5 year anniversary gift ideas: 50 wood and silverware gifts for him and for her

On the traditional list, materials grow stronger with the years: paper, cotton, leather, fruit and flowers, then wood for the fifth. Wood is solid, it grows, it can be carved and passed on. The modern list suggests silverware instead, and the 5th anniversary flower is the daisy.

Full list for every year in our anniversary gifts by year.

1. An engraved wooden keepsake box holding five letters, one per year.
2. A fruit or shade tree planted in your garden, with a small wooden plaque.
3. A custom cutting board with your names, the date and the coordinates of your home.
4. A wooden photo frame with a picture from each year.
5. A wooden map of your city, layered and laser-cut.
6. A hand-carved spoon set from a local woodworker.
7. A wooden jewelry box or watch box.
8. A wooden puzzle made from your wedding photo.
9. A bookshelf built together over a weekend.
10. A wooden wine box for a bottle to open on your 10th.
11. A wooden record crate and the albums that soundtracked five years.
12. A wooden bench for the porch, with your initials on the back.
13. A wooden chessboard and a standing Sunday game.
14. A wooden recipe box with five family recipes already written.
15. A woodworking class for two.

1. A wooden watch engraved with your date.
2. A wooden whiskey or bourbon barrel-aging kit.
3. A wooden valet tray for his keys, wallet and watch.
4. A handmade wooden fishing lure or a new rod.
5. A carved wooden sign for his workshop or garage.
6. A wooden-handled pocket knife with a line on the blade.
7. A baseball bat engraved with your wedding date.
8. A wooden speaker or turntable stand.
9. A camping weekend in a wood cabin.
10. A book of your story: five years, told like a novel.

More ideas in our guide to anniversary gifts for him.

1. A wooden jewelry box with a letter in the top drawer.
2. A bouquet of daisies, the 5th anniversary flower, and five notes.
3. Wooden earrings or a wooden bangle from an independent maker.
4. A wooden photo book cover around five years of pictures.
5. A wooden bath caddy and a quiet evening she does not have to plan.
6. A cabin weekend in the woods.
7. A wooden music box with your wedding song.
8. A wooden hairbrush and comb set engraved with her initials.
9. A rose bush or a magnolia planted where she can see it from the kitchen.
10. The novel of your first five years, written from your memories.

More ideas in our guide to anniversary gifts for her.

1. A set of good silverware for the dinners you host.
2. An engraved silver cake server for future celebrations.
3. Vintage silver spoons, one engraved per year.
4. A silver-handled cheese knife set and a tasting evening.
5. A silver bracelet or cufflinks, if you read silverware loosely.

1. A weekend in a tree house or a forest cabin.
2. A hike to a place with big old trees, like a redwood grove.
3. A visit to an orchard, a vineyard or a cider farm.
4. A dinner at the restaurant of your first date.
5. A night re-watching your wedding video.
6. A canoe or kayak trip on a wooded river.
7. A class: woodworking, cooking or dancing.
8. A short trip back to your honeymoon destination.
9. A picnic where you got engaged.
10. A time capsule to open on your 10th anniversary.

By the fifth year, you have a story worth writing down: how you met, the wedding, the first home, the jokes nobody else understands. A personalized love story book turns those memories into a first-person novel. You share them in a guided conversation; nothing is invented, and you review every page before approving it. It costs $35 digital, $69 as a hardcover or $95 as a Prestige hardcover, printed and shipped within the United States.

• Five years, and our roots go deeper every day. Happy wood anniversary.
• Half a decade of you. I would like at least ten more of those, please.
• Five years ago I married my best friend. Turns out that was the easy part; staying in love with you is even easier.
• We planted something five years ago. Look how it has grown.

Find 100 more messages in our anniversary wishes.

These are estimates, not guaranteed dates. If the anniversary is very close, give the digital edition ($35) on the day, or a card announcing the book with its first page printed out, and let the hardcover follow. Prices: $35 digital, $69 hardcover, $95 Prestige hardcover, paid once, US shipping included, sales tax calculated at checkout (pricing).