To help you find the perfect 5th wedding anniversary gift for your husband or wife I’ve rounded up my favourite and most thoughtful wooden gift ideas. Five years of marriage is an incredible milestone achievement, and it deserves to be celebrated!

Wood signifies strength and wisdom; as a married couple you have developed strong, deep roots like a tree which has grown over time. 

The most heartfelt and sentimental gifts are those which have been created with a personal touch. In my art studio in Liverpool I design and hand craft a range of unique wooden gifts for special occasions. Show your spouse your care and devotion by giving a gift that is as unique as they are.

Do you and your partner love cooking together in the kitchen? Give the fellow chef in your life a unique wooden chopping board decorated with food safe resin so they can be reminded of the happy times you’ve shared in the kitchen together. It can be used together and remind you of the bond that you have shared since you first met.

Each artisan board is handmade with love and care in my workshop in Liverpool. From prepping the board, to creating the resin artwork, and finishing the board by sanding, washing and oiling it, each step is handcrafted by myself. It is important to me to put the highest standard of pride and effort into each piece, as I know they will be given as gifts which will be treasured for years to come. 

I don’t outsource any part of my creative process. It is only myself working in my art studio. Each wooden piece created is completely unique in beauty - from the grain pattern and shape of the wood, to the abstract resin artwork. I am extremely proud of the pieces that I make, and I hope you love them as much as I enjoy creating them.

Each artisan board is proudly made in the thriving cultural city of Liverpool. With so many art galleries and a buzzing hospitality scene, along with the beautiful waterfront and so many nearby country walks available, I am never short of inspiration and passion. 

All of my bespoke wooden gifts are made with ethically sourced and sustainable olive wood from Tunisia. In Tunisia, the olive trees are protected by government regulations, so only very old trees which have reached the end of their natural fruiting life can be cut down. They are then replaced with new trees, making it a sustainable material to work with.

Why Wood For 5th Wedding Anniversary Gifts?

Wood is traditional gift given for the fifth wedding anniversary because it symbolises the strength of the bond you both share at this point in your marriage. Giving wooden for the anniversary gift symbolises the strong, deep roots that it takes to grow a healthy, strong and long lasting tree. After five years of marriage your relationship has grown in the same way as a tree matures. Insight and understanding has been gained from mistakes learnt along the way. Many storms will have been weathered, with your relationship facing tough times at points, but the strength of your marriage ensures you are both stronger together from it. Like the venerable oak tree, you are both rich in strength and wisdom at this point in your marriage. And you have learnt that the most important lesson for a successful marriage is forgiveness and understanding.

To stick to the time honoured and historical tradition of giving wood for the fifth anniversary gift, one of my natural olive wood boards is the perfect choice. With the natural, beautiful and unique grain pattern, they show the life and journey that the olive tree has been on.

Symbols of the Fifth Wedding Anniversary

Along with wood, there are other symbols synonymous with the 5th wedding anniversary. If you’re not a fan of wood there are other ways to creatively incorporate different symbols into your celebration and gift selections.

• Contemporary/Modern Gift: Silverware is seen as the modern alternative gift to wood. Giving an anniversary gift of silver utensils symbolises the bond you have developed and share as you eat meals together (and with your children if you have them). Silver is a precious metal, which signifies strength and purity, and the precious value of your relationship and each other’s families.

• Gemstone: Sapphire or pink tourmaline are the gems associated with the 5th anniversary.

• Colour: Many colours are associated with the fifth anniversary, including pink, blue, or turquoise.

• Flower: Daisy is the flower of choice for the fifth anniversary. It is a small flower with large meaning. In the language of flowers, daisies are a sign of love and loyalty, purity and innocence. Bright and vibrant, the centre of the daisy represents the foundation of your relationship, while the petals represent the growth, learning and love you have shared over the years.

Other 5th Anniversary Gift Ideas

If you don’t fancy giving a wooden chopping board for your 5th anniversary, then don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. My range of soy candles come with their own wooden lid which is uniquely decorated with resin art. I know that 90% of the gift won’t be wood, but at least some of it is! 

Or if you’re looking to combine both traditional and modern symbolism for your gift - and to incorporate some colour into your home decor - check out my range of resin decorated coasters and placemats. The base of each mat is wood, so you’re ticking all the boxes with this gift! 

Other wooden gift ideas (which I don’t sell on my website, but I’m just being helpful suggesting them) are:

• A traditional wooden photo frame to hold a cherished photo, perhaps of your wedding! Having your wedding date engraved on the frame would be a nice touch too.

• Wooden jigsaw puzzle / placemats personalised with your wedding date.

• Wooden wine box or wine rack (obviously include a bottle of your spouses favourite wine too!)

• A bottle of wine or port that is 5 years old, or a vintage from the year you were married

• Wooden cufflinks

• Go on a mini break, or even a second honeymoon! Relax and reconnect together, perhaps in a log cabin to fit with the theme of the anniversary!

• Wooden desk tidy

• A chessboard - you can both enjoy using this gift together!

• Wooden bath rack 

• Wooden tea light holders (this would go nicely with the bath rack!)

• Wooden bookends

• A simple and elegant wooden jewellery box (include a piece of silver jewellery too, to combine the traditional wood gift with the modern silver gift) 

• A wooden wall poem plaque, or an engraved reminder of where you first met

• Wooden knife block for the kitchen 

• Wooden paperweight or desk tidy for the office

• A unique wooden sculpture or carving

• If you have the space in your house - a ping pong or pool table! 

• If your partner is a sports fan, some sort of memorabilia from their favourite team/game

• Fill a wooden box with a love letter and memories of your relationship - pictures of the two of you, old cinema tickets, receipts from days out together etc.

• If your partner loves the outdoors, why not buy them a garden bench to enjoy sitting in the sun (not that we get much of that here in Britain!)

Ways to Celebrate Your Fifth Anniversary

Use the traditional symbol of wood as inspiration to celebrate your anniversary together:

• Plant a tree together. Watch it grow over the years into a sturdy and strong tree which blooms with colour in the summer.

• Have a special dinner together where you use the silverware and glasses from your wedding. Watch the video from your wedding afterwards, or browse through your wedding album together whilst sharing those special memories together. 

• Go for a walk in a beautiful wooded area and enjoy a delicious meal afterwards in a rustic country pub.

• If you love antiques, purchase a piece of wooden furniture together. Turn it into a trip and go away for the weekend to spend your time exploring antique shops in the area! Not only will you have a great time together, but you’ll have a beautiful piece to remember that anniversary weekend together.

I hope I’ve helped to inspire you for how to celebrate your marriage and find the perfect 5th wedding anniversary gift! Congratulations for being married for half a decade! It’s an achievement that’s definitely worth celebrating! 

Every board, placemat, candle and artwork you will find on my website has been designed and hand-crafted by me in my Liverpool art studio with a considerable amount of care and attention to detail, making it one of a kind. I pride myself on creating the perfect 5th wedding anniversary gift which will surprise and delight your partner.