The ruby wedding anniversary marks 40 years of marriage. It is one of the more significant milestones on the anniversary calendar, and the sort of occasion that tends to prompt people to think carefully about what to give. Here are some ideas for marking it properly, along with two ruby wedding anniversary gifts from A Year of Dates made for exactly this occasion.
What is a ruby wedding anniversary?
The 40th wedding anniversary is called the ruby anniversary, named after the deep red gemstone. Ruby has long been associated with passion and commitment, which makes it a well-chosen name for 40 years of marriage. The number itself carries weight. Most couples reaching their 40th have been through a great deal together. Children grown, homes moved, careers changed, difficult years and good ones. Four decades of choosing the same person is worth marking properly.
How to celebrate a ruby wedding anniversary
Some couples prefer to mark it quietly. Others want a gathering of the people who matter most to them. A few approaches that tend to work well:
- A trip somewhere they have talked about visiting but never quite got round to. Forty years is a reasonable occasion to finally book it.
- A dinner that echoes their wedding day in some way. The same kind of setting, or a table for two at somewhere they have always meant to try.
- A gathering of close family and friends. It does not need to be a party. Getting the right people in the same room and making time for it is often enough.
- A gift that gives them something to do together through the year ahead, rather than something that sits on a shelf after the day is done.
Ruby wedding anniversary gift ideas
If you are buying a ruby wedding anniversary gift for a couple celebrating 40 years, here are two options from A Year of Dates. One gives them date ideas to enjoy through the year ahead; the other gives them a way to hold 40 years of memories in one place.
Ruby wedding anniversary gift (40th)
40th Ruby Wedding Anniversary Year of Dates
A personalised black gift box containing 12 red and cream sealed envelopes, each with a date idea inside, plus 2 blank cards for the couple to add their own. Activities include stargazing, a live music night, an ice cream evening and a trip to the theatre. Personalise the box with the couple’s names and a message in your choice of font. Letterbox-sized, so it posts through most front doors without a trip to the sorting office.
Shop the Ruby Anniversary Box
Ruby wedding anniversary gift (40th)
40th Celebration Photo Collage Memory Box
A large white memory box with 40 photos printed across the lid and two lines of personalisation below. The box measures 40cm x 30cm and is 11cm deep, so it holds more than photos: letters, cards, keepsakes, anything from the 40 years worth keeping. You upload the photos after purchase and can request a proof before we print. The box arrives empty, ready to fill with whatever matters most to them.
Shop the Photo Collage Memory BoxForty years of marriage is not a milestone that arrives quietly. The couple celebrating it will have changed a great deal since the day they got married, and likely have more ahead of them than most people give them credit for. A ruby wedding anniversary gift that gives them something to do together, or a way to look back on everything they have built, tends to say more than flowers or a card alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the traditional gift for a ruby wedding anniversary?
The traditional gift for a 40th wedding anniversary is ruby, named for the deep red gemstone. In practice, this is usually interpreted as something red in colour or something that reflects the depth of commitment the occasion represents. At A Year of Dates, we make a ruby wedding anniversary box with 12 sealed date ideas in red and cream envelopes, personalised with the couple’s names. The 40th Celebration Photo Collage Memory Box is also a popular choice for couples who want something that looks back over 40 years.
What do you buy for a 40th wedding anniversary UK?
A personalised gift tends to suit the occasion better than a generic one. A ruby anniversary is significant enough that the gift should feel considered. Options that go down well include a date night box that gives the couple something to look forward to through the year ahead, a photo collage that looks back over 40 years, or a memory box they can fill with keepsakes from the milestone year. Both products above come with free UK delivery.
What colour is associated with a ruby wedding anniversary?
Red, for the ruby gemstone. The 40th Ruby Wedding Anniversary Year of Dates box uses red and cream envelopes to reflect the occasion, with a personalised black gift box and red metallic foil text as standard.
Is 40 years a big wedding anniversary?
Yes. The ruby anniversary is one of the milestone anniversaries on the traditional calendar, alongside the silver (25th), golden (50th) and diamond (60th). Reaching 40 years of marriage is a real achievement and tends to be marked more formally than the anniversaries in between. A gift made specifically for the occasion is worth the extra thought.
Browse all anniversary gifts at A Year of Dates. Gifts for every year, from paper to gold.
