Meaningful Flowers for Anniversaries

Anniversaries are important moments in life, and what better way to celebrate a special day than with a big, beautiful bouquet of meaningful flowers. 

Traditionally when we think of anniversaries we think of marriage; but you can also celebrate anniversaries of friendships, years in business, or any other important milestones in life. 

Whatever the anniversary is, flowers are a wonderful way to acknowledge it, and choosing flowers that have specific meanings will make that acknowledgment even more special.  Here are my suggestions for anniversary flowers.

Flowers for first ten anniversary years:

Every anniversary year has a flower assigned to it. This is a great place to start when choosing flowers.

1st - Carnation - Affection; 2nd - Lily of the valley - Return to happiness; 3rd - Sunflower - Adoration; 4th - Hydrangea - Perseverance; 5th - Daisy - Innocence; 6th - Calla lily - Magnificent beauty; 7th - Freesia - Friendship; 8th - Lilac - Memories of first love; 9th - Bird of Paradise - Magnificence; 10th - Daffodil - New beginnings

Flowers with special meanings:

Next think of what the anniversary is for, and what message you want to send. Here are flower suggestions for four types of anniversaries: 

Marriage: Celebrating your anniversary is a way to remember one of the most important days of your life and to reflect on your life as a couple and the individual attributes that you love and admire about each other. Roses, with their meaning of love, are always popular for a wedding anniversary bouquet, but there are plenty of other choices.

Ranunculus - Radiant charm; Carnation - Affection; Sunflower - Adoration; Calla lily - Magnificent beauty; Freesia - Friendship; Lilac - Memories of first love; Stock - Lasting beauty; Alstroemeria - Devotion

Years in business: Only half of new businesses survive the first five years, so every year you are open deserves to be celebrated. You can also use the day to thank your employees, customers, and family and friends who have supported you.

Allium - Prosperity; Peony - Good fortune; Hollyhock - Ambition; Alstroemeria - Devotion; Pink roses - Appreciation; Hydrangea - Perseverance

Remembering the passing of a loved one: Recognizing the passing of a loved one on an annual basis gives us a chance to remember everything we loved about them, keeping that connection between past and present.

Forget-me-not - Memories; Poppy - Remembrance; Cosmos - Peacefulness; Pink Carnation - I will always remember you; Zinnia - Thoughts of an absent friend

Success in stopping an addiction: Stopping a harmful addiction is no easy feat. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and is something worth acknowledging each year.

Chamomile - Energy in diversity; Borage - Courage; Clematis - Mental beauty; Aster - Patience

Whatever anniversary you’re celebrating, I hope you’ll be inspired by this list of meaningful flowers for anniversaries when deciding what flowers you’ll choose for the occasion.

If you would like to know the flower for an anniversary after 10 years, or like a flower suggestion for a specific type of anniversary, please let me know in the comments below and I’d be happy to help you.