Here’s to lasting love! From still-newlyweds toasting with wine glasses they opened on their wedding day a year ago to busy parents scrambling to find an anniversary babysitter to a gray-haired couple holding hands over anniversary pancakes and coffee…that kind of enduring commitment is always something to admire and celebrate.
When you give an anniversary card, the words you write can add so much to the joy of the occasion. You can make a toast, offer encouragement, share a memory or simply call out how special it is to have, hold and stick by each other through time.
And whether it’s a card for your own anniversary or that of family members or friends, Hallmark’s writers have message ideas for you. Our guide offers tips for everything from simple anniversary wishes to funny messages to warm tributes. Whatever you’d like to say, we hope you’ll find just the inspiration you need to get your pen rolling!
Basic tips for what to write in an anniversary card
An anniversary is a big day—so trying to think of the perfect message to celebrate it can feel a little daunting. But there’s no need to stress! Follow the few simple tips below and you’ll be well on your way to writing a memorable message someone will really appreciate.
Be yourself. Don’t trip yourself up by thinking what you write in a card needs to sound different than what you would say out loud or send in a text. Use your own natural voice. There’s no need to be overly formal or clever or poetic (unless you just happen to be a very formal, clever or poetic person). Once you’ve written something down, try reading it out loud to make sure it sounds natural and genuine.
Make it personal. Most anniversary cards come with a nice, preprinted message—but when you add your own handwritten message, you have the opportunity to get super-specific to your recipient and the relationship you share. If it’s your anniversary, think about what makes your story and your love unique. If you’re celebrating someone else’s anniversary, think about how you normally communicate with that person and what kind of message they might appreciate. It’s great to include details that show someone you know them.
Be flexible. Don’t worry too much about whether your message is too short or too long, too casual or too mushy, too serious or too silly. Everybody writes a little differently, and there are no rules. If you feel your message is perfect for the occasion, then you’re probably right!
Think about these themes: Not sure where to start? Lots of good “our anniversary” messages touch on love, gratitude, shared experiences and the ways a relationship has changed, deepened or strengthened over the years. “Your anniversary” messages can be about congratulating the couple, wishing them well or expressing your admiration for them and their commitment to each other.
When it’s your own anniversary, there can be a lot of pressure to get things exactly right. But what matters most is being authentic and saying how you feel—and if you need help choosing your words, we’ve got plenty of ideas for you in the categories below.
Anniversary Wishes for Your Spouse or Partner
There’s probably no one in the world who knows you better than your spouse or partner—and no one you love more. Your anniversary is the perfect chance to think about everything you’ve shared and to tell them how much they mean.
Examples:
“Happy [11th], [Babe]. I love you more every year!”
“[Fourteen] years of marriage and mayhem! You’ve made me so happy through every single one.”
“Every day I’m still discovering new things about you to love.”
“I’m so lucky to have you and your love. Thanks for putting up with me for another year!”
“It’s our [fourth] wedding anniversary and our first as parents. I’m so grateful to be sharing this adventure with someone so wonderful, and I look forward to all the love, laughter and wonder ahead for us.”
“Yours is still my favorite face.”
“Our anniversary marks 365 more days you’ve made me laugh, appreciate you, learn, grow and be oh-so-glad we’re together!”
“I never dreamed love could be this good.”
“Still in this together. Love that.”
“You won my heart then and, Baby, you still own it.”
“Love you even though I sometimes have a funny way of showing it.”
“Happy Anniversary to my better-in-every-way half. Seriously, you’re amazing.”
“Marrying you was the smartest thing I ever did.”
“We’re out here making our dreams together just like we promised. Love being beside you, Bae.”
“Celebrating both when you first promised me forever and when we got to make it official.”
“I found a perfect match in you and every day I’m thankful.”
“Forever with you doesn’t seem like long enough.”
“Thank you for all the ways you make me feel loved.”
“On our anniversary, I feel so grateful—for the family we’ve made, for the good life we share and for the way you made it all possible.”
“I’d marry you all over again. And again. And again.”
“Loving you is easy. In fact, it’s usually the easiest part of our crazy, busy, wonderful life together.”
“I didn’t think it was possible to love you more than I already do, but every year I prove myself wrong. Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.”
“Feliz Aniversario, Mi Amor. Soy tan feliz de compartir la vida contigo. Te amo hoy, mañana y siempre.”
Anniversary Wishes for Your Wife
All marriages are different, and all couples find their own unique ways of sharing life and supporting each other. So when you write a wedding anniversary message to your wife, think about the unique reasons you’re good together and the unique ways she brings you happiness.
Examples:
“[Eight] years ago today, you made me the happiest man on earth. And I still feel like I’m the luckiest.”
“A woman like you is hard to find. Thankfully, I called ‘dibs!’ a long time ago. Happy Anniversary, Babe.”
“When we got married, I knew you were the woman I wanted to spend my life with. Now I also know you’re an amazing mom, a partner I can count on through anything and the heart of this family—and I feel luckier than ever that we’re together.”
“I’m amazed by your strength, impressed by your smarts, warmed by your love and so happy you’re my wife.”
“Happy Anniversary to my wife—you’re as wonderful and beautiful as the day we got married.”
“The amazing family we share, the good life we have and the man I’ve become are all thanks to having a wife like you.”
Anniversary Wishes for Your Husband
Maybe he’s the stoic sort whose love runs deep, but he doesn’t often put his feelings into words. Or maybe he’s the kind of guy who would shout his love for you from the rooftops if it weren’t for pesky things like noise ordinances. Either way, your husband deserves to know just how much you love him back.
Examples:
“Happy Anniversary, with all my love, to the strongest, kindest, funniest, best guy I know.”
“I still remember the way my heart leaped when you got down on your knee and asked me to be your wife. Of course I said yes, and I’d say it all over again. Yes to you. Yes to this life we’ve made. A thousand times YES to our love!”
“Husband, you’re a good man, a handsome man, a family man, a caring man…and I’m so glad you’re MY man.”
“I’m lucky to get to love you, Husband. Happy Anniversary to us.”
“My favorite person. My best friend. My lover. My husband. You’re all of these things and more, and I love you so much.”
“We have a lot of good days, and we have some hard days—but no matter what, you’re the man I want by my side every day.”
