What to Write in an Anniversary Card: Messages for Every Milestone

What should you write in an anniversary card?

It depends entirely on who it's for. An anniversary card to your own husband or wife is a love letter in miniature; a card to your parents or friends is a congratulations. Both need the same three things: the milestone, something true about the couple, and a wish for the years ahead. If you want a line that works for any couple: "Happy anniversary! Wishing you many more years of love and happiness together."

Below you'll find wording for your partner, your parents, your grandparents and friends, plus milestone-specific messages for the 1st, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th and 60th, funny and religious options, and a few things to avoid.

Anniversary card messages for your husband or wife

• "Another year of loving you, and I'd do every one of them again. Happy anniversary."
• "To my husband: you're still my favourite person to come home to. Happy anniversary."
• "Happy anniversary to the woman who makes ordinary days feel like something. I love you."
• "[Number] years, and you still make me laugh every single day. Here's to the next lot."
• "I chose you then, and I'd choose you now. Happy anniversary, love."
• "Thank you for every year, every argument we got over and every cup of tea. Happy anniversary."
• "Still the best decision I ever made. Happy anniversary."

Anniversary card messages for your parents

• "Happy anniversary, Mum and Dad. Thank you for showing us what a good marriage looks like."
• "[Number] years of putting up with each other, and with us. We love you both. Happy anniversary."
• "To the two people who taught me what love is. Happy anniversary."
• "Congratulations on another year together. You make it look easy, and we know it isn't."

Anniversary card messages for grandparents

• "Happy anniversary, Gran and Grandad. [Number] years is extraordinary, and so are you both."
• "Congratulations on your anniversary. The whole family exists because of the day you said yes."
• "With love on your anniversary, from grandchildren who are very lucky to have you."

Anniversary card messages for friends

• "Happy anniversary to two of our favourite people. Here's to many more."
• "Congratulations on another year of being brilliant together."
• "Wishing you both a very happy anniversary and a lovely evening off."
• "You two give the rest of us something to aim for. Happy anniversary."

What to write for a 1st anniversary

• "One year down, forever to go. Happy first anniversary."
• "Happy paper anniversary! The first year was the best of my life. Let's make the next one better."
• "Congratulations on your first anniversary. You've survived the year everyone says is the hardest, and you've done it beautifully."

What to write for a 10th anniversary

• "Ten years, one decade, a whole lifetime of memories. Happy tin anniversary."
• "A decade of loving you. Here's to the next one."
• "Happy 10th anniversary! Ten years in and you still choose each other every day."

What to write for a 25th (silver) anniversary

• "Twenty-five years of marriage. Congratulations on your silver anniversary, and thank you for the example."
• "Happy silver anniversary! A quarter of a century and still going strong."
• "Twenty-five years ago you made a promise. Watching you keep it has been a joy. Congratulations."

What to write for a 40th (ruby) anniversary

• "Forty years together. Happy ruby anniversary to a couple who still hold hands."
• "Congratulations on your ruby wedding anniversary. Forty years of love, patience and very good cooking."
• "Happy 40th anniversary, Mum and Dad. You're the reason we believe in the whole thing."

What to write for a 50th (golden) anniversary

• "Fifty years. Half a century of marriage. Congratulations on your golden wedding anniversary."
• "Happy golden anniversary! Fifty years of love, and a family that adores you both."
• "To Gran and Grandad on your golden wedding: you've built a family, a home and a life together. We are so proud of you."

What to write for a 60th (diamond) anniversary

• "Sixty years together. Congratulations on your diamond wedding anniversary, from a family that wouldn't exist without you."
• "Happy diamond anniversary! Sixty years and still each other's best friend."
• "Six decades of marriage. There are no words big enough, so: congratulations, and thank you."

Funny anniversary card messages

• "Happy anniversary! Another year of you being right and me pretending otherwise."
• "Congratulations on another year of not killing each other. Genuinely impressive."
• "Happy anniversary to my favourite person to be annoyed by."
• "[Number] years. That's longer than most Netflix series. Well done us."
• "Happy anniversary! Still married, still not sure who's in charge."

Religious anniversary card messages

• "May God continue to bless your marriage as He has for [number] years. Happy anniversary."
• "Love is patient, love is kind. (1 Corinthians 13:4) You've lived it. Happy anniversary."
• "Thanking God for the two of you and the example of your marriage. Congratulations."

What not to write in an anniversary card

• Anything about the rough patches, even affectionately. Save it for the speech, or don't.
• Getting the number wrong. Check. Then check again.
• The wrong material. If you're going to mention paper, tin, silver or ruby, make sure it's the right year.
• Generic printed verse with nothing added. Even one handwritten line makes it a real card.

Should you give a gift with the card?

For your own partner, usually; for someone else's anniversary, only for a milestone year. Traditional-material gifts land well: something paper for the 1st, tin for the 10th, silver for the 25th, ruby-red for the 40th, gold for the 50th and diamond for the 60th. Our personalised anniversary gifts are organised by year, with dedicated ranges for the 1st, 10th, 25th, 40th, 50th and 60th, plus anniversary gifts for him and for her.

A few tips before you write

• Put the number in. "Happy 23rd anniversary" beats "Happy anniversary" every time.
• Mention one specific thing about the couple or the year that's just gone.
• Add the date. Anniversary cards get kept; a dated one is a record.

However you word it, the message is the same one you gave on the wedding day: you're glad they found each other.