By the Farida Floral design team. Farida Floral is a mother-daughter luxury florist in Fairfax, VA, hand-arranging flowers for Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland since 2017.
Anniversary gifts have a traditional material for every year; fewer people know the flowers have a list of their own. It is older than the paper-cotton-leather registry and, honestly, more romantic: each year's bloom says something about where a marriage is. Here is the full traditional list, plus how we translate each into an arrangement worth the milestone.
The traditional anniversary flowers, year by year
| Year | Traditional flower | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Carnation | Young, passionate love that endures |
| 2nd | Lily of the valley | Return of happiness, trust |
| 3rd | Sunflower | Strength, adoration, loyalty |
| 4th | Hydrangea | Gratitude and abundance |
| 5th | Daisy | Fidelity and shared optimism |
| 10th | Daffodil | New beginnings, a decade renewed |
| 15th | Rose | The classic: love, fully grown |
| 20th | Aster | Wisdom and enduring devotion |
| 25th | Iris | Faith and hope, the silver year |
| 30th | Lily | Devotion and pride |
| 40th | Gladiolus | Strength of character |
| 50th | Yellow rose & violet | Golden joy and faithfulness |
Two favorites from that list get full guides of their own: lily of the valley for year two, and hydrangeas for year four.
Make the year count
Anniversary arrangements hand-crafted around your year, your palette, your story.
Shop Anniversary FlowersQuestions? Call or text 703-223-3931 · Same-day delivery on orders placed by 2:00 PM EST
How to use the list without being ruled by it
The tradition is a starting point, not a law. Three ways we adapt it in the studio:
- Translate out-of-season blooms. Daffodils in October or lily of the valley in August are not happening fresh. We keep the meaning and swap the flower: white ranunculus carries year two beautifully; yellow garden roses stand in for daffodils.
- Blend the year with their favorite. The most-loved anniversary order we make is the year's traditional flower woven through a bouquet of whatever they actually adore. Tradition plus attention beats tradition alone.
- Scale with the milestone. Year one can be a single perfect bouquet. Year twenty-five deserves abundance; that is what our Anniversary Experience, three premium rose boxes delivered together, was built for.
Roses still win most years, and that is fine
Whatever the chart says, red roses remain the anniversary flower most partners actually hope for. If you go classic, go properly: premium long-stem reds, hand-arranged, from our Rose Collection. Not sure which shade says what after all these years? Our rose color guide settles it.
FAQ
What is the flower for a 1st wedding anniversary?
Carnations, traditionally, symbolizing young love. Modern couples often upgrade to garden roses in soft tones while keeping a few carnations for the tradition.
What flowers are for the 25th and 50th anniversaries?
Iris for the silver 25th; yellow roses and violets for the golden 50th. A gold-and-cream palette with yellow garden roses makes the 50th unmistakable.
Should anniversary flowers go to home or work?
Home, almost always; anniversaries are private. The exception is the grand public gesture, in which case morning delivery to the office maximizes the moment.
Can I get anniversary flowers delivered same-day?
Yes. Order by 2:00 PM EST for same-day delivery across Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria and the wider DMV.
However many years it has been
Hand-crafted anniversary flowers, delivered across Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland.
Shop Anniversary FlowersQuestions? Call or text 703-223-3931 · Same-day delivery on orders placed by 2:00 PM EST
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