The Sweetest 16th Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Every Type of Couple

There's something sweet about a 16th wedding anniversary. You've got a lot of great years under your belt and are heading towards two full decades of marriage. By now, you've been through a lot together, and marking this marital milestone is a great way to show your partner how much they mean to you. If you're looking for a 16th anniversary gift for your spouse or you want to congratulate loved ones and mark their anniversary date with a special something, there are plenty of great 16th wedding anniversary gift ideas out there. To help you find the perfect gift, we're rounding up an assortment of traditional, modern, and alternative gift ideas that are a lovely way to honor this special occasion.

What is the traditional 16-year anniversary gift?

When it comes to choosing a sweet 16th anniversary gift, you have options aplenty. You can go the traditional route, choose a unique gift with a modern theme, embrace the anniversary's color or flower, or just get creative with a great alternative. 

Traditionally, the 16th year of marriage is the wax anniversary. That likely ignites thoughts of candles and other fiery accessories, which all make for great gifts. If you want to go a more modern route, you can choose silver holloware, which is a term that refers to almost any silver tableware except flatware. Think: stainless steel pitchers, platters, and bowls. 

The traditional gemstone for the 16th wedding anniversary gift is pale-green peridot, and there's not just one but three colors to choose from when marking this anniversary—green, red, and silver. For floral inspiration, you can look to the statice flower to denote 16 years together.

The Best 16-Year Anniversary Gifts 

As you can see, there's no shortage of inspiration for 16th wedding anniversary gift ideas. Honestly, it's narrowing down all the choices that can be a bit tricky. To help you out, we've come up with a great selection of anniversary present ideas for you, from traditional to modern and ones completely outside the box. 

1. A spicy candle

This Capri Blue candle makes for a great traditional gift. It has sexy scent notes that include tropical fruit, sugared oranges, lemon, and mountain greens and lends a fresh, exotic air to any space.

Capri Blue Volcano Capiz jar candle, from $16, Anthropologie

2. Sharp cuff links

These stylish peridot cuff links are a great way to embrace the gemstone theme for a 16th wedding anniversary gift. The striking green color and simple shape are the perfect upgrade to any suit or dress shirt.

360Cufflinks peridot cuff links, $169, Etsy

3. Personalized tray

Embrace the modern holloware theme with this pretty personalized silver tray. It has an elegant pearled border and can be engraved with a couple's monogram and family name or a sweet quote. 

Mariposa String of Pearls personalized oval serving tray, $105, Personalization Mall

4. Elegant earrings

Peridot also happens to be the gemstone for August birthdays, which makes finding gifts that incorporate the stone much easier. Take these chic peridot earrings for example. Made with high-quality 14-karat gold, they offer a subtle pop of color to any date night outfit. 

Mejuri gemstone mini studs in Peridot, $148, Mejuri

5.  Beautiful bowl

This versatile silver bowl is a great take on the modern 16th anniversary gift. With a unique shape, it would be great for serving up your favorite side dish during a dinner party or holding court on your dining room table as a beautiful centerpiece. Bonus: It retains both heat and cold, and can be used in the oven, refrigerator, freezer, or on the stovetop.

Nambe one-quart butterfly bowl, $135, Neiman Marcus

6. Sentimental seals

Elevate their personal correspondence with these elegant, self-adhesive wax seals. They can be ordered in either a modern or organic font style and a variety of colors, allowing the happy couple to add the perfect personal touch to letters, notes, and holiday cards.

SterlingStripes modern monogram wax seals with bar, from $100, Etsy

7.  Fresh shelf

For a twist on the anniversary color theme, opt for this cool growing shelf that will help them foster their green thumb. The steel frame has built-in grow lights to help nurture plants, and the whole thing makes for a stunning living room display. 

Modern Sprout smart standard growframe, from $219, Modern Sprout

8. Statice seeds

These statice flower seeds will grow big and strong, just like your love has over the years. They produce buds in a delicate pastel palette and are easy to care for so even beginner gardeners can get beautiful results.

Gardening Treasures 40 statice pastel mix seeds, $5, Etsy

9. Eternity rose

You can't go wrong with an eternity rose, and if you select this one in red or silver, it incorporates the 16th wedding anniversary color. Unlike a fresh rose that will wilt and die after about a week, this one remains radiant for up to three years. 

Orly Bee Designs single eternity rose in a personalized acrylic box, $40, Etsy

10. Date night fun

This subscription service delivers fun date night goodies each month, giving couples a way to celebrate their milestone anniversary all year long. Each box contains everything they need to have a memorable night together, from DIY activities to fun games.

DateBox Club gift plan, from $40, DateBox Club

11. Sleek ice bucket

Serve up drinks in style with this sleek stainless steel silver-plated ice bucket. It comes with tongs for the ice and can be personalized with a variety of stylish monograms for a one-of-a-kind entertaining piece.

Mark & Graham celebration ice bucket, from $89, Mark & Graham

12. Luxury bedding

There are few things better than a comfortable bed, and this luxury sheet set guarantees just that. It comes complete with a bed set, extra pillowcases, and a duvet cover, all made from super-soft cotton.

Brooklinen luxe sateen hardcore sheet bundle, from $363, Brooklinen

13. Chic candle

Set the mood during date nights at home with a rich, perfumey candle. This luxury version from iconic brand Diptyque is scented with tuberose, a flower associated with sensuality. Bonus: Everybody looks good by candlelight—think of it as a built-in Insta filter. 

Diptyque tuberose scented candle, from $42, Nordstrom

14. Surprise delivery

Remind them of your love all year long with a thoughtful floral subscription. Each month, they'll receive a gorgeous, hand-tied bouquet of beautiful blooms, along with instructions for how to keep them fresh for as long as possible. 

BloomsyBox Bloomsy Original flower subscription service, $60 per month, BloomsyBox

15. Dazzling necklace

Taking inspiration from the red anniversary color, this gorgeous ruby and white gold necklace makes a stunning statement. Accented by a slew of sparkly diamonds, it's the perfect gift for your spouse to rock during a special anniversary dinner.

Blue Nile ruby and diamond drop pendant, $1,900, Blue Nile

16. Sentimental art

Commemorate a special song (like the tune you swayed to for your first dance) with this eye-catching and unique piece of art. The artist translates the meaningful melody into a wooden sculpture of its sound waves. Talk about a statement piece!

Claudia Moldovan custom song wall art, from $175, Uncommon Goods

17. Forever buds

These gorgeous statice flowers have been carefully dried so they can be admired indefinitely. They're handpicked and naturally dried the UK in all their pretty purple glory. Pair them with an equally vibrant vase for a gift that packs on the personality. 

Hidden Botanics Wholesale dried statice sinuata, $13, Etsy

18. Delicious delivery

Sweets for your sweetie is just too cute a gift to pass up, and these artisan candies from Candy Club will satisfy anyone's sweet tooth. Choose from an assortment of individual candy cups or deliver deliciousness on the regular with a recurring candy subscription.

Candy Club gift subscription, from $40 per month, Candy Club

19. Sentimental strand

Not only is this necklace stunning, but the personalized message in a loved one's own handwriting adds an extra-sweet touch. Choose sterling silver to incorporate the 16-year anniversary color theme, or opt for gold or brass if that's more their style. 

Capsul Jewelry custom handwriting necklace, from $220, Capsul Jewelry

20. Fab frame

Spring for a silver picture frame that not only satisfies the traditional anniversary color but also provides a timeless and classic place to display a favorite shot from the past 16 years together. Bonus points if you gift it already filled with a picture.  

Vera Wang x Wedgwood With Love frame, from $100, Bloomingdale's