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40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Author: Hollie Bond

NB: To help you browse our best suggestions we have included some third party links. Some purchases made through these links may earn us a commission to help keep our blogs and offers current and up to date. Thanks for your support!


Looking for gift ideas for your ruby wedding anniversary? We’ve compiled a list of the most thoughtful and unique ideas to celebrate 40 years of marriage.

Congratulations! You’ve reached your ruby wedding anniversary and can proudly say you’ve been married for 40 years. While it might have gone by in a flash and feel like only moments ago you were saying your “I dos”, forty years is an amazing achievement and a big milestone for many couples that warrants an extra special gift.

The traditional and modern anniversary gift for your 40th wedding anniversary is rubies. Throughout history the ruby has been used to symbolise romance, devotion and passion. The inner fire of a ruby is thought to represent the burning flame of passion in the hearts of a couple who have been together for 40 years, so celebrating this wedding anniversary is a truly romantic occasion, and deserves a really special anniversary gift. This stunning red stone is also said to stand for health and wisdom, both of which couples who have been married for four decades will have by the bucketload.

Rubies are of course an ideal gift for a 40th wedding anniversary, however if you’d prefer not to buy jewellery or don’t have the budget for a precious gemstone, then we’ve got some inspired ideas for how to mark the big occasion instead. From scarlet coloured items of clothing, to ruby red accessories and gourmet food ideas that have a red hue, we’ve got plenty of ways you can interpret the anniversary to make your gift unique for your other half.

Whether you’re shopping for your partner of 40 years or looking for gifts for a couple you know who are celebrating a long and happy marriage, we’ve put together an edit of some of our favourite 40th wedding anniversary gifts that’ll be just the ticket.

The best ruby wedding anniversary gifts

Art print, £650, Castle Fine Art

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Art print 1

A piece of art that sums up your love story can be a lovely thoughtful idea for a ruby anniversary. This modern gift would be ideal for any art or interiors lovers. you don’t need to spend a fortune on an original, an art print will be just as well received. We love this romantic Love Brings You Home picture with the ruby red umbrellas!

Buy here!

Afternoon Tea for two

Pull out all the stops on your ruby anniversary with an afternoon tea experience your other half will never forget. As well as searching out a first class foodie affair, choosing an iconic location will make the freshly baked scones and cakes unforgettable. Some of our favourite places for a refined and unique tea include The Ritz, Claridge’s, The Shard, Betty’s, Cloud 23 Bar, Searcys at the Gherkin and B Bakery Bus!

Personalised champagne bottle, from £34.99, Getting Personal

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Personalised champagne 2

After forty years of marriage you’ll certainly want to pop a few corks and we can’t think of a more stylish way to celebrate than by drinking a bottle of your very own Champagne. This sparkling gift is a fabulously personal idea as it allows you to create a ruby red label with your names on that you can have as a keepsake for many more years to come. It’s almost too good to open, we said almost…

Buy here!

Personalised print, £12.50, NOTHS

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas personalised art 3

If you can’t find a piece of art that accurately reflects your 40 year love story then how about making a unique one of your own? There are plenty of different designs to choose from on sites like Etsy and Not On The High Street, but we’re rather taken with this abstract image of a ruby with the couples’ names and wedding date. It’s a lot cheaper than a real ruby too!

Buy here!

Virgin Experience Days

Know someone who has everything they need? Then forget about a material 40th anniversary gift and instead given them the gift of an experience they’ll adore. Virgin Experience Days are hugely varied and have something for everyone from a surprise lunch or dinner on a British Pullman train for two or a visit to Buckingham Palaces State Rooms to a Murder Mystery Overnight Stay and a Thames Jazz Dinner Cruise. Whatever their passion, there’s an experience to suit.

See more here!

Ruby photo frame, £35, Addison Ross

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Red photo frame 4

It’s probably been a while since you updated your mantelpiece photos with a picture of the two of you. So why not make it your aim to get a nice picture of you on your special day (your anniversary that is!) and have it framed in a ruby red frame to put next to your wedding photos.

Buy here!

Ruby Camellia plant, £17.99, Gift A Plant

Fancy something longer lasting than real flowers, but not taken with the idea of an eternity rose or glazed roses? How about a plant that is still very much living, but will last a lot longer than cut flowers? A rose is of course the classic option, but we think a statement red camellia would make an excellent 40th anniversary gift too.

Buy here!

Red velvet chocolates, £40, Charbonnel et Walker

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Chocolates 5

If your other half has a sweet tooth treat them to some luxurious chocolates that tie in perfectly to the ruby anniversary theme with a red velvet centre and a gorgeous box that will show them how much you love them.

Buy here!

Red coffee machine, £199, Lavazza at John Lewis

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Smeg coffee machine 6

Let your loved one wake up and smell luxurious coffee on the morning of your anniversary with this smart red coffee machine.

Buy here!

Personalised wine, £64.99, Getting Personal

Show your partner that you consider them to be a fine vintage after 40 years together with a bottle of fine Bordeaux that comes with an original newspaper from the day you got married.

Buy here!

10. Handmade Personalised Frame, £50 from Rosa and Flo

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Sun dial 7

Couples who love to garden together will be delighted to receive this personalised ruby red sundial for their outside space. Every time they head outside together it will remind them of their wedding and this very special anniversary.

Buy here!

40th anniversary gifts for her

Eternity rose, £119

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Eternity Rose 8

Everyone knows that ruby red roses are the ultimate symbol of love and passion. Real flowers quickly wilt though, so if you want to give a floral gift that lasts as long as your marriage has then an eternity rose could be the perfect gift for your ruby anniversary. Glazed roses are real roses picked at the peak of their perfection and turned into an exquisite and lasting piece of art using a glazing technique and 24 carat gold. It’s a wonderfully romantic way to tell your partner that you’ll love them for eternity.

Buy here!

Pendant necklace, £1,650, Ernest Jones

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Ruby necklace 9

Jewellery is always a wonderful idea for an anniversary gift and on your 40th there can be no other stone than a ruby! This pendant necklace is an elegant and classic choice that she’ll treasure.

Buy here!

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume, £56, Look Fantastic

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Perfume 10

Treat your wife to a special new scent on your 40th anniversary with this on-theme Ruby Orchid perfume.

Buy here!

Ray Ban red sunglasses, £137, John Lewis

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Sunglasses (2) 11

An alternative take on the ruby theme could be these cool sunglasses. She’ll be extra delighted if you also promise to take her somewhere sunny to wear them.

Buy here!

Flowers, £44.99

It might seem a bit unimaginative, but sometimes the old classics are the best and a huge bouquet of beautiful flowers will always be greeted with a smile. To make sure your wife knows you’ve put some thought into the gift, choose something specific to a 40th anniversary colour theme like this bouquet of ruby red flowers. Or push the boat out with a flower subscription that she can look forward to receiving every month of your ruby wedding year.

Buy here!

Ruby ring, £1,499, Ernest Jones

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Ring 12

It might have been forty years since you last part a ring on her finger, so bring back memories of that special day with a new ruby ring for your 40th anniversary gift.

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Bracelet, £775, Tiffany & Co

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Ruby bracelet 13

Keep it simple and chic with this single ruby bracelet that she can wear everyday.

Buy here!

40th wedding anniversary gifts for him

Tissot watch, £470, Goldsmiths

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Tissot Watch 14

A watch is a classic anniversary gift for a man, but to mark 40 years why not get him a timepiece with a ruby red face like this smart Tissot number?

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Ruby Tiger Gin, £34.95, Tiger Gin

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Ruby tiger gin 15

If he’s partial to a G&T he’ll love a bottle of this award-winning tipple that is infused with rhubarb to give it a unique ruby hue.

Buy here!

Leather wash bag, £125, Aspinal of London

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas Mens wash bag 16

Heading off on an anniversary holiday together? Then this smart burgundy leather wash bag could be the ideal gift for your husband.

Buy here!

40 year old whiskey, £199.95, Master of Malt

40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas year old whiskey 17

A whiskey as old as your marriage? Yes that is a thing, and he’ll be very happy to receive a bottle of such a vintage. 40 year old whiskies can cost thousands and thousand of pounds though. So if your pockets aren’t the deep try this lovely blended whiskey instead that is much kinder on the bank account!

Buy here!

We hope this guide has given you lots of inspiration for ruby wedding anniversary gifts and provided you with some much needed help. Whether it’s for a friend or family member who is celebrating 40 years of marriage, this guide has hopefully given you some inspiration for the perfect gift. Please visit our other anniversary guides for more inspiration.

HB

Written by

Hollie Bond

Hollie is a lifestyle journalist with over ten years’ experience working in the wedding industry as Lifestyle Editor for You & Your Wedding magazine Also a Regional Editor for Muddy Stilettos, Hollie has written for Square Meal magazine, Family History Monthly, BBC History magazine and Homes & Antiques. In her spare time you can find Hollie in a dance studio practising ballet…

Learn more about Hollie Bond

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