Anniversaries are an important part of life—they remind us of valuable and sentimental events and of something that truly matters to us. Whether it’s a birthday, the death of a loved one, or a wedding or partnership, they give us an opportunity to celebrate, mourne, and reflect on major events in our lives.
Celebrating your wedding anniversary can be a great opportunity to reconnect as a couple, celebrate with friends and family, and reflect back on your accomplishments and time together. Although it is probably unrealistic to have a party for every single anniversary, you should definitely celebrate the monumental wedding anniversaries with each other and your loved ones.
Take a look at this breakdown of anniversary party ideas by year. As an added touch to your anniversary party, consider incorporating traditional and modern anniversary gifts, flowers, and gemstones for your special year.
1st Anniversary Party Ideas
Celebrating your 1st wedding anniversary is so exciting. You can’t believe it has been a year, yet you look back and see how far you have come as a couple in just one short year. For social couples that love to entertain, here are some 1st anniversary party ideas:
- Throw a dinner party at the wedding reception location
- Host a family backyard BBQ
- Renew your vows in front of friends and family
- Relive the first wedding cake bites at your party
Traditional Gift: Paper
Modern Gift: Clock
Flower: Carnation
Gem: Nacre, Mother of Pearl
5th Anniversary Party Ideas
Your 5th anniversary is a big milestone, so it is important to show your spouse how much you care about them. One way to do this is by celebrating with friends and family and incorporating activities that are significant to your 5 years together:
- Plant a tree at your party
- Host a dinner party and use your special silverware
Traditional Gift: Wood
Modern Gift: Silverware
Flower: Daisy
Gem: Rose Quartz
10th Anniversary Party Ideas
Celebrating 10 years together is a huge accomplishment—it’s an entire decade of learning and growing together! While 20, 25, and 50 year anniversaries hold the award for the largest anniversary parties, you can still organize and host an anniversary party for your 10th anniversary. Here are some ideas:
- Send out invitations with pictures that capture your relationship best
- Host an intimate cocktail party with close friends and family
- Get a photobooth, not only for guests but also for you to look back on as a couple
Traditional Gift: Tin, Aluminum
Modern Gift: Diamond Jewelry
Flower: Daffodil
Gem: Crystal or Green Tourmaline
15th Anniversary Party Ideas
Your 15th wedding anniversary is certainly an important one, and hosting a party is an opportunity to give thanks to those in your lives who have supported your marriage. Here are some 15th anniversary party ideas:
- Pick one of your favorite activities that you do as a couple to share with guests
- Decorate your venue or party space with crystal
- Fill a crystal box with a love note or love coupons and open at your party
Traditional Gift: Crystal
Modern Gift: Watches
Flower: Rose
Gem: Rhodolite
20th Anniversary Party Ideas
Your 20th anniversary is one of the biggest anniversaries to celebrate! This year is one of the years you definitely want to throw a party, so here are some ideas:
- Book the same band that played at your reception, if they’re still around
- Decorate with the same colors you used for your wedding
- Get a cake that replicates your wedding cake
- Use a platinum theme for your party
Traditional Gift: Porcelain
Modern Gift: Platinum
Flower: Aster
Gem: Emerald
25th Anniversary Party Ideas
The traditional and modern 25th year anniversary gift is silver, so the 25th anniversary is known as the silver anniversary. For your special 25th anniversary party, check out these unique ideas:
- Make a short movie to watch together with guests at your party
- Curate a special list of songs to play at your party
- Consider a destination event
Traditional Gift: Silver
Modern Gift: Silver
Flower: Iris
Gem: Tsavorite
30th Anniversary Party Ideas
Your 30th anniversary is a really big deal. At this point, you have probably been with your spouse longer than you haven’t, so it’s certainly worth celebrating! Here are some ideas for your 30th anniversary party:
- Plan special games related to love, weddings, and more
- Create an anniversary scavenger hunt for guests
- Decorate with lilies and pearls
Traditional Gift: Pearl
Modern Gift: Diamond
Flower: Lily
Gem: Pearl
40th Anniversary Party Ideas
The 40th anniversary is known as the “ruby anniversary.” Whether you are planning a small, intimate party or a large party, here are some ideas for your 40th anniversary party:
- Pick a menu that is meaningful to your relationship
- Play a couples trivia game with guests
- Use ruby red in decor and theme
- Toast with a ruby red wine
Traditional Gift: Ruby
Modern Gift: Ruby
Flower: Gladiolus
Gem: Ruby
50th Anniversary Party Ideas
Fifty years of marriage is called a "golden wedding anniversary" or simply a "golden anniversary" or "golden wedding." It is probably the biggest and most popular anniversary celebration. With that in mind, consider incorporating these special party ideas:
- Make personalized party decorations for guests to keep
- Create a memory journal for guests to contribute to
- Recreate wedding day moments
- Hire the right photographer to capture it all
- Recreate wedding photos
- Incorporate gold into your party decor or theme
Traditional Gift: Gold
Modern Gift: Gold
Flower: Yellow Rose, Violet
Gem: Gold
More Unique & Fun Anniversary Party Ideas
If you’re looking for more anniversary party ideas or you want to check out venues, use our platform to search by location, get inspiration, and find the perfect event space for your next anniversary party!
