Happy Anniversary Wishes: What to Write in an Anniversary Card

Anniversary wishes do not need to be long. A few sincere lines about the years you have shared and the years ahead will mean more than a card full of borrowed words.

Below you will find what to write in an anniversary card for a husband, wife, partner, parents or a couple, plus milestone, funny and religious wishes, Bible verses, quotes and work anniversary messages. Add a name or a memory to make any of them your own.

Article contents

• How to Write an Anniversary Card
• Short Anniversary Wishes
• Anniversary Wishes for Your Husband
• Anniversary Wishes for Your Wife
• Anniversary Wishes for a Boyfriend or Girlfriend
• Anniversary Wishes for Parents and Grandparents
• Anniversary Wishes for a Couple or Friends
• Milestone Anniversary Wishes
• Funny Anniversary Messages
• Religious Anniversary Wishes and Bible Verses
• Happy Anniversary Quotes
• Work Anniversary Messages
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Write an Anniversary Card

1. Start with "Happy anniversary." Add the number of years if it is a milestone, such as "Happy 10th anniversary."
2. Share one memory or small detail. Your first apartment, a favorite trip or the way they make your coffee every morning all work well.
3. Say what you love or admire about them. For a couple, mention something you admire about their marriage.
4. Look ahead to the years to come. Wish them many more years, or mention something you are looking forward to together.
5. Sign off warmly. "All my love" suits a spouse, and "With love" or "Warmly" suits a couple. Our guide on how to sign a card has more options.

Example: "Happy anniversary, Tom. Twelve years ago we were eating takeout on the floor of our first apartment, and I still think it was one of the best nights of my life. Thank you for every year since. I love you. Anna"

Short Anniversary Wishes

These short anniversary wishes fit a small card, a gift tag or a note tucked into flowers.

• Happy anniversary! Here's to many more.
• Happy anniversary to a wonderful couple.
• Wishing you both a very happy anniversary.
• Celebrating the two of you today. Happy anniversary!
• Happy anniversary with lots of love.
• Wishing you another year of love and laughter.
• Congratulations on another year together.
• Love you both. Happy anniversary!

Anniversary Wishes for Your Husband

Anniversary messages for your husband work best with one specific detail, like how he makes you laugh or takes care of the family.

• Happy anniversary to my husband and my best friend. I would choose you every time.
• Thank you for another year of coffee in bed, long talks and bad jokes. I love you.
• We have grown up together, and I love who we have become. Happy anniversary.
• You still make my heart jump when you walk in the door. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary to the man who makes our house a home.
• I love the life we have built together, and I love you. Happy anniversary.
• Thank you for holding my hand through every season. Happy anniversary, babe.
• You are my calm, my fun and my home. Happy anniversary.
• I still remember how nervous you were on our wedding day. I love you even more now. Happy anniversary.
• Here's to us, and to many more years of adventures, big and small.

Anniversary Wishes for Your Wife

A wife will remember a card that thanks her for something real, like a moment from the past year or a quality you admire.

• Happy anniversary to my beautiful wife. Marrying you was the best decision I ever made.
• Thank you for being patient with me, and for making me laugh when I need it most. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary to the woman who makes every day brighter.
• You are my best friend, my partner and my favorite person. Happy anniversary.
• I would say yes to you all over again. Happy anniversary, my love.
• Watching you raise our kids has made me love you even more. Happy anniversary.
• I am still falling for you, even after all these years. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary to my wife. I know I am the lucky one.
• I love growing older with you. Happy anniversary.
• Here's to the years behind us and all the good ones ahead.

Anniversary Wishes for a Boyfriend or Girlfriend

Dating anniversaries are often a little lighter in tone. These messages work for a boyfriend or girlfriend at one year or ten.

• Happy anniversary! This year with you went by much too fast.
• Thank you for making this year the best one yet. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary to my favorite person to do nothing with.
• I am so glad I said yes to that first date. Happy anniversary.
• You make the ordinary days fun. Happy anniversary, babe.
• I loved every part of this year with you. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary! I can't wait to see where the next year takes us.
• I still smile when I see your name on my phone. Happy anniversary.

Anniversary Wishes for Parents and Grandparents

An anniversary card for your parents or grandparents is a good time to thank them for the example they have set. You can sign it from the whole family.

• Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. Thank you for showing us what real love looks like.
• Happy anniversary to the best parents. We love you both.
• Your marriage is the foundation our whole family stands on. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. We are so lucky to be your kids.
• Happy anniversary to our favorite couple. Enjoy a night out on us.
• Happy anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa. Your love is where our whole family started.
• Thank you for all the Sunday dinners, the stories and the love. Happy anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa.
• Watching the two of you taught me how to love someone well. Happy anniversary.

Anniversary Wishes for a Couple or Friends

Use these happy anniversary wishes for friends, neighbors, a sibling and their spouse, or any couple you want to celebrate.

• Happy anniversary to two of our favorite people.
• Your marriage is an inspiration to all of us. Happy anniversary.
• Another year of marriage, and you still hold hands. We love that. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary! Here's to many more double dates.
• You two make marriage look easy, and we know it takes real work. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary! It seems like just yesterday we were dancing at your wedding.
• May your love keep growing stronger every year. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary to my sister and the brother-in-law I am so glad she found.

Milestone Anniversary Wishes

For a milestone, mention the number of years and, if you like, the traditional theme, such as paper for the first year, silver for the 25th and gold for the 50th.

1st Anniversary Wishes

The first anniversary is the paper anniversary, so a card is already a fitting gift. For gift and card ideas, see our paper anniversary ideas.

• Happy first anniversary! One year down and a lifetime to go.
• Happy first anniversary to my husband. This year has been the best of my life.
• Happy first anniversary to my wife. I would marry you all over again tomorrow.
• Happy paper anniversary! Here's to writing many more chapters together.

5th Anniversary Wishes

• Happy 5th anniversary! Five years together and you are still each other's favorite person.
• Congratulations on five wonderful years of marriage.
• You have shared five years, one home and a lot of love. Happy anniversary.
• Happy 5th anniversary to my love. These have been the best five years of my life.

10th Anniversary Wishes

• Happy 10th anniversary! Ten years in and you still make it look easy.
• Congratulations on ten years of marriage. You two make a great team.
• Happy 10th anniversary to my husband. Ten years with you have gone by much too fast.
• Happy 10th anniversary to my wife. I love you more now than I did ten years ago.

25th Anniversary Wishes

• Happy 25th anniversary! Twenty-five years of marriage is a real achievement.
• Congratulations on your silver anniversary. Here's to the next 25.
• You have shared twenty-five years of love, laughter and teamwork. Happy silver anniversary.
• Happy 25th anniversary, Mom and Dad. Thank you for showing us how it is done.

50th Anniversary Wishes

• Happy 50th anniversary! You have shared fifty years of love and are still going strong.
• Congratulations on your golden anniversary. What a beautiful life you have built together.
• Happy 50th anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa. Our whole family began with your love.
• Happy golden anniversary. Thank you for fifty years of showing us what love and loyalty look like.

Funny Anniversary Messages

Keep funny anniversary messages gentle and save them for people who share your sense of humor. A sweet line at the end keeps the card warm.

• Happy anniversary! Thanks for still laughing at my jokes.
• You stole the covers for another whole year, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary! I still like you, even when you're hungry.
• Happy anniversary. Thank you for handling all the spiders.
• Happy anniversary to the person who knows my coffee order by heart.
• Happy anniversary! You are still the only person I want to share my fries with, most of the time.
• Happy anniversary to a couple who still argue about the thermostat and still adore each other.

Religious Anniversary Wishes and Bible Verses

For a couple of faith, a short blessing or a Bible verse makes a meaningful anniversary message. You can write the verse first and add a personal line below it.

• Happy anniversary. We thank God for your marriage and the love you share.
• May God continue to bless your marriage for many years to come.
• Your faith and your love have been an example to our whole family. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary. May the Lord keep your hearts close to Him and to each other.
• Happy anniversary to my husband. I thank God for you every day.
• Happy anniversary to my wife. You are an answer to my prayers.

Bible Verses for an Anniversary Card

These anniversary Bible verses are from the New International Version (NIV). For more ideas, see our Christian anniversary messages.

• "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
• "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away." (Song of Songs 8:7)
• "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:7)
• "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:14)
• "Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Mark 10:9)

Happy Anniversary Quotes

A short anniversary quote works well at the top of a card. Write the quote first, then add a line of your own below it, such as "Happy anniversary, my love."

• "If ever two were one, then surely we." (Anne Bradstreet, To My Dear and Loving Husband)
• "Grow old along with me! / The best is yet to be." (Robert Browning, Rabbi Ben Ezra)
• "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, / But bears it out even to the edge of doom." (William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116)
• "There is nothing mightier and nobler than when man and wife are of one heart and mind in a house." (Homer, The Odyssey, translated by S. H. Butcher and Andrew Lang)
• "Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century." (Mark Twain, Mark Twain's Notebook)
• "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." (Mignon McLaughlin, The Complete Neurotic's Notebook)

Work Anniversary Messages

A work anniversary is a different kind of milestone, and a handwritten card still means a lot to an employee or coworker. Mention the number of years and one thing they do well.

• Happy work anniversary! Thank you for everything you bring to the team.
• Congratulations on five years with us. We are lucky to have you.
• Happy work anniversary. Your hard work and good humor make every day better around here.
• Happy 10th work anniversary! Thank you for a decade of dedication and teamwork.
• Congratulations on your work anniversary. It has been a pleasure working with you.
• Happy work anniversary to the person who always knows the answer, or knows who to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you write in an anniversary card?

Start with "Happy anniversary," then share a memory or something you love about the person or couple. End by looking ahead to the years to come, and sign off with "Love" or "All my love."

What should I write in an anniversary card for my husband?

Thank him for something specific, like how he makes you laugh or takes care of the family. Then tell him what you love about your life together and that you would choose him again.

What is a short anniversary message for a couple?

"Happy anniversary to a wonderful couple" and "Wishing you another year of love and laughter" are short enough for any card. Add the number of years if it is a milestone.

What are the traditional anniversary themes?

The best known are paper for the 1st anniversary, silver for the 25th and gold for the 50th. Many traditional lists also name wood for the 5th and tin or aluminum for the 10th.

Should I send an anniversary card to my parents?

Yes, an anniversary card is a kind way to thank your parents for the example they have set. A short message signed by the whole family is plenty, and it means even more in a milestone year.

For more ideas, see our paper anniversary ideas, Christian anniversary messages, Bible verses for wedding cards and wedding wishes.

Our Butterfly Garden cards are blank inside and out, so any of these anniversary messages will fit. For a couple who loves to travel, the Vintage National Park set is a good match for a note about the trips you have taken together.