Every anniversary is a reason to celebrate the love and special bond that you share with someone. When you want to mark another year together, giving your partner a beautiful bouquet of roses for your anniversary is a thoughtful way of saying “I love you” without saying a word at all.

Since each anniversary has its own designated flower, it’s important to choose the type of flower that matches your anniversary year. Roses for an anniversary can always be your go-to romantic gift, but it’s helpful to know which flowers go with each anniversary milestone in case you want to mix it up.

 

A man holding a bouquet of red roses

 

How To Choose The Best Anniversary Flowers for Your Wife 

True love is precious and hard to find. That’s why wedding anniversaries are momentous occasions! Wedding anniversary roses are the perfect sentimental gift for your spouse to commemorate another journey together around the sun. 

When buying anniversary flowers, you should consider the type, color, number, as well as the vase and accents.

a picture of two women that are busy choosing flowers

 

Type

First and foremost, we always suggest picking your spouse’s favorite bloom for your anniversary bouquet. But if you’re not sure which type suits their fancy, we recommend specific floral varieties based on the number of years that you’ve been married.

 

Color

Each anniversary year has at least one official anniversary roses color associated with it. Since not every bloom comes in these shades, the anniversary color can be incorporated into the floral presentation in other ways. The bouquet colors also don’t have to be the same either. You can get creative by picking every color of every year that you’ve tasted.

 

Number

The number of buds and stems in a bouquet also has meaningful significance. Red roses for anniversary are generally purchased in batches of 12 to amplify their heartfelt message of love. For non-rose bundles, the number of floral blooms can depend on what looks most attractive in the arrangement or, the number of years that you’ve marked.

 

Vase and Accents

Not all flowers come in anniversary colors so you can incorporate the hues in the bouquet’s vase and accents. For example, a stunning bow wrapped around a gorgeous vase will draw out the symbolic meaning behind the milestone.

Now that we’ve given you an overview of things to consider when ordering anniversary flowers, you can reference the information below for the traditional color and anniversary flower by year.

 

First Wedding Anniversary Flowers

The first anniversary is a time for you and your partner to toast to 12 months of happy memories and blossoming love for one another. No first anniversary is complete without buying a bouquet for your sweetheart. Couples choose one of the following happy anniversary flowers for their first anniversary gift.

 

present box with brown tag and flower in bunch table

 

Carnations

Carnations represent youthful, passionate love, which makes them the prime flower for newly-weds celebrating their first year of marriage. With their full and vibrant blooms, carnations are available year-round and in a variety of colors

 

bouquet of carnations

 

Orange Blossom

Orange blossom is a white, fragrant flower that blooms on an orange tree. This sweet and simple plant is generally associated with good luck, innocence, and fortune. Its white color signifies innocence, purity, and new beginnings, which is very fitting as a young couple celebrates their first year of marriage.

 

 close picture of orange blossom

 

Gold and Yellow

Gold and yellow are the traditional colors for one-year anniversaries. If possible, select carnations that have these warm and glowing shades. For an exquisite arrangement, consider mixing carnations or orange blossoms with white roses for anniversaries. Unlike yellow roses, which symbolize friendship, white roses signify everlasting love.

 

preserved white roses in a heart shape pink container

 

Flowers for Anniversary by Year

 

2nd Anniversary

 

Lily of the Valley

By the second year, your marriage has grown even stronger as you’re slowly adjusting to living together. You know each other better than before and might be moving out of the “honeymoon” phase. 

In honor of your second anniversary, give your wife or husband a spray of Lily of the Valley. This bell-shaped beauty is traditionally associated with feminine values, such as motherhood, humility, and devotion.

 

close up picture of white lily

 

Red and Linen White

Red and linen white are the customary colors for the second anniversary. Red represents love, sexuality, and romance, whereas white linen has symbolic significance related to purity and light. Combined, these colors accurately portray a young marriage that exudes both fiery passion and innocence.

 

3rd Anniversary

 

Sunflower

In your third year of marriage, your relationship with your partner has transformed into a steady bond. You’re becoming more accustomed to being around each other every day and have earned each other’s trust and fidelity. To reflect these steadfast feelings, give your spouse sunflowers. 

Sunflowers evoke feelings of positivity, strength, admiration, and loyalty. Their appearance and meaning stem from this glorious flower’s namesake - the sun. Sunflowers are a cheerful gift that will brighten your spouse’s day on your third anniversary.

 

bride holding a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers

 

White and Jade Green

White and jade green are considered to be the theme colors for the third wedding anniversary. Jade represents calmness and serenity during difficult times. By year three, many couples have already weathered storms - both big and small. Since the marriage is still relatively new, white is included to symbolize purity and freshness.

 

4th Anniversary

 

Geranium

Time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been four years since you’ve said “I do,” and you’ve officially moved out of the honeymoon phase. You and your honey have become more established in your roles and comfortable in your day-to-day living. 

To celebrate your fourth anniversary, give a bouquet of geraniums. Geraniums are an unexpected yet welcomed floral gift. The anticipation and excitement of what’s in store for your marriage are represented through the geraniums. This unique flower is characterized by romantic colors, including reds, pinks, Fuschia, and purples.

 

bouquet of geraniums

 

Blue and Green

The fourth-anniversary colors are blue and green to bring forth feelings of stability and healing. Undoubtedly, married couples overcome tensions and challenges by the fourth year. The cool and earthy colors of blue and green highlight and celebrate these small victories

 

5th Anniversary

 

Daisy

Celebrating five years of marriage is a rite of passage for couples. No longer are you considered newlyweds? Rather, you’ve experienced five years of wedded bliss and are building your lifelong dreams together. 

A bundle of daisies is an adorable flower choice for your fifth wedding anniversary. Simple and innocent, daisies are two flowers combined into one. The center section is called a disc floret and the outer petals are called a ray floret. Because they blend so well, daisies stand for true love. Daisies are fitting representations of two becoming one in the bond of marriage.

 

close up picture of a single daisy flower

 

Blue, Pink, and Turquoise

While daisies generally are seen in white, they can also be found in any color under the rainbow. If you’d like to match your daisy bouquet with the corresponding colors of this milestone, you should purchase blue, pink, or turquoise ones. Blue stands for calmness and trustworthiness. Pink signifies nurturing and kindness, and turquoise conveys protection and strength.

 

10th Anniversary

 

Daffodil

A decade of marriage is no small feat. Many couples quit and move on during difficult seasons of their lives. A special bond like yours should be celebrated. That’s why you should consider buying your spouse’s daffodils on your 10th anniversary. 

Daffodils have a trumpet shape – perfect for proclaiming your love. Their bright, yellow color reflects hope for the future and the joyfulness of the past. If you want to incorporate the 10th-anniversary colors in your daffodil bouquet, find a bow or vase in the hues for your daffodils.

 

woman holding bouquet yellow daffodils

 

Silver and Blue

The official 10th-anniversary colors are silver and blue. Silver is a precious metal. It symbolizes riches and wealth and is often associated with glamor, sophistication, and elegance. Blue brings forth emotions of loyalty and reliability.  A marriage that lasts 10 years is precious, one-of-a-kind, and quite valuable. The meaning of both colors reflects nicely on such a glorious milestone.

 

15th Anniversary

 

Rose

Roses equal intense passion, romance, and love. It’s no wonder that they are frequently given as anniversary gifts. It may surprise you to know however that roses are the designated flower on the 15th anniversary year. By this milestone, your love and commitment have proven to be unshakable and deserve an outstanding floral arrangement. 


A red rose bouquet is the most timeless and beautiful representation of your enduring love. It is the quintessential gift for someone you cherish. You can also show your devotion by giving a bouquet of long-lasting roses that can survive well into your 16th anniversary.

 

picture of white circle container and a black box containing a bouquet of preserved red roses

 

Ruby Red

Ruby red is the traditional anniversary color for 15 years of marriage. Ruby is a deep, luxurious hue of red that historically has been viewed as highly valuable, energizing, and revitalizing. To revive your love back to your early years of marriage, consider picking ruby red roses.

 

close up picture of empress flora nine preserved ruby red roses

 

Celebrate Each Anniversary With Flowers

 

Whether it’s your first or fifteenth year of marriage, you can’t go wrong giving flowers or roses for anniversary. And now that you know which flower and color correspond to each anniversary year, you can “wow” your partner with the thoughtful personalization that went behind your gift-giving. 


A lifetime of happiness will continue to blossom when you follow these guidelines for every anniversary. Start planning your anniversary gift at Empress Flora.