An anniversary invitation says whose anniversary it is, which year, who is hosting, and when and where the party is. The tone depends on who sends it. A couple inviting friends to their tenth can be light, while children hosting their parents' 25th or 50th usually write something warmer and a little more formal. Samples for each case are below, with the traditional name of each milestone year.
Who is hosting, and why it matters
Most anniversary parties fall into two groups. In the early years the couple hosts their own party, usually for friends. For the big milestones, the 25th, the 40th and the 50th, the children often host it for their parents, sometimes as a surprise. The host decides whose names appear at the top and whose voice the invitation is written in.
Wording when the couple hosts
The names, dates and places in these samples are examples.
Ten years, two kids, one very patient dog.
Come and celebrate with us.
Neha and Arjun's 10th anniversary
Saturday, 12 December 2026, 8 pm
The Terrace, Koregaon Park, Pune
It has been fifteen years since we said yes,
and we'd love to spend an evening with the people who made them happy ones.
Dinner on Saturday, 12 December 2026, 8 pm
Our home, Baner, Pune
Neha and Arjun
Wording when the children host
With love and gratitude,
Rohan, Isha and their families
invite you to celebrate
the 25th wedding anniversary of
Mrs. Sunita and Mr. Rajesh Patil
Sunday, 24 January 2027, 7:30 pm
Hall 1, Hotel Shreyas, Deccan, Pune
Dinner will be served
Twenty-five years ago, Aai and Baba got married,
and they've been arguing about the wedding photos ever since.
Help us celebrate their silver anniversary.
Sunday, 24 January 2027, 7:30 pm
Hotel Shreyas, Deccan, Pune
Rohan and Isha
Gujarati wording
લગ્નની 25મી વર્ષગાંઠ
અમારા વહાલા મમ્મી-પપ્પા
અ.સૌ. સુનીતાબેન તથા શ્રી રાજેશભાઈ પાટીલના
લગ્નની 25મી વર્ષગાંઠ નિમિત્તે
આપ સહપરિવાર પધારશોજી.
રવિવાર, 24 જાન્યુઆરી 2027, સાંજે 7:30 વાગ્યે
હોટેલ શ્રેયસ, ડેક્કન, પુણે
લિ. રોહન તથા ઈશા
The 25th and the 50th
The silver and golden anniversaries are the ones families mark most often, and the invitations tend to be more traditional. Many families hold a puja or a Satyanarayan katha in the morning and a dinner in the evening, and some couples exchange garlands again with the grandchildren watching.
Fifty years of togetherness
The Iyer family invites you
to the golden wedding anniversary of
Smt. Kamala and Shri Venkatesh Iyer
Saturday, 20 February 2027
Blessings and lunch, 12 noon
Sri Krishna Hall, T. Nagar, Chennai
In many South Indian families, the husband's 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays are celebrated as ceremonies for the couple: shashtipoorthi, bhimaratha shanti and sathabhishekam. These have their own customs and their own invitation wording, quite different from a party.
The names of the milestone years
The names below come from the Western tradition of anniversary gifts, but they're widely used in India on invitations and cakes. A silver or golden theme is an easy way to give the evening a look.
| Year | Name | Colours that suit it |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paper | Cream, soft pastels |
| 5th | Wood | Warm browns, green |
| 10th | Tin | Silver-grey, blue |
| 15th | Crystal | Clear, white, pale blue |
| 20th | China | White and blue |
| 25th | Silver | Silver, white, navy |
| 30th | Pearl | Ivory, blush |
| 35th | Coral | Coral, peach |
| 40th | Ruby | Ruby red, gold |
| 45th | Sapphire | Deep blue, silver |
| 50th | Golden | Gold, ivory, maroon |
| 60th | Diamond | White, silver, crystal |
The colour combinations guide has hex codes for silver, gold and ruby palettes if you're designing the card yourself.
Details to include
- The couple's names, as friends and family know them.
- The year. “25th” is clearer than “silver jubilee” alone.
- The host's name, so guests know whom to reply to.
- Date, time and venue, and whether dinner is served.
- A line about gifts if you have a preference. “Your presence is the only gift they'd want” works well when the children host.
- If it's a surprise, a large, clear note saying so.
Surprise parties
For a surprise party, send the invitation from one of the children's phones and put “It's a surprise, please don't mention it to Mummy and Papa” at the very top, not at the bottom where some guests stop reading.
Gathering old photos
For a 25th or 50th, the invitation is a good moment to ask guests for photos: “If you have a photo of Mummy and Papa from the old days, please send it to Isha.” Families often get pictures they've never seen, and they make the evening. Ask early, since guests need time to dig through albums, and give one person's number for sending them.
Share the invitation the way this WhatsApp guide describes, or make it from a description with ShubhLink AI using the AI invitation maker guide. More anniversary guides are collected under anniversaries.
Questions people ask
Who should host an anniversary party?
The couple usually hosts their own party in the early years. For milestone anniversaries like the 25th and 50th, the children often host it for their parents.
How early should anniversary invitations be sent?
Two to three weeks ahead for a party in the same city, and a month or more if relatives will travel for a 25th or 50th.
What is the 25th anniversary called?
The silver anniversary, or silver jubilee. The 40th is the ruby anniversary and the 50th the golden anniversary.
How do I say no gifts on an anniversary invitation?
A line such as “Your presence is the only gift they'd want” is polite and clear. Put it after the date, time and venue.
Filed under Anniversaries
Written by ShubhLink Editorial Team
The team behind ShubhLink's invitation templates and ShubhLink AI. We write down what families ask us most, and check each guide before it goes live.