Convention offers couples a guide when picking wedding anniversary gifts

Wedding anniversaries are special occasions when couples celebrate their lasting bonds. Whether couples are on the cusp of celebrating their first anniversary or about to mark their fiftieth year together, they might not know that there's some conventional protocols regarding gifts to offer their beloved each year. Some historians trace wedding gift conventions back to the medieval period, while others point to nineteenth century England as the era when these unique practices first became commonplace. Regardless of the origins of conventional wedding anniversary gift wisdom, the following can serve as a guideline for couples who want to take part in this unique tradition.

· First anniversary: Paper

· Second anniversary: Cotton

· Third anniversary: Leather

· Fourth anniversary: Fruit; flowers also are considered a traditional fourth anniversary gift, but flowers have become a gift many married individuals give to their beloved every year on their anniversary

· Fifth anniversary: Wood

· Sixth anniversary: Candy

· Seventh anniversary: Copper or wool

· Eighth anniversary: Bronze

· Ninth anniversary: Pottery

· Tenth anniversary: Tin or aluminum

· Fifteenth anniversary: Crystal

· Twentieth anniversary: China

· Twenty-fifth anniversary: Silver

· Thirtieth anniversary: Pearl

· Thirty-fifth anniversary: Coral

· Fortieth anniversary: Ruby

· Forty-fifth anniversary: Sapphire

· Fiftieth anniversary: Gold

· Fifty-fifth anniversary: Emerald

· Sixtieth anniversary: Diamond