Anniversary Flowers by Year

Every wedding anniversary has a traditional flower, from carnations for the first year to yellow roses for the fiftieth. Below is the full list by year, what each flower means, and what to order when the traditional one is out of season. Written by our florists at the studio in Southwark (SE1), with same-day delivery across London.

You probably know that the 25th anniversary is silver and the 50th is golden. Fewer people know that each year also has a flower. The list below follows the traditional one used by florists in the UK. Treat it as a starting point rather than a rule: the best anniversary bouquet is still the one your partner would choose, and we say so at the end.

Which flower is for which wedding anniversary?

Here is the traditional list of anniversary flowers by year, with the gift material that usually goes with it.

• 1st anniversary (paper): carnation. Young love, devotion and a long vase life. Pink carnations are the classic choice; see our carnation bouquets.
• 2nd anniversary (cotton): cosmos. Harmony and modesty. Our cosmos guide explains why florists love it in a loose, garden-style bouquet.
• 3rd anniversary (leather): sunflower. Warmth, loyalty and strength. A sunflower bouquet is the cheerful option for a couple who do not take themselves too seriously.
• 4th anniversary (fruit and flowers): hydrangea. Gratitude and heartfelt emotion. This is also the "flowers" year, so a generous hydrangea bouquet fits twice over.
• 5th anniversary (wood): daisy. Innocence and loyal love. See our daisy bouquets, which pair chamomile daisies with roses.
• 6th anniversary (iron or sugar): calla lily. Beauty and elegance. Read about the varieties we use on the calla lily page.
• 7th anniversary (wool or copper): freesia. Trust and friendship, and one of the most fragrant flowers in the shop. More on the freesia page.
• 8th anniversary (bronze): lilac. First love and the memory of it. Lilac is in season in spring; outside it, ask for lavender or lilac-toned hydrangeas.
• 9th anniversary (pottery): bird of paradise. Joy and a sense of adventure. The strelitzia page shows what it looks like in a modern arrangement.
• 10th anniversary (tin): daffodil. New beginnings and the decade ahead. Daffodils are a spring flower; for an autumn or winter tenth anniversary, a bright yellow bouquet carries the same mood.
• 11th anniversary (steel): tulip. Perfect love. We stock tulip bouquets most of the year, with the widest choice from winter to late spring.
• 12th anniversary (silk): peony. Romance, prosperity and a happy marriage. Fresh peonies are at their best in May and June; outside the season we suggest peony-shaped garden roses, which many customers prefer anyway.
• 13th anniversary (lace): chrysanthemum. Loyalty, joy and long life. Our chrysanthemum bouquets are a good choice for an autumn anniversary.
• 14th anniversary (ivory): orchid or dahlia. Refined love and dignity. A potted orchid lasts for months; a dahlia bouquet is the late-summer alternative.
• 15th anniversary (crystal): rose. The first "big" year gets the most romantic flower. Red is traditional, but any rose bouquet in her favourite colour works; we explain what different numbers mean in our guide to how many roses to give.
• 20th anniversary (china): aster. Patience and a love that has settled in. Asters are small and star-shaped; florists usually combine them with roses or use a mixed anniversary bouquet.
• 25th anniversary (silver): iris. Faith, hope and wisdom. A bouquet of blue or white irises is striking on its own and looks right next to silver.
• 30th anniversary (pearl): lily. Devotion and majesty. White lilies are the classic; calla lilies are the modern version of the same idea.
• 40th anniversary (ruby): gladiolus or nasturtium. Strength of character and the integrity of forty years together. Gladioli are a summer flower; for the rest of the year, red roses or a deep red bouquet matches the ruby theme.
• 50th anniversary (golden): yellow rose and violet. Joy, warmth and lasting friendship. A golden wedding bouquet is usually built around yellow roses; see our yellow flowers.
• 60th anniversary (diamond): no traditional flower. Most couples choose white or cream roses, orchids, or a large bouquet of their wedding flowers. For a diamond anniversary many of our customers order one big statement, such as a bouquet of 100 red roses.

What are the flowers for the 50th wedding anniversary?

The golden anniversary flower is the yellow rose, often paired with violets. Yellow roses stand for joy and friendship, which after fifty years is the point. If yellow is not their colour, a cream or gold-toned bouquet with sunflowers, yellow garden roses and touches of gold ribbon keeps the theme. Couples celebrating a golden wedding are often also receiving flowers from children and grandchildren, so a bouquet already arranged in a vase is a kind choice: nothing to do when it arrives.

What flowers are right for a 40th anniversary?

The 40th is the ruby anniversary, and its traditional flowers are gladiolus and nasturtium. In practice most people go for colour rather than variety: deep red roses, red dahlias or a mixed red bouquet. If you want to follow tradition and the season allows, ask us for gladioli in the order comment and we will source them.

What flowers are for a 20th and 25th anniversary?

The 20th (china) anniversary flower is the aster; the 25th (silver) anniversary flower is the iris. Irises are easy to find all year, and a bouquet of thirty white or blue irises makes a clear, elegant silver-wedding gift. Asters are harder to buy on their own, so a florist will usually weave them into a mixed bouquet or suggest daisies and spray chrysanthemums, which have the same star-shaped look.

What if the traditional flower is out of season?

Several flowers on the list are seasonal: lilac and daffodils in spring, peonies in May and June, gladioli in summer, dahlias in late summer and autumn. When the traditional flower is unavailable, choose by colour or by meaning instead:

• By colour: red for ruby, white or silver tones for silver and pearl, yellow and gold for golden, blush or ivory for a wedding-themed bouquet.
• By meaning: roses for romance, hydrangeas for gratitude, sunflowers for loyalty, orchids for refinement.
• By their wedding flowers: the bouquet she carried, or the flowers on the tables, is often the most personal choice of all.

Our anniversary flowers collection is arranged with exactly this in mind, and if you tell us the year in the order comment we will keep the traditional flower or colour in the bouquet where the season allows.

How many roses should I send for an anniversary?

A common tradition is one rose for every year of marriage: a dozen for twelve years, twenty-five for a silver wedding. Another is to use the number for its meaning rather than the year: 12 for "be mine", 50 for unconditional love, 100 for a lifetime of devotion. Both are explained in our guide to rose numbers and their meaning. Bouquets of 50 and 100 roses are made to order in our studio and delivered the same day in London.

What should I write on the anniversary card?

Short, specific and in your own words. Mention the year if it is a milestone. A few starting points: "Twenty-five years. I'd choose you again." / "Happy anniversary. Here's to the next one." / "To the best decision I ever made." The card message has its own field at checkout, and you can hide the price by ticking "This is a gift".

Can I get anniversary flowers delivered today in London?

Yes. We deliver across London seven days a week, including Sundays and bank holidays, on orders placed by 10 pm. Most same-day orders arrive within a few hours, although no exact time is guaranteed for same-day delivery; if you need the flowers before a dinner or a party, order for a future date and choose a delivery window at checkout. Delivery is £4.99 and free on orders from £120. Outside London we deliver hand-tied bouquets and flower boxes to the rest of the UK in 2–3 working days; flower baskets, vases and balloons are London only.

Is the traditional flower the right choice?

Only if your partner would like it. The list above is a lovely tradition and a good way to make a gift feel considered, but after one year or fifty, you know what makes them smile. If it is pink peony roses rather than irises, send the peony roses. If you are not sure, our florists are happy to suggest something on WhatsApp, and our guide to flowers for her covers how to choose by colour and occasion.