Anniversary Flowers by Year: A Guide to Meaningful Blooms
Read time - 13 mins
To help you say more on life’s most meaningful dates, we’ve collaborated with Louise, the creative heart behind Ludlow’s Florabunda. With years of experience crafting the visual language of love, Louise brings her artisan wisdom to this guide – ensuring that whether it’s a first anniversary or a fiftieth, your choice of flowers celebrates your unique story.
To help you say more on life’s most meaningful dates, we’ve collaborated with Louise, the creative heart behind Ludlow’s Florabunda. With years of experience crafting the visual language of love, Louise brings her artisan wisdom to this guide – ensuring that whether it’s a first anniversary or a fiftieth, your choice of flowers celebrates your unique story.
Anniversaries have a habit of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re reminiscing about the wedding day, the next you’re wondering how on earth another year has flown by.
Flowers are a beautiful way to mark the occasion, whether you’re choosing a bouquet for your partner, celebrating your parents or grandparents, or sending something special to another couple.
Many anniversaries have both a flower and a traditional gift associated with them, from paper for the first anniversary to silver for the 25th, ruby for the 40th, and gold for the 50th.
These traditions are a lovely place to start, but our advice: don’t treat them as hard-and-fast rules. Start with the person. Use tradition for inspiration. Then, let one of our expert local florists bring the two together using flowers they’ll genuinely love.
Here’s our guide to anniversary flowers by year, complete with practical advice from florists to help you find the right blooms.
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Anniversary flowers by year: quick guide
Flower traditions vary between sources, but these are some of the flowers most commonly associated with each wedding anniversary.
Anniversary | Traditional flower | Traditional gift/theme |
1st | Carnation | Paper |
2nd | Cosmos | Cotton |
3rd | Sunflower | Leather |
4th | Geranium | Fruit and flowers |
5th | Daisy | Wood |
6th | Calla lily | Sugar |
7th | Freesia | Wool/Copper |
8th | Clematis | Bronze |
9th | Poppy | Pottery |
10th | Daffodil | Tin |
11th | Morning Glory | Steel |
12th | Peony | Silk |
13th | Chrysanthemum | Lace |
14th | Dahlia | Ivory/Gold Jewellery |
15th | Rose | Crystal |
20th | Aster | China |
25th | Iris | Silver |
30th | Lily | Pearl |
40th | Gladiolus | Ruby |
50th | Yellow Roses | Gold |
60th | Orchid | Diamond |
How to choose anniversary flowers they’ll love
Choosing anniversary flowers can feel like a lot of pressure. After all, you want the bouquet to show that you know them. The best place to start is with exactly that.
Think about:
- the flowers they always stop to admire
- colours they wear or have around their home
- flowers with a story behind them, such as their wedding bouquet or something that reminds you of a first date or special holiday
- what’s naturally in season around their anniversary
- the traditional anniversary flower, colour or theme
Louise has seen first-hand why knowing the recipient matters.
We’ve got a gentleman who always wants to send two dozen pink roses on their anniversary. He actually wants to send red, but his wife prefers pale pink, so she’s been in and had a quiet word to say, ‘Well, could you actually change it to pale pink so it’s not red?’ We do that for them.
Meaningful anniversary flowers for the biggest milestones
Many couples like to mark each year of marriage with traditional anniversary flowers. They’re a gentle way of reflecting how love evolves over time; growing, settling, and deepening as the years pass.
Ask a florist:
Q. My anniversary falls outside of daffodil season; what should I do?
A. Don’t worry about finding the exact flower. Ask your florist to capture those sunny yellows and that uplifting daffodil feel using seasonal flowers that are naturally looking their best.
Ask a florist:
Q. It’s my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary, but they have a cat. What can I choose instead?
A. Lilies are highly toxic to cats, so it’s best to avoid them completely. Instead, ask your florist for a lily-free bouquet inspired by pearl shades, such as white, cream or soft blush.
Love the meaning, not the flower? Ask your florist for an alternative
Traditional anniversary flowers are inspiration, not instructions. Maybe daffodils aren’t in season. Perhaps lilies aren’t suitable for the recipient’s home. Or maybe they’ve never liked roses, no matter however romantic tradition says they are.
Love the meaning, but not the flower? Keep the sentiment and switch the bloom. Your florist can take the part of the tradition that speaks to you, whether that’s sunny yellow, rich ruby red or soft pearl-inspired shades, and interpret it using flowers that suit the person and the season.
So don’t feel you have to force tradition. Tell your florist about the flower, colour or meaning you have in mind and let them work their magic with seasonal blooms. You’ll get flowers that feel right for the time of year while keeping that special anniversary connection.
And if your partner is sensitive to strong scents or has allergies, mention that when you order. There are plenty of lightly scented options, and our guide to hay fever-friendly flowers has more helpful ideas.
Bring your wedding flowers back to life
Wedding flowers can hold a surprising amount of memory. Bringing them back into an anniversary bouquet is a lovely way to revisit the day without trying to recreate every detail exactly.
We also have one lovely tradition around Christmas time - he always wants to recreate his wife’s wedding bouquet. He’s done that for about 12 or 13 years, and that’s really lovely.
Find a clear wedding photograph and look at the main colours, flowers, shape and overall style. Don’t worry if you can’t name everything in the bouquet. Your florist can use the picture as a starting point.
If the original flowers aren’t in season, they can recreate the colours or overall feel using seasonal alternatives.
What to tell your florist:
- the anniversary year
- their favourite flowers or colours
- a wedding detail or shared memory you’d love to include
- anything to avoid, such as strong fragrance, particular flowers or pet considerations
Sending anniversary flowers to parents, grandparents or friends
Anniversary gift ideas that feel personal
The best anniversary gift ideas tend to have one thing in common: there’s a reason behind them.
Try pairing their flowers with:
- A handwritten letter: Share a favourite memory or something you still love about them.
- A meaningful trip: Revisit your honeymoon destination, first holiday or somewhere you’ve always talked about going.
- A framed photograph: Pick a wedding photo or a favourite picture from your years together.
- A photo shoot: Create some new photographs to mark the milestone.
- Tickets: Choose a concert, show or event you know they’ll enjoy.
- A favourite meal: Book the restaurant where you had an early date or cook something connected to a special memory.
- A family collection: For a golden or diamond anniversary, gather photographs and messages from children, grandchildren and friends.
Need anniversary flowers ASAP?
Don’t panic! If an anniversary has suddenly snuck up on you, the best thing to do is focus on what you know they like. A favourite colour is usually enough to get started if you’re unsure about the exact flowers.
Then make the card message specific. Mention a real memory or one thing you appreciate about them. A few genuine words will mean more than an elaborate message that doesn’t sound like you.
Interflora offers same-day delivery on eligible flowers where available. Check the delivery options for the recipient’s address when ordering, as availability and cut-off times can vary.
Anniversary flowers FAQs
Different wedding anniversaries are associated with different flowers. Carnations are linked with the 1st anniversary, daffodils with the 10th, roses with the 15th and orchids with the 60th. Think of these traditions as inspiration rather than rules. The best anniversary flowers are always ones chosen with the recipient in mind.
There’s no single colour you need to choose. Red and pink are classic romantic choices, but you could pick their favourite colour or take inspiration from the traditional anniversary gift, such as ruby reds for a 40th anniversary or pearly whites and creams for a 30th.
Tradition is there for inspiration, not to box you in. If your partner would much rather receive their favourite flowers, go with what they love. You can always give a nod to the anniversary tradition through the bouquet’s colours, your choice of gift or the message in their card.
Don’t worry about tracking down a particular flower. Tell your florist about the traditional bloom and what you like about it, whether that’s its colour, meaning or overall feel. They can capture the same idea using beautiful flowers that are naturally at their best at the time.
Absolutely. Anniversary flowers can be a lovely way to celebrate parents, grandparents, friends or another special couple. Choose flowers that reflect their tastes, their relationship or the milestone they’re celebrating.
