I don’t know why, but this fifth anniversary feels like our first “major” marriage milestone! It may also be that we feel a bit robbed of our last few anniversary celebrations due to extenuating factors… COVID-19 quarantine, I was SUPER pregnant (only 10 days away from birthing Sophie), and then not having a babysitter last year. We’ve been celebrating at home for the past three years, but we’re determined to go out for a nice meal this year! I’ve also been wracking my brain, searching for a thoughtful anniversary gift that my husband would like!
According to Wikipedia: “the historic origins of wedding anniversaries date back to the Roman Empire, when husbands crowned their wives with a silver wreath on their twenty-fifth anniversary, and a gold wreath on the fiftieth. Later, principally in the twentieth century, commercialism led to the addition of more anniversaries being represented by a named gift.”
In keeping with tradition there are gift “themes” for anniversaries from the first through the fifteenth year, then every five years (so on your twentieth, twenty-fifth and thirtieth) and then every ten years (fortieth, fiftieth, then sixtieth)! I personally think that it’s a fun tradition to follow and it helps to provide gift-giving guidelines, especially if you can’t think of anything to gift one another to celebrate the occasion (I have a hard enough time coming up with gifts for birthdays and Christmas!).
I’m sure that you’re reading this because you’re searching specifically for gift ideas for your fifth anniversary, but if you’re planning / starting to get ideas here are some gift suggestions for previous anniversaries:
First (Paper)
Second (Cotton)
Third (Leather)
Fourth (Fruit / Flowers)
This year (our fifth year of marriage) the traditional gift theme is wood! I think that sometimes wood is associated with a more rustic vibe, but if that’s not your style don’t worry! There are definitely options to fit other aesthetics. I prefer for our milestone / anniversary gifts to be meaningful and long-lasting so I’m pretty pleased with this collection of ideas!
For a quick shop of all of the items we considered, you can skip the full post and find everything in my ShopMy storefront here.
HOME DECOR
A “home run” gift option would be a wooden frame that includes a sentimental photo inside. You can get a wood frames at any craft store / home decor retailer / custom frame shop, but I especially liked this one from Framebridge! I love that you can send the company a physical print or a digital image that they will print, mat, and set in the frame for you (no fiddly frame backs to deal with — hallelujah!).
Additionally, just because the theme is wood it doesn’t mean that you are restricted to only using a natural finish; get the stain or painted frame color that works best for your style! I love the natural finish, but I also really appreciate the black ones as they would coordinate with most of the hardware in our home. It just depends on the statement you want to make — subtle or pronounced!
In the same artwork vein, I think gifting a 3D relief map of a sentimental location (such as the destination where you were married, a favorite place, where you got engaged, where you honeymooned) would also make such a sweet anniversary gift!
Keeping with the artistic decor, you could select a romantic couple sculpture to display in your home to mark this anniversary. I also really liked this more abstract style.
This wooden knot object is decorative and subtle, but will always be visible and a forever reminder of your life together.
If your partner loves a candle, I recommend a warming lamp (with a wooden base!) paired with a wood scented candle (think: cedar, fir, sandalwood, etc).
This ottoman tray would be perfect for the entertainer!
Going in a more practical route, you could gift something like a wood framed mirror that you will both use daily which, I think, is still very thoughtful — pull it all together by including a sweet note about your reflections over your years together and the many more you have to look forward to.
Shared gift for eachother: furniture.
This was we opted to gift each other this year! Since we just moved into a new house, new wood furniture pieces felt like the obvious choice for us. It may not seem sentimental enough or very exciting to some, but we’re so happy to be in our new home and furnishing it with upgraded furniture feels thrilling. If you’re curious, I’ve linked all of our beloved wood furniture in my Fifth Anniversary ShopMy Collection.
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KITCHEN
*I’d like to note that you should tread very lightly here… unless your partner has a passion for the culinary arts, hosting gatherings, or has explicitly expressed interest in a certain type of item, I would steer clear of this section. We don’t want to give our partners more work to do and sometimes a gift with good intentions can accidentally become additional labor for them.
FOR THE HOST / HOSTESS:
KITCHEN UPGRADES:
Indoor / Outdoor Pizza Oven
*pair with a Pizza Peel (Paddle) and / or a Olivewood Pizza Chopper
CHARCUTERIE:
Charcuterie Board (+ Charcuterie Subscription!)
Magnetic Wood Block Charcuterie Accessories
COCKTAIL CONNOISSEUR:
Whiskey / Bourbon / Scotch
*often aged in wood casks
Olivewood Coasters
*pair with beautiful glassware:
Double Old-Fashioned // Stemless Wine Glasses
…
ACTIVITIES
Wood Token Date Ideas // Date Night Dice
Wooden Bed Tray
*paired with breakfast in bed
Plant a Tree
*on your property or elsewhere
…
MISCELLANEOUS
Shoe Care Kit
This one may be a bit of a stretch for most people, but my husband really enjoys giving his shoes TLC so this kit has been a huge hit and includes everything you could possibly need to care for your shoes. His exact kit (seen above) is no longer available, but the one I linked is comparable!
I hope this list helps you with gift ideas for your loved one. Good luck in your present search and congratulations on celebrating your fifth wedding anniversary!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie