: The Stone Wedding Anniversary
• 70 Years of Marriage: Diamond Wedding Anniversary
• 75 Years of Marriage: Diamond Jubilee
• 80 Years of Marriage: The Oak Wedding Anniversary
• 85 Years of Marriage: The Angel Wedding
• 90 Years of Marriage: Marble Wedding Anniversary
• 100 Years of Marriage: A Heavenly Wedding

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If you study the list carefully, you’ll quickly notice that some terms related to wedding anniversaries appear more than once. These duplicates mainly result from the fact that the names of less well-known wedding anniversaries aren’t strictly defined and also vary by region. One example is the “Angel Wedding,” which is celebrated after 58 years of marriage and again on the 85th wedding anniversary.

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Wedding Anniversaries in Austria

Not only do the names of wedding anniversaries vary by region, but the way these milestones are celebrated is also regulated differently across Austria’s federal states. For example, the state of Vorarlberg—or the couple’s municipality of residence—congratulates couples on their 50th, 60th, 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries. In most cases, couples in Vorarlberg are invited to a communal meal in a banquet hall and receive gift certificates for regional restaurants.

In Styria, on the other hand, the occasion is often marked with more than just a festive meal; those celebrating their milestone birthdays are all invited to a day-long event that includes a festive parade through the village accompanied by music, followed by a grand celebration in their honor.

Fun Traditions for Wedding Anniversaries

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Wedding anniversaries offer a wonderful opportunity to pause and celebrate the time spent together. While celebrations in Austria and our neighboring countries, Switzerland and Germany, tend to be very traditional, there are a few funny anecdotes from around the world about wedding anniversaries that we’d like to share with you:

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• Paper Wedding After 100 Days: In some cultures, such as South Korea, people celebrate not only the annual wedding anniversary (which we consider the “paper wedding”), but also smaller milestones. For example, there is a tradition there of celebrating the “Baek-il” (백일), which literally means “one hundred days.” This anniversary originally stems from the custom of celebrating the 100th day after a child’s birth, but this “mini-anniversary” is also often celebrated in the context of marriage. It’s a curious but sweet custom that shows how differently the meaning and value of time periods can be perceived across cultures.

• Copper Wedding Anniversary after 12.5 years: This anniversary is also listed in our guide to wedding anniversaries, but hardly anyone in this country actually celebrates it. In the Netherlands, however, there is a traditionof celebrating the“ KoperenHuwelijk,” which translates to “copper wedding.” This celebration takes place after 12.5 years of marriage and thus marks the halfway point to the silver wedding anniversary. The choice of copper as a symbol for this anniversary stems from the fact that, as a metal, copper symbolizes both durability and flexibility—qualities that are also important in a marriage.
  

• Celebrating a wedding anniversary in England had a special charm during Queen Elizabeth II’s lifetime, as the legendary queen sent a total of more than 900,000 congratulatory cards to couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Couples who had been married for 60 years could thus look forward to receiving royal greetings from the palace. It has not yet been decided whether this tradition will continue under King Charles III.

An Annual Celebration: Wedding Anniversaries

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Wedding anniversaries are much more than just annual commemorations; they symbolize the ongoing journey and evolution of a partnership. They offer an opportunity to celebrate shared achievements, honor the past, and set new goals for the future. In a world that is constantly changing, these anniversary celebrations reflect the enduring nature of the relationship and the deep bond between spouses.

We firmly believe that the first few years of marriage—and all those seemingly unremarkable years in between anniversaries, right up to impressive milestones like a golden wedding anniversary—definitely deserve to be celebrated. So, is your next wedding anniversary coming up soon? Plan a party, let your guests honor you, celebrate, and simply enjoy your time as a married couple!