Wedding anniversaries: names, materials and gifts for each year
Updated 26 October 2026 · Written by Lysela
In Sweden the first anniversary is cotton and the second is paper (in the UK and US it is the other way round), the fifth is wood, the tenth is tin, the twenty-fifth is silver and the fiftieth is gold. Each year has a traditional material, and the material gives you an idea for a gift. This guide gives the names year by year, gift ideas, ways to celebrate and short cards to borrow. Swedish couples use their own names for the years, such as pappersbröllop for paper and guldbröllop for gold, and the lists differ a little between sources. The table is a guide.
Try it yourself, no account neededWedding anniversary names year by year
These are the names most often used in Sweden. The tenth year is sometimes called the rose anniversary rather than tin, and some lists name the years in between as well. Most couples celebrate the ones below.
| Year | Name | Gift idea |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Cotton (bomullsbröllop) | Soft sheets, a blanket or a cotton jumper in the same colour |
| 2nd | Paper (pappersbröllop) | A handwritten letter, a photo book or tickets to something you want to see |
| 5th | Wood (träbröllop) | A tree to plant, a chopping board or a wooden frame |
| 10th | Tin (tennbröllop) | A pair of tin mugs or candlesticks |
| 15th | Crystal (kristallbröllop) | Two crystal glasses or a lantern |
| 20th | China (porslinsbröllop) | A coffee set or a hand-painted plate |
| 25th | Silver (silverbröllop) | A silver plaque with the date, jewellery or cutlery |
| 30th | Pearl (pärlbröllop) | Pearl earrings or a pearl necklace |
| 40th | Ruby (rubinbröllop) | Jewellery with a red stone, or dinner where you got engaged |
| 50th | Gold (guldbröllop) | A gold ring, a gold engraving or a party with the whole family |
| 60th | Diamond (diamantbröllop) | A diamond piece or a photo album covering six decades |
Gifts and activities: how to celebrate your wedding anniversary
More ideas for gifts, whether for yourselves or when you are invited, are in the wedding gift guide.
One year
Keep it simple. Have the same dessert as at the wedding, or go through the wedding photos with a glass of something. Many people write each other a letter on paper.
Five and ten years
Couples often do something together here: a weekend somewhere new, dinner at the restaurant where you first went out, or a day outdoors. The gift can be the material from the table.
Twenty-five years
Many celebrate the silver anniversary with family and friends. Dinner at home or in a restaurant goes a long way, and a speech from a child or sibling tends to be what people remember.
Fifty years
The golden anniversary is a family occasion. A relative often takes the lead on the party, and the couple tends to receive flowers, a card and an album of photos from the years.
Anniversary cards to borrow
Replace whatever is in square brackets. More ways to word a greeting card are in the wedding card guide.
To [name], One year since we said yes. I would choose you again, every time. Thank you for our first year. Yours, [name]
Congratulations on five years, [name] and [name]. A wood anniversary is something that grows, and so have you. We hope for many more dinners together. [name]
Ten years, [name]. We have moved, changed jobs and laughed more than I can count. Thank you for staying. Yours, [name]
Dear Mum and Dad, congratulations on your silver anniversary. Thank you for showing us how to look after each other. Love from [name] and [name]
Dear [name] and [name], congratulations on your golden anniversary. Fifty years together is something few get to share. Thank you for everything you have given us. With love, [name]
Keeping the memories for the anniversaries
It is lovely to have something to go back to on your anniversary. Keep the photos from the party, the guest book messages and the thank-you cards you sent. A year on, reading what your guests wrote is enough to bring the day back.
Write down a few things about the day while you remember it: who cried first, what was said in the speeches, which song got everyone on the dance floor. It is a present to yourselves that becomes worth more each year.
Your wedding website as a keepsake
With Lysela, the wedding website stays up for 12 months from purchase, and always at least three months after the wedding. The day after, it can become a thank you from the two of you, with a photo and your own words. Guests write in the guest book on the site, and you can read every message and download them as a file. If you save the file, you still have the messages once the site is no longer up. The example sites show what the site looks like.
Your wedding website after the day
With Lysela, your wedding website stays up for 12 months from purchase, and always at least three months after the wedding, in every tier. The day after, it can become a thank-you page from the two of you. The guest book gives you messages to read afterwards, and you can download them as a file to keep.
You pay once, SEK 795, SEK 1,795 or SEK 4,900 including VAT, and the site stays up for 12 months.
What usually goes on a wedding website, and what one costs, is in the checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What are the wedding anniversary names?
In Sweden the first year is cotton and the second paper, the fifth wood, the tenth tin, the twenty-fifth silver and the fiftieth gold. The lists differ a little between sources.
What do you give for a paper anniversary?
Something made of paper or something you write: a letter, a photo book, a card or tickets to something you want to see together.
Is the tenth year tin or rose?
Both names are used. Tin is the most common, and rose appears in some lists. Choose whichever suits you.
Do you have to celebrate every anniversary?
No. Many celebrate the first year and then the round ones, such as 5, 10, 25 and 50. The rest can pass with a dinner or a short message.