Wedding Anniversaries year by year: Year 1 to Year 10!

There's a quaint little rhyme which sums up the first ten wedding anniversaries. Do you know them all?

The first is paper on which you can write,

The second is cotton, all crisp and white,

The third is leather, a bag or some gloves,

The fourth is books, Lady Chatterley's loves!

The fifth is wood, a box full of dreams,

The sixth is iron, metal not steam.

The seventh is wool, soft and warm,

The eight is bronze, metal in an elegant form.

The ninth is copper, and tenth is tin,

If you've got this far you are bound to win.

1^st Wedding Anniversary

There's a traditional list of symbols and materials attributed to every wedding anniversary - I expect you'll be aware that the first anniversary is symbolised by paper, so maybe a copy of the Kama Sutra would be a pleasing gift! Or, less controversially, a beautiful photo album packed with wedding pictures. The jewel that celebrates the first anniversary is the freshwater pearl (why not take a look at our wedding jewellery for some hints for this one!), and the flower is the pansy. There is an alternative anniversary list, which has been updated for us moderns, and the suggested gift for the first anniversary is a clock (to remind you of each happy hour?).

2^nd Wedding Anniversary

On to year two, you've got cotton or straw to contend with for the second wedding anniversary. A nice new batch of bedlinen? A thatched cottage? Hmm! The "modern list suggests china as a suitable alternative, and that's much more manageable - a new dinner service will do nicely. Your second anniversary flower is the cosmos, and your gemstone is rose quartz.

3^rd Wedding Anniversary

Leather is the traditional third wedding anniversary gift theme. You could go for a set of bound volumes of Dickens or - much more excitingly and expensively - a squashy new sofa. It's that or a new watch strap! Modernists will prefer the updated list which suggests a gift of glass. Your flower is the fuschia and your gemstone is crystal.

4^th Wedding Anniversary

The fourth wedding anniversary has a traditional theme of books, flowers and/or fruit. Now that gives you some latitude - you could combine two themes at once by presenting a cookery or gardening book! The modern list has, rather unromantically, electrical appliances for Number 4. Maybe four years on, wives are less starry-eyed and more interested in white goods! The flower for this anniversary is the geranium, and gemstones are amethyst and topaz. Gentlemen, you're advised to concentrate on the jewellery angle!

5^th Wedding Anniversary

For year five, you're looking at a wooden theme. A set of spoons doesn't quite cut it, but the gifts are probably going to be quite practical! Unless you take it literally and plant a tree for the happy couple! The modern list has silverware for this year, which is a more glamorous and costly road to go down. Your gemstone is the turquoise and your flower is the daisy.

6^th Wedding Anniversary

What iron gifts will suit for your sixth wedding anniversary? A travel iron might not strike the right celebratory note! How about an elaborate iron candlestick for the dining room, or a wrought-iron gate for the garden? Hmm, it's a tough one!

7^th Wedding Anniversary

Wool for gifts for your seventh wedding anniversary is a little more accommodating. A cashmere jumper or two will be gratefully received, or a great designer knit dress from Topshop, depending on the bride's vintage! But steer clear of a bundle of wool and a pile of knitting patterns - think deluxe.

8^th to 10^th Wedding Anniversaries

Your 8^th wedding anniversary theme is bronze, a beautiful metal which lends itself to elegant jewellery or very special tableware. The ninth wedding anniversary sees presents of copper - have your happy couple got enough shiny copper saucepans for their dream kitchen? And the big tenth wedding anniversary seems too important a milestone to deserve a present of tin - maybe substitute this one with a generous cheque!

But if these milestones are still in the dreamy future for you, why not take a look at our range of wedding shoes, wedding accessories and bridesmaids dresses to help you start married life in style.

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