Best anniversary flowers ideas

• Written by Holly Hughes on March 21, 2022

What better way to celebrate a special anniversary than by saying it with flowers? It can often feel as difficult to find the perfect anniversary gift as it can to express your love for your husband or wife but with this guide to the best anniversary flower arrangements, including anniversary flowers for parents, you need never dread another celebration again.

Just as there is a flower for every feeling, so too is there a bloom to commemorate every year of marriage. So, whether you’re looking for special anniversary flowers for him, for your parents or anniversary flowers for her, here’s a guide to the best bouquets for each year of marriage.

First anniversary flowers

To celebrate that first year of marriage, the perfect 1st anniversary flower for your wife or husband is the classic carnation.

Universally, carnations are a symbol of love, joy, and commitment and so make an ideal addition to a first anniversary bouquet of flowers. With every color of this blossom carrying its own precious meaning – from the passionate admiration of red to the purity of young love that white carnations symbolize – you can tailor your wedding anniversary flowers to your specific loved one.

Two-year anniversary flowers

Lily of the Valley, as a floral beacon of happiness, is the perfect symbol for this celebration. This beautiful flower has long been associated with devotion, sincerity, and purity of heart and so is a wonderful addition to a second anniversary flower arrangement.

Legend has it that a nightingale was so enamored with the lily of the valley that it refused to return to the woods until it had seen it bloom in the spring. That kind of devotion is exactly what a flower arrangement for a husband or wife should express so be sure to include this stunning bloom in your next happy anniversary floral bouquet.

As a spring blossom, it’s also a great option to commemorate spring weddings!

10th anniversary flower

For celebrating the first decade of marriage, there can only be daffodils. The brightest and happiest of plants, daffodils signify a sense of rebirth and new possibilities.

Life-affirming and resilient, daffodils represent both the strength of a marriage that has stood the test of ten years and the cheerful hope that it will bloom bolder and stronger through many more decades to come. 

20th anniversary flower

The star-shaped glory of asters symbolizes the marrying of learned wisdom with good fortune. What better blossom is there to represent a twentieth wedding anniversary then?

Associated with Venus, the goddess of love, asters are also thought to have magical properties and beautifully epitomize patience and faith. All of these qualities are the traits that enable a happy marriage of two decades to exist. So, for the perfect floral arrangement to celebrate twenty years of a loving union, choose a stunning anniversary bouquet of asters.

25th anniversary flower

To complete a 25th anniversary bouquet, be sure to add in some irises. The symbol of France and closely linked to Paris in particular, irises are closely aligned with messages of love. Faith, wisdom, hope, and promise are all wrapped up in the petals of this flower, making it a wonderfully symbolic present for 25 years of marriage.

Interestingly, the blue iris is the traditional choice for 45th wedding anniversary flowers. Representing faith and hope specifically, blue irises honor the optimism and constant belief that fuels such a long and prosperous marriage.

30th anniversary flowers

Anyone who can make it to celebrating 30 years of marriage deserves only the most majestic and magnificent floral arrangement. It is little wonder then that the bloom associated with 30th wedding anniversaries is, of course, the lily.

Representing pride and devotion, the lily demonstrates an appreciation for and acknowledgment of the past while promising fidelity and partnership heading into the future.

Choose a sumptuous anniversary bouquet of lilies here.

40th wedding anniversary flower

The distinctive sword shape of gladioli makes these flowers a fitting tribute to four decades of marriage, representing strength, integrity, and infatuation. In fact, this ostentatious bloom is thought to tell the recipient that they “pierce the sender’s heart.” Dramatic and impressive, gladioli are the best bloom to present to your husband or wife to commemorate 40 years together – and prepare for 40 years more!

50th anniversary flower arrangements

Finally, golden anniversary flowers should definitely be as big and bold as possible. Half a century of partnership and love should be honored with the most precious of bouquets.

This is why not one but two kinds of blooms are needed to encapsulate the love and rarity of reaching 50 years of marriage: yellow roses and violets. These two strikingly different flowers represent the coming together of two individuals who’ve supported each other through the many joys and tribulations of life.

While yellow roses have traditionally been associated with this anniversary – their golden color mirroring the light and glory of a prosperous marriage – violets have become additionally symbolic, due to their connotations of modesty, loyalty, and virtue. They embody the noble humility and commitment that is needed to create and sustain a happy marriage and thus are the perfect complement to the vibrant happiness of yellow roses.

So, the next time you have a big wedding anniversary coming up – be it your own or your parents – you’ll know exactly what flowers to choose for a stellar, stand-out arrangement. Make your life even easier by ordering your flowers online for exceptional, affordable, and speedy delivery using one of these flower delivery services below.

• 1800Flowers

• SendFlowers

• FromYouFlowers