What this calculator does
Put in the day you got married and you'll see how long you've been married, when your next anniversary lands, how many days are left until it, and the material tied to that year. Further down there's a full year-by-year gift list, in case you're the type who likes to plan ahead.
How long have you been married?
The top figure splits your marriage into years, months, and days instead of rounding to the nearest year. Edit the date and it recalculates as you type. As the next anniversary gets closer the countdown ticks down and names the material for the year you're heading into — first anniversary or golden, it works the same way.
Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year
Pairing each anniversary with a specific material is an old custom. The early years lean on humble things like paper and cotton and work up to silver, gold, and diamond for the long marriages. The traditional and modern lists don't always agree, so the table shows both — pick whichever you like.
| Year | Traditional | Modern |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Clocks |
| 2nd | Cotton | China |
| 3rd | Leather | Crystal |
| 4th | Fruit or Flowers | Appliances |
| 5th | Wood | Silverware |
| 6th | Candy or Iron | Wood |
| 7th | Wool or Copper | Desk sets |
| 8th | Bronze or Pottery | Linens |
| 9th | Pottery or Willow | Leather |
| 10th | Tin or Aluminum | Diamond jewelry |
| 11th | Steel | Fashion jewelry |
| 12th | Silk or Linen | Pearls |
| 13th | Lace | Textiles |
| 14th | Ivory | Gold jewelry |
| 15th | Crystal | Watches |
| 20th | China | Platinum |
| 25th | Silver | Silver |
| 30th | Pearl | Diamond |
| 35th | Coral | Jade |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby |
| 45th | Sapphire | Sapphire |
| 50th | Gold | Gold |
| 55th | Emerald | Emerald |
| 60th | Diamond | Diamond |
| 70th | Platinum | Platinum |
| 75th | Diamond or Gold | Diamond or Gold |
The 14th year is traditionally ivory. Most couples skip the real thing these days and go for something ivory-colored instead — porcelain, or a keepsake carved from another material.
The milestones people actually mark
A few anniversaries get more of a fuss than the rest, and their materials are the ones everyone knows:
- 5th, wood: the first one that really feels like a landmark.
- 10th, tin: a full decade in.
- 25th, silver: the silver anniversary, a quarter century together.
- 50th, gold: the golden anniversary, and the one most families throw a party for.
- 60th, diamond: six decades, which is no small thing.
Planning ahead
Seeing the date and the material a few months out is the whole point — it gives you time to find something worth giving, book a table, or plan a trip instead of scrambling the week before. Set your wedding date once and come back whenever you need the next one.