45th Wedding Anniversary

Traditional, Modern and Symbolic Anniversary Gifts

Below is a list of both traditional and modern gift materials, as well as classic flower and gemstone symbols, which mark a couple’s 45th wedding anniversary in countries around the world…

Traditional Gift – UK		Sapphire
Traditional Gift – US		Sapphire
Traditional Gift – Spain		Sapphire
Traditional Gift – Germany		Brass
Traditional Gift – Russia		Sapphire
Traditional Gift – France		Silver Gilt
Traditional Gift – Italy		Sapphire
Flower Gift		Blue Iris
Gemstone Gift		Sapphire
Modern Gift		Sapphire

Quick Links

About 45th Wedding Anniversaries
How to Celebrate a 45th Wedding Anniversary
45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him
45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Her
45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him, Her and Parents

About 45th Wedding Anniversaries

This 45th wedding anniversary is one we are especially delighted to share with celebrating couples. You are now halfway along the journey to all 90 of our wedding anniversary gift showcases.

Depending on your age, it is unlikely you will make it to the final exceptional milestone, but we look forward to continuing on this path with you for many more years to come – and helping (in our own small way) to ensure you celebrate your marriage in style.

So, warm congratulations on your 45th wedding anniversary – just another five years to a half-century of married life together. In the meantime, this occasion is equally as important, as you were obviously made for each other, and your love and devotion deserves a grand celebration every year.

How to Celebrate a 45th Wedding Anniversary

Maybe you just want to celebrate with a night of nostalgia, listening to your favourite music and reliving memories from your 45 years together?

After all, you have been married for 16,425 days or 394,200 hours or 23,652,000 minutes, which is over 1,419 million seconds, so crack open a favoured bottle of wine or Champagne and bask in those incredible numbers.

“Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.”
Quoted by: Friedrich Halm

45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him, Her… and the Couple

Sapphire is the main gemstone associated with 45th wedding anniversary gifts. While everyone will be familiar with the blue sapphire there are, in fact, many colours to choose from.

Traces of other elements can affect the colour and, in addition to blue, sapphires are green, orange, purple, pink and even yellow. So, if you are set on buying a sapphire but your spouse doesn’t like blue, then don’t panic.

Another gemstone sometimes associated with the 45th wedding anniversary is alexandrite, which is just as beautiful as a sapphire and equally as rare. Either jewel would make the perfect gift.

The traditional flower for the 45th anniversary is the blue iris, symbolising faith and hope. A bouquet of these stunningly beautiful flowers will be a perfect expression of your love.

On the other hand, you could break with tradition and create a bouquet of flowers from among your own favourites. Or theme your gift on the colour of blue sapphire – and party with blue and silver balloons decorating the festivities.

Another gift that keeps giving would be to make a donation to a charity that has special significance for you both. As for gift choices, always remember: ideally, you should buy from an ethical company that supports free trade.

45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him

What can I buy my husband for our 45th wedding anniversary?

Both traditional and modern gifts options are essentially the same for 45th wedding anniversaries. Here we have prepared a selection of suggestions to help you choose the perfect gift. Most of our gift ideas are appropriate for him, her, your parents and other couples.

45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Her

What should I buy my wife on our 45th wedding anniversary?

We have hundreds of additional gift ideas and suggestions… check out our other anniversary pages for more inspiration.

45th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him, Her, Parents… and Other Couples

10 Fun Facts about Sapphires

As noted above, most people will normally identify sapphires with a rich blue colour, but the gemstone can in fact be found in many other colours, including green, orange, pink, peach, purple, teal and yellow. 

1. Red sapphires are more commonly known as rubies – with both being varieties of the mineral corundum.
2. The word sapphire is derived from the Latin and Greek words for “blue”: “sapphirus” and “sappheiros”.
3. The rarest type of sapphire is a pinkish orange variety called padparadscha, from the Sinhalese word for lotus flower.
4. Sapphires are among the most durable naturally occurring elements in the world. The only natural item that can scratch a sapphire is a diamond (10 on the Mohs Scale compared with 9 for sapphires). This high level of durability is why sapphires are a popular option for engagement rings and other everyday jewellery. 
5. Various Swiss watch companies use lab-created sapphire crystal to make their timepieces more scratch resistant, as does Apple for its Watch Series 3 screen. 
6. Mystical powers have been attributed to sapphires over the centuries, including truth, innocence, peace and good health. 
7. In the Middle Ages Europeans believed that sapphires cured eye diseases and preserved chastity, and also provided other heavenly blessings and powers (the colour blue being associated with heaven). 
8. Royal blue sapphires were worn by many mediaeval kings, in the belief that they would protect them from their enemies.
9. One of the most famous royal sapphires in more modern times is the engagement ring Prince Charles gave to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, which features a 12-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
10. The most expensive sapphire ever sold weighed 392.52 carats and was sold for more than $17 million.

Travel & Experience Gifts

• Location visit (short or long-term – you have earned that special break)
• Travel and activity gift vouchers (from Red Letter Days)
• Adventure days
• Food and drink (luxury dining for two)
• Escape to the country (many locations to choose from)
• Luxury spa day for two
• Concert show or the cinema (try 3D, if you haven’t already)
• Steam train experience with lunch

Jewellery

The traditional 45th wedding anniversary gemstone is sapphire.

• Earrings
• Pendants
• Rings
• Necklace
• Tie Pin
• Cufflinks

Something Different & Unique

• A regal celebration warrants a truly regal gift… book a Buckingham Palace state rooms and champagne afternoon tea for two.
• This is just the right time to arrange a getaway to one of those magical European cities still on your bucket list.
• For something more intimate this year, how about signing up for dance or craft lessons together?
• If you both love music, relive your youthful passions by heading to a nostalgic festival featuring favourite bands of the past.

Hopefully, you won’t have to concern yourselves with organising a celebration party at home for family and friends. Leave that to your children who, we suspect, might be planning this as a wonderful “surprise” for their deeply-loved parents.

Nevertheless, no need for your celebrations to be overly extravagant. After 45 years together, the most important thing is to commemorate another special date in a way you both enjoy – and add today’s cherished 45th anniversary moments to the now-bulging marriage album.

Next Anniversaries

46th wedding anniversary
47th wedding anniversary
48th wedding anniversary
49th wedding anniversary
50th wedding anniversary