Making Memories: Anniversary Flowers by Year

Flowers have become an almost essential part of celebrating anniversaries. Whether it’s your first year together or your fiftieth, there’s a flower for the occasion. So, which flowers should you be looking for to celebrate your next anniversary?

Meaningful Flowers to Celebrate Special Anniversaries

1st anniversary – carnation

Delicate, pretty, and full of scent, carnations are hugely undervalued in the UK. But their symbolism –young love, admiration, and new beginnings – makes them the perfect choice for celebrating the first year of a relationship. And because they come in a wide variety of colours, it’s easy to find carnations that will appeal to your significant other.

2nd anniversary – cosmos

Cosmos isn’t a flower you’ll often find in a florist. But if you can grow your own, they are simply lovely. Available in range of forms and colours, they are pretty and airy. They represent harmony, balance, and a growing connection… Just like a couple in their second year of marriage.

3rd anniversary – sunflower

Bold and bright, everyone loves the sunflower. Symbolising loyalty, strength, and warmth, they are believed to represent the future as couples move out of the honeymoon period and embark on the next phase of their relationship.

4th anniversary – geranium

Geraniums come in a range of shapes and sizes, but again, you’re unlikely to find them in a florist. Instead, these are garden plants and intended to celebrate the strong emotional roots you’ve planted together. They represent comfort, friendship, and true partnership.

5th anniversary – daisy

Daisies are widely known for representing innocence. But what many people don’t realise is that they also symbolise resilience, loyalty, and hope. In five years of marriage, you’ll have found that not everything is easy. But like the daisy, you’ve faced those difficulties and come out stronger.  

10th anniversary – daffodil

Daffodils are the flower of renewal and new beginnings. That’s one of the reasons they’re used so widely for Easter celebrations. So, why are they the flower of the 10^th anniversary? Because a marriage is ever-changing. And even after 10 years, you should be able to celebrate the joy of continued growth and renewal.

15th anniversary – rose

The rose is the classic anniversary flower. Symbolising deep love and passion, it has become the go-to for romantic occasions. But it’s actually intended for the 15^th anniversary as a beautiful celebration of enduring love.

20th anniversary – aster

After 20 years together, you’ll know each other inside out. You’ll have gained the knowledge of how to make your marriage work and how to be happy together. How to find serenity within your relationship. And that takes both wisdom and devotion. Which is why asters are the perfect flower to celebrate the occasion.  

25th anniversary – iris

Irises are bold, elegant, and unforgettable – ideal for celebrating such a momentous occasion! They represent royalty, valour, and faith. And in the case of the 25^th anniversary, it also represents faithfulness.

30th anniversary – lily

The lily is the symbol of commitment – as if a 30-year marriage isn’t enough to show that already! Elegant, sophisticated, and often fragrant, they can also represent pride, and transition, which will be appropriate for many.

40th anniversary – gladiolus

The beautiful, sword-like stems of gladiolus come in an absolute riot of colours, enabling you to choose just the right blooms for the occasion of your 40^th wedding anniversary. These amazing flowers symbolise strength, moral integrity, and remembrance, representing the effort it takes to build a life together over four decades.

50th anniversary – yellow roses

While roses are often chosen to represent passion, yellow roses always represent friendship, joy, and fidelity. And friendship has to be a defining feature of a 50-year marriage. They’re also the closest thing you’ll find to a golden flower to celebrate your golden anniversary.

Choosing anniversary flowers by year isn’t just romantic—it’s thoughtful, symbolic, and creates a tradition to look forward to. So, whether you're sending a bouquet, popping to your garden centre, or sewing seeds of an appropriate anniversary surprise, flowers can truly be your love language.

Are you looking for a special anniversary flower arrangement? Contact Blue Florist to find out about our one-of-a-kind designs.