Couples who stayed married through thick and thin for 50 years deserve an especially wonderful 50th anniversary celebration, one that celebrates their journey of love. This is a perfect time to have a family & friends reunion, which can be a more intimate gathering at someone’s home to an all-out bash at a local restaurant or venue.
While folks go nuts thinking about what anniversary gift they can give, from my experience with my parents and friends’ parents milestone anniversaries, hands down—gathering family and friends to share in a joyous celebration is the best 50th wedding anniversary gift you can give to your parents. Commemorate their love with a photo scrapbook, buy a guest book to fill with cherished messages from family and friends. By 50 years together, most couples really don’t want or need more “stuff.”
I still have the video from my parents 50th, both gone by now, and they were thrilled that out-of-state family and old friends drove or flew in to attend their party, which my siblings and I held in a local restaurant. My husband at the time borrowed a video camera and captured the event successfully. Back then, digital didn’t exist, and we could barely keep my mom supplied with enough tapes to give to everyone she knew. I swear, she may have even given some to strangers! Years later, my sister had the video tape converted to DVD.
Which is another idea: there are tons of scrapbook programs that you can easily upload images and create an online scrapbook to share with others or print out just a few photo books. Here is one of the easiest I’ve seen to work with. It’s inexpensive, they offer a fab selection of templates & art, or create your own template + upload your own art:
I did a variation on the guest book idea and purchased a music box that played the Anniversary Waltz, which we filled with congratulatory notes from family and friends. You can buy a keepsake box instead, with a theme that reflects an activity they enjoy together. If they love love to golf, get a box with a golf theme. Is church central to their life? Buy a box with an old-time country church depicted on it. Still madly in love? Buy a box with hearts or a romantic painting on the lid.
Antique and thrift stores may have unique boxes that you won’t see in a retail store, but you must get very lucky finding one. A DIY idea is to buy an unfinished box at your local craft store, stain or paint it & decoupage illustrations on the lid and even the sides (a gold heart on each side would be lovely).
- Scan and print out a current image of the couple for the lid. If there’s enough room, use two “then and now” images.
- Use illustrations of their fave activities.
- Create a collage of family images—it’s fun to do. Use a glue stick to help you arrange the images before you place them on the lid.
- Buy gold stick on letters & numbers. Create a simple title, “50 Years of Love” for the lid, above their image. Put their first names, marriage date + 50th date below.
This is a fab gift idea for grandchildren—to create a special “Mom-Mom” and “Pop-Pop” memory box. Include images of them with their grandparents as well as handwritten notes of love & appreciation from the grandchildren.
50th Anniversary Gift Ideas
The traditional and modern 50th anniversary gift is gold, the gemstone is gold & the flower is a violet. Purple violets mean “Modesty, Unassuming or Humble” and blue violets mean “Watchfulness, Faithfulness, I’ll Always Be True“—wonderful sentiments for a 50th anniversary.
- 50th Anniversary Gifts for Couple & Each Other
- 24K Gold-Dipped Roses
- Love Letter In A Bottle
Perfect gift for each other, for parents or grandparents - Drawing or Painting created from your photo
- 14K Gold Lockets
Your photo can be professionally inserted or laser engraved - Mens Personalized Gold Jewelry
Features many sports themes - Keepsake Boxes, Handcrafted Boxes and Luxury Jewelry/Keepsake Boxes
