A wedding anniversary is a celebration for two, yet everyone close to the couple shares the joy: children, parents and friends. Finding the right words can be hard when you want them to be touching without sounding trite. We have collected 55 wedding anniversary wishes for a husband and wife, for parents and friends, short and long, plus anniversary names by year and flower ideas for each.
Wedding anniversary names by year
By tradition, each anniversary has its own name: the longer a couple is together, the stronger and more precious the material. Names vary slightly between traditions; the ones below are used in Ukraine.
The five best-known anniversaries, celebrated most widely
Years together
Anniversary name
1
Cotton
2
Paper
3
Leather
5
Wood
7
Copper
10
Tin (rose)
15
Crystal
20
China
25
Silver
30
Pearl
35
Coral
40
Ruby
45
Sapphire
50
Gold
60
Diamond
Short wedding anniversary wishes
Happy anniversary! May your love grow stronger every year.
Congratulations on your special day! Wishing you tenderness, patience and many shared dreams.
Another year together, another page in your beautiful story. Be happy!
Happy anniversary! May your home always feel cosy and your hearts stay full of love.
May you always hold hands, in sunshine and in storms.
You are proof that true love exists. Happy anniversary!
May every year ahead be even happier than the last.
Congratulations! Wishing you love, understanding and laughter at home.
Anniversary wishes for a couple: friends and colleagues
Mom and Dad, happy anniversary! Thank you for showing us what a real family looks like.
Your love is our best example. Wishing you many more years together.
Thank you for a home that was always warm. Happy anniversary, dear ones!
You have been through so much together and still hold hands. We are proud of you!
May your years together be full of health, peace and grandchildren nearby.
Happy wedding anniversary to the dearest people! You are the heart of our family.
Wishes by year
1 year: cotton anniversary
The first year is behind you and the best is yet to come! May your family grow stronger every day.
Happy cotton anniversary! May all your "firsts" be happy ones.
A year ago you said "yes". May that "yes" be heard in your home every day.
10 years: tin (rose) anniversary
Ten years together is a real story. Happy tenth anniversary!
May the next ten be even warmer and happier.
You have proved that love can weather anything. Congratulations on your first milestone!
25 years: silver anniversary
A quarter of a century together! Your love is worth more than any silver.
Happy silver anniversary! May just as many happy years lie ahead.
25 years and you still look at each other with tenderness. That is priceless.
50 years: golden anniversary
Half a century together! Your story is the best textbook on love.
Happy golden anniversary! Health, warmth and family by your side.
Fifty years together, and every one of them made your bond more precious than gold.
Heartfelt anniversary wishes
Love is not one big event but thousands of small daily choices. You have been choosing each other for so many years.
The best stories do not end with "the end". Yours begins again and again.
Your marriage reminds us that the most important thing in life is having your person by your side.
May every morning start with "good morning, my love" and every evening with "I am home".
You built your family brick by brick, and it became a home people want to live in.
Which flowers to give for a wedding anniversary
Flowers are a classic anniversary gift and easy to match to tradition. Delicate bouquets suit the early years, white roses the silver anniversary and cream or yellow shades the golden one. Red roses fit any anniversary as a symbol of love; what each colour means is explained in rose colour meanings.
For your wife: roses to match the number of years together or roses in a box.
Combine a memory and a surprise: write a letter about your first year, recreate your first date or have flowers or a gift delivered to his office with a card only he will understand.
How do I congratulate a couple who are friends or colleagues?
A short warm message from everyone and a joint gift work well: a bouquet, a fruit basket or sweets. Just do not forget the date.
Which anniversaries are celebrated most widely?
Guests are most often invited for the 10th, 25th and 50th anniversaries: tin (rose), silver and gold. Other anniversaries are usually celebrated as a couple.
For wishes on the wedding day itself, see wedding wishes.
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
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