
Wishes
Milestone Anniversary Wishes: 1st, 10th, 25th, 50th and Beyond
Round-number anniversaries get the parties, the slideshows and the cards that people keep in a drawer for decades. They also call for a different kind of message: the first anniversary is about firsts, the 25th about a family and a life built together, and the 50th about an example that a whole family now lives by.
This page is organized by year: 1st, 5th, 10th, 20th, the silver 25th, 30th, the ruby 40th, the golden 50th and the rare 60th and beyond. Each wish is written for that stage of a marriage, so you can find one that fits whether you are writing to your spouse, your parents, your grandparents or friends. For everyday anniversaries, see the main anniversary wishes page, and for Mom and Dad specifically, anniversary wishes for parents.

1st anniversary wishes 6
One year of shared groceries, shared closets and shared everything. Here's to the first of many.
Your first year as a married couple included a move, a new job and a puppy. If you can handle that, you can handle anything.
Year one with you went by in a blink. Paper is the traditional gift, so here's a letter: I'd marry you again tomorrow.
A year ago I promised you forever. One year in, forever still sounds too short.
The first anniversary is when the wedding stops being a memory and starts being a life. Yours looks wonderful.
First anniversary! You've survived a full year of learning each other's weird habits. Only about sixty more to go.
5th anniversary wishes 5
Five years in, and you two still act like you're on the same team. That's the whole game.
Wood is the gift for year five, and it fits: you've put down real roots together.
Five years, two cities and more takeout than I want to count. I'd do every bit of it again with you.
Half a decade of marriage looks good on you both. Here's to the next five being even better.
Your five years together have been full of big changes. Through all of it, your kindness to each other never changed.
10th anniversary wishes 6
Ten years! A decade of growing up together, and you're still each other's favorite person.
Ten years ago you walked down the aisle and changed my whole life. Thank you for a decade of the best years I've had.
Ten years, two kids and one very loud dog later, your house is still the warmest one we know.
A decade of marriage is no small thing. Proud of you two and grateful to be part of your story.
Ten years of marriage: a decade of agreeing on everything except the thermostat. Happy tin anniversary!
Ten years ago I married my best friend. Today I'm still married to my best friend, who now also knows exactly how I take my coffee.
20th anniversary wishes 5
Twenty years together, and you still make each other laugh at dinner. That's the real milestone.
Two decades of building a home, raising a family and somehow still finding time for date night. You make it look effortless.
Twenty years in, and I still look for you first in every crowded room.
The kids are taller, the house is fuller and your love is stronger. Happy 20th, you two.
After twenty years, you two have earned a long dinner and a quiet evening. Enjoy every minute.
25th silver anniversary wishes 7
A quarter of a century together. Silver suits you, and so does the life you've built.
Twenty-five years of marriage means more than 9,000 days of choosing each other. That deserves a party.
Mom and Dad, twenty-five years ago you started the family we all love so much. Happy silver anniversary.
Twenty-five years ago I said yes to you, and I've never once wished I'd said anything else.
You've weathered twenty-five years of life together and come out shining. Here's to your silver anniversary.
Twenty-five years is a long time to keep a promise, and you two have kept yours in a hundred quiet ways: early mornings with sick kids, late nights over bills, road trips, recitals, a few rough patches and a lot of laughter in between. Your marriage has been a home for your children and a welcome place for everyone else who wandered in. On your silver anniversary, I hope you take a moment to look back at all you've built and feel proud of it. Here's to the next twenty-five.
God has blessed your marriage for twenty-five years. May He keep guiding you through the next twenty-five and beyond.
30th anniversary wishes 5
Thirty years of marriage is a pearl of a milestone: built slowly, layer by layer, and all the more beautiful for it.
Thirty years, three kids and a lifetime of Sunday dinners. Thank you for the family you made. Happy 30th, Mom and Dad.
Thirty years with you and I'm still learning new things to love about you.
Three decades of standing by each other through everything. That's a love story worth telling.
You've been married for thirty years and still flirt across the dinner table. The rest of us are taking notes.
40th ruby anniversary wishes 6
Forty years and still red-hot. Happy ruby anniversary to a couple who never stopped choosing each other.
Four decades of marriage have given this family a foundation that will last for generations. Thank you both.
Forty years ago you promised to love me. You've kept that promise every single day, and I've loved you more every one of them.
Happy 40th anniversary to the two people who taught us what commitment really looks like. We love you both.
Ruby is a stone that only forms under pressure, which might explain how you two raised four teenagers and still like each other.
Grandma and Grandpa, forty years of love has given all of us a place to come home to. Happy ruby anniversary.
50th golden anniversary wishes 8
Fifty years together is more than 18,000 mornings of choosing each other. What a beautiful thing to celebrate.
Your golden anniversary is a celebration for all of us, because none of us would be here without the two of you.
Half a century of marriage, and you still hold hands in church. Happy 50th, Mom and Dad. We are so proud to be your children.
Fifty years of love have built a family that now fills a whole banquet hall. Thank you for every year of it.
For fifty years God has blessed your marriage, and through it, all of us. Happy golden anniversary.
Fifty years of winters, fifty years of springs, of birthdays, bills and all the in-between things. Through every season, hand in hand you've strolled, and turned the ordinary into gold.
Dear Grandma and Grandpa, fifty years ago you stood in a small church with a few dozen guests and promised to love each other through whatever came. Since then you've raised four children, welcomed eleven grandchildren, moved across two states and built a home where everyone always had a seat at the table. You've buried parents, celebrated weddings and held new babies. Through all of it, you've stayed kind to each other. That is the greatest lesson you've taught us. Happy golden anniversary. We love you so much.
A golden anniversary is more than a date. It's proof that patience, humor and love can last a lifetime.
60th anniversary and beyond 6
Sixty years of marriage is a gift few people ever receive. You two are living proof that a promise can last a lifetime.
Happy diamond anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa. Sixty years of love has made this family strong, and we are grateful every day.
Your marriage has outlasted six decades of change. Through all of it, your love has stayed the same, just deeper.
Sixty years of faithfulness, to God and to each other. What a blessing to celebrate this day with you.
Sixty-five years together, and you still finish each other's sentences and steal each other's dessert. Happy anniversary to our family's treasures.
Seventy years of marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime love. We are honored to celebrate the two of you today.
What each milestone is about
Matching your message to the stage of the marriage makes it feel written for them, not pulled from a card rack.
- 1st: survival of the first year, new routines, the first home. Light and hopeful.
- 5th and 10th: often years of kids, career moves and mortgages. Acknowledge how busy life is and that they still make time for each other.
- 20th and 25th: a family built, teenagers or kids out of the house, rediscovering each other. Celebrate the partnership.
- 30th and 40th: long-haul love, grandchildren, a shared history that friends and family rely on.
- 50th and beyond: legacy. Thank them for the example, mention the generations around the table and wish them health and ease.
Anniversary gifts by year
The traditional and modern US gift lists differ in some years. Either is fine; many people use the theme only as a light touch in the card.
| Year | Traditional | Modern | Gift or card idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Clocks | A love letter, concert tickets, a photo book of year one |
| 2nd | Cotton | China | Good sheets, a picnic blanket |
| 3rd | Leather | Crystal or glass | A leather journal or weekend bag |
| 5th | Wood | Silverware | A tree for the yard, a carved sign with the wedding date |
| 10th | Tin or aluminum | Diamond jewelry | A trip back to where you got married |
| 15th | Crystal | Watches | Crystal glasses for a toast |
| 20th | China | Platinum | A dinner party on the good plates |
| 25th | Silver | Silver | Engraved silver, a vow renewal, a family trip |
| 30th | Pearl | Diamond | Pearls or a memory album |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby | Red roses, a ruby piece, a weekend away |
| 50th | Gold | Gold | A family party, a framed family tree, a gold keepsake |
| 60th | Diamond | Diamond | A family gathering, a letter from every grandchild |
Milestone party etiquette
For a 25th or 50th, the party is usually hosted by the couple's children, sometimes as a surprise. A few customs make it go smoothly:
- Invitations go out four to six weeks ahead. If the hosts prefer no gifts, the invitation can say so; guests then bring just a card.
- Cards are expected even when gifts are not. Guests often add a favorite memory of the couple, which the family may collect in a book.
- Toasts usually come from a child or grandchild, sometimes a sibling or the original best man or maid of honor. Two or three minutes each is plenty.
- Photos: displaying the wedding photo and a timeline of family pictures is a favorite at golden anniversaries.
- Keep the pace gentle for older couples: an afternoon party, seating for everyone and a reasonable end time.
Vow renewals
Some couples renew their vows at the 10th, 25th or 50th. A renewal can be a simple backyard ceremony or a church service, led by a pastor, a friend or one of their children. Guests write cards much like wedding cards, but focused on the years already lived: "You meant it then, and you've proven it every year since." Gifts are not expected; a card and your presence are enough.
When you can't attend the celebration
Mail the card so it arrives before the party, or send it to the host to include in the memory book. A short recorded video message is a lovely alternative for milestone years: hosts often play a compilation of them during dinner. Mention a specific memory of the couple so your message stands out among the others.
Writing tips for big-number cards
- Do the math for them. "Fifty years is more than 18,000 mornings together" turns a number into a picture.
- Mention the generations. Kids, grandkids, the family that now fills a room.
- Use one gift-theme metaphor, such as silver or gold, then move on.
- Don't dwell on age or health. Wish them health and ease, but keep the focus on love and family.
Anniversary wishes: all parts
Save the birthdays of the people you love – we remind you the day before and that morning, with wishes ready to send.
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Frequently asked questions
What do you write in a 25th anniversary card?
Celebrate the family and life they've built in a quarter century, mention a memory or the silver theme, and wish them many more years. For example: "Twenty-five years of building a home full of love. Silver looks good on you both."
What do you write in a 50th anniversary card?
Thank the couple for the example they've set, mention the generations their marriage has shaped and wish them health and joy. Golden-themed lines work well in one sentence.
What is the traditional gift for each anniversary?
Paper for the 1st, wood for the 5th, tin for the 10th, crystal for the 15th, china for the 20th, silver for the 25th, pearl for the 30th, ruby for the 40th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th.
Who hosts a 50th anniversary party?
Traditionally the couple's children host, often with grandchildren helping. The couple can also host their own celebration.
Do you bring a gift to a 50th anniversary party?
A card is always expected. If the invitation says no gifts, honor that; otherwise a modest gift, flowers or a photo keepsake is appropriate.
What do you say to a couple renewing their vows?
Focus on the years they've already proven: "You meant those vows the first time and lived them every day since. Congratulations on saying them again."
What is a 1st anniversary wish?
Celebrate the firsts: the first home, the first holidays, the first year of being married. Keep it light and hopeful, with a wish for many more.






