Start with how long you've been together
A first or second anniversary is a good time for the classics. A dozen red roses says exactly what you mean, and a smaller mixed bouquet in soft pinks feels romantic without being formal. Ten or twenty years in, many couples choose something that reflects the life they've built: a favorite color, a flower from the wedding, or a fuller arrangement for the dining table. For parents or grandparents celebrating 40 or 50 years, a tall, elegant design suits a family dinner, and the card can carry every name. If you're unsure, look at what they already keep around the house. Someone who loves soft color and garden flowers will enjoy a loose mix more than a formal vase of long stems.
Traditional anniversary flowers by year
Some couples like to give a flower tied to the year they're celebrating. Lists vary from source to source, but a few pairings are widely cited: carnations for the first anniversary, daisies for the fifth, daffodils for the tenth, irises for the 25th, and yellow roses or violets for the 50th. Some of these, like daffodils, are seasonal, so treat the list as a starting point rather than a rule. For a first anniversary, browse our carnations, which are often linked with lasting love, or choose daisies for a fifth. A golden anniversary pairs naturally with yellow roses, and the yellow rose bouquets in this collection come in several sizes.
Roses or a mixed anniversary bouquet
Roses are the classic anniversary gift, and nearly every design in this collection includes them. A rose bouquet in one color is simple and direct, and our roses page explains what each color and stem count says. A mixed design tells a softer story. Ivory Garden and Rosey Garden gather lilies, hydrangea, roses and lisianthus in a tall glass pedestal vase. Alice sets roses, lilies and hydrangea in red and white inside a twisted ginger vase, and Pearly Chic adds cymbidium and dendrobium orchids. If they like a surprise, the Designer's Choice Anniversary Mix is a rose arrangement the florist designs with the roses on hand that day, so it changes a little every time. Find more ideas among our mixed bouquets.
Sizing up for a milestone
For a 10th, 25th or 50th anniversary, going bigger is part of the message. Most of these anniversary designs are offered in two or more sizes, so you can usually keep the design you like and order it fuller. Ultimate Red Roses runs from one dozen to 100 stems, and the Deluxe Elegance long-stem bouquets come in two, three or four dozen in a tall glass vase. If you're choosing anniversary flowers for a dinner or a party at home, keep the arrangement low enough to talk over, and our luxury flowers are worth a look when the year calls for something grand.
Timing your anniversary flower delivery
Decide where the flowers should be seen. At home, your partner gets to enjoy them every day in a room you share. At the office, coworkers get to admire them too; deliveries there go to the front desk or reception during business hours, so use the business address and a workday. If you're going out to celebrate, have the flowers arrive the day before, so they're already home instead of arriving while you're at dinner. Some flowers arrive in bud so they last longer, and the extra day gives them time to open. An anniversary is a date you know well in advance, so enter the ZIP code and schedule early. If it sneaks up on you, a weekday order placed by 2:00 PM ET, or a Saturday order by 1:30 PM ET, can still arrive the same day. There are no Sunday deliveries.
