Do we have to stick to the traditional or modern 12th anniversary themes?

Definitely not! The traditional and modern themes can help guide your shopping and be a good way to narrow down your choices. However, the important thing is that you give your partner something special and unique that speaks to their own interests and style.

How should we celebrate a 12th anniversary?

12 years is a big deal! Take this moment to celebrate in a way that feels incredibly special to you as a couple, whether that's cooking an intimate meal at home or going on a weekend vacation. You can even take a trip down memory lane by recreating your first date or visiting the spots that symbolize milestones in your relationship—like where you got engaged, had your first kiss, or the neighborhood of your first home together.

The 15 Best 12th Anniversary Gifts in 2024

Any time two people manage to maintain a relationship for over a decade is a big deal. Keeping love alive for that long is a lot of work—deeply rewarding work, but work nonetheless—and it deserves to be celebrated with a meaningful gift.

While an anniversary gift doesn’t have to follow any guidelines, the traditional theme for the twelfth anniversary is silk and linen gifts, and the modern theme is pearl gifts. Silk and linen are strong materials, made so by their tightly woven threads; they symbolize how couples grow stronger by weaving their lives together more and more tightly over time. Pearls are slowly and gradually formed into something beautiful and precious. They serve as a metaphor for the rare and valuable nature of the love couples share—a love which, like the oyster’s pearl, takes a lot of time and effort to perfect. It's also totally OK if you want to skip the themed gifts altogether and go with something personalized or specific to your spouse's interests and passions.

To help you find the perfect gift for your special person, we've researched and narrowed down the best options available. From customized keepsakes to cozy pieces for your home, we've found a variety of gifts for every style and budget.

Read on for the best 12th-anniversary gifts.

Introducing Minted + Brides: Shop our exclusive collection of customized gifts for the couple, wedding party, and more.

In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look For
FAQ
Why Trust Brides?

Parachute

View On Parachute

After twelve years, chances are new sheets are in order, and it’s hard to go wrong with Parachute’s 100% European flax linen sheet set. These sheets are light and breathable, and they get softer and softer with every wash. They’re also eco-friendly, antimicrobial, durable, and insulating. And did we mention they come in a ton of gorgeous colors like clay, surplus green, shore blue, and dove grey?

Price at time of publish: $329 for queen set

Paper Anniversary Love Personalized Linen Adventure Map

Etsy

View On Etsy $109

You won’t find a better-personalized gift for the couple who loves to travel together. This handmade linen adventure map features a heading with their names and the message “Adventuring together since [year].” It can be scaled (state, country, globe) depending on where they prefer to explore, and it comes with ten customizable pushpins used to mark the locations where they shared their first date, adopted their first fur baby, got engaged, or bought their first home.

Price at time of publish: starting at $109

Rough Linen

View On Roughlinen.com $180

No couple ever gets to spend as much time relaxing together as they’d like, but these unisex linen robes will help them make the most of their downtime. They’re light, cozy, and perfect for winding down, and their elegant, shawl collars ensure that no one has to sacrifice style for comfort. For any unexpected busy moments, they have neat cuffs that can be rolled up, as well as convenient pockets.

Price at time of publish: $180

Etsy

View On Etsy $80

If you need a gift for someone who loves flowers, these linen roses are on theme, and they’ll be around for much longer than real ones. Just choose the color and number of roses you’d like and LinenRoses will send them to you in a special gift box, arranged with a branch of linen flax.

Price at time of publish: starting at $67

Anthropologie

View On Anthropologie $56

These sets of pearly, lustered drinking glasses look like something out of a fairy tale, so they’re perfect for someone living happily ever after. You can choose from wine glasses with or without stems, coupe glasses, champagne flutes, and even shot glasses, all of which are accented with a golden rim that highlights their whimsical, ethereal look.

Price at time of publish: $56

Rifle Paper Co

View On Riflepaperco.com

A silk scarf is a wonderfully indulgent twelfth-anniversary gift, and this one from Rifle Paper Co. comes in five stunning varieties. If you’re buying for an art-lover, we highly recommend the Rousseau scarf, eponymously named for the impressionist painter. Like his iconic art, this scarf features majestic creatures surrounded by the trees and flowers of their natural habitat. If you’re searching for something a bit brighter and cheerier, the other four floral scarves in the collection are equally beautiful.

Price at time of publish: $68

Etsy

View On Etsy $409

This gorgeous personalized accessory box is big enough for two, and it has sections for every type of jewelry. On the top, there are compartments for watches, cufflinks, earrings, and rings complete with linen watch pillows and ring rolls. The bottom consists of a removable valet tray with two long necklace compartments and five compartments for smaller items. Each box is handmade and highly customizable—select the wood type, stain color, and engraving method, and location.

Price at time of publish: starting at $370

Pottery Barn

View On Pottery Barn $47

This mother of pearl picture frame comes in three sizes (4”x6”, 5”x7”, and 8”x10”) and looks sophisticated and out of the ordinary on any wall or surface. It has an easel for countertop display and can be mounted as well. Give it with a special picture inside for a personal touch.

Price at time of publish: $59 for 4x6

Melissa Ceramics

View On Etsy $64

This set of decorative nesting bowls would make a lovely addition to any home. They’re handmade with porcelain, and their interiors are finished with a mesmerizing pearl glaze. They add a crisp, clean look to a mantlepiece, bookshelf, or coffee table and would make a gorgeous ring or earring holder for the vanity or nightstand.

Price at time of publish: $52

Tie Bar

View On Thetiebar.com

This polka dotted linen pocket square will have your loved one looking sharp and feeling loved. It comes in royal blue and burnt orange and is the perfect addition to a spring or summer suit. If polka dots don’t work for them, don’t worry! The Tie Bar has over a hundred more linen pocket squares to choose from.

Price at time of publish: $14

Brooklinen

View On Amazon $59 View On Zola $59 View On Brooklinen

Celebrate love in luxury with these decadent, mulberry silk pillowcases. They’re breathable and cool to the touch, so they’re perfect for every season. They’ll also eliminate bad hair days—their delightfully smooth and soft texture reduces friction and, therefore, reduces frizz. They come in a lot of beautiful shades as well—emerald green, blush pink, ivory—so you have tons of options!

Price at time of publish: $59 for standard size

Amazon

View On Amazon $96

Who wouldn’t want to celebrate their anniversary with the gift of exceptional cuddles? These mulberry silk throws are perfect for sharing (or hogging) during movie night—they’re light, breathable, hypoallergenic, and deliciously soft. They also serve as chic and simple living room accents, with handmade fringes at both ends and versatile color choices (taupe, ivory, grey, and light blue) that will work with any décor.

Price at time of publish: $85

Amazon

View On Amazon $29 View On Brooklinen $21

Wanna see this relationship last another twelve years? Good sleep is key. This mulberry silk eye mask is perfect for afternoon naps and sleeping in—or blocking out the light your partner has to turn on when they get up first. Silk masks can also reduce creases around the eyes and protect hair and skin from damage and irritation caused by friction. Brooklinen’s masks come in fun colors and patterns like cerulean blue, emerald green, and a black and white celestial motif.

Price at time of publish: $25

Chan Luu

View On Chanluu.com

Chan Luu’s pearl trinity necklace makes the perfect twelfth-anniversary gift for any jewelry lover, and it comes in four varieties suited to an array of tastes and skin tones. This necklace is somehow simple and bold at the same time, consisting of either sterling silver or 18k gold-plated sterling silver chain which is adorned with three fresh-water pearls. We particularly love the gold, blush, and mauve pearls in the Champagne Mix necklace, but there are white pearl and grey pearl varieties as well.

Price at time of publish: $95

Covet + Lou

View On Anthropologie

Anything that relieves tension and stress is good for a couple, and this eye pillow does both. It engages acupressure points to relax the muscles around your eyes and is filled with a custom blend of organic buckwheat, lavender flowers, and chamomile flowers designed to calm the mind. The pillow is made of soft washed linen and has a removable inner pillow to make washing a snap.

Price at time of publish: $48

What to Look For in a 12-Year Anniversary Gift

For couples

Since the twelfth anniversary is for mature couples who are long past the honeymoon stage, gifts that celebrate their history, their caring bond, and the life they’ve built together are a good choice. Often these presents allow them to look back on their past. Reminiscing can reignite that romantic fuse and allow them to stop and think about how grateful they are for each other and how far they’ve come.

Anything that brings both partners joy also makes a wonderful gift. Home goods are perfect as they are not only useful or decorative but serve as a reminder of their twelfth-anniversary celebrations for years to come.

Finally, anything they can experience together will make them smile, such as a gift basket of food or wine, a couple’s spa day, or a game or activity. Whatever it is, they’ll love having an opportunity to spend time together and share something new.

For individuals

If you’re searching for a gift for your partner, friend, or family member, you want to select an item that shows them how much you value them and their relationship success. Partners should look for something that says “I still adore you” and something that expresses how much they appreciate their loved one's care, support, companionship, and partnership. Ideally, friends and family members should choose something that celebrates and shows respect for their loved one’s enduring union.

FAQ

Do we have to stick to the traditional or modern 12th anniversary themes?

Definitely not! The traditional and modern themes can help guide your shopping and be a good way to narrow down your choices. However, the important thing is that you give your partner something special and unique that speaks to their own interests and style.
How should we celebrate a 12th anniversary?

12 years is a big deal! Take this moment to celebrate in a way that feels incredibly special to you as a couple, whether that's cooking an intimate meal at home or going on a weekend vacation. You can even take a trip down memory lane by recreating your first date or visiting the spots that symbolize milestones in your relationship—like where you got engaged, had your first kiss, or the neighborhood of your first home together.

Why Trust Brides

As a hopeless romantic, brides contributor Mckenzie Eggers loves to see relationships that last and believes they should be celebrated with great fanfare. She has scoured the internet to find meaningful gifts so that couples out there can have the best, most heart-warming anniversaries possible.

The 20 Best Anniversary Gifts To Show Your Love