What better reason could there be to celebrate your love than being married for half a century? Fifty years of being married to the same person is quite an achievement. Even with the relative good health that comes with modern living, the high risk of divorce means few couples get to reach such an important milestone.

What is a golden wedding anniversary?

When a couple get to reach their 50th wedding anniversary gifts are a great way to show them some respect. It could be your parents, grandparents, family or friends who are soon to be celebrating 50 years together, so of course you want to give them a gift to show how much you care. You may also be looking for a golden anniversary gift for your partner because you want to make their day special and mark the occasion with a gift that’s unique.

Gifts for a golden wedding anniversary are numerous, so choice is not the problem. The issue is finding a gift which is suitable for such an important event.

Celebrating wedding anniversaries isn’t a new idea, it’s been part of our customs for centuries. Even as far back as the Holy Roman Empire wedding anniversaries were marked by the giving of gifts. Way back then, and into Medieval Europe the husband bestowed a garland of gold on his wife to mark their anniversary, and gold is still the recognised theme we use today.

It’s highly likely you’re struggling to come up with the perfect gift for a golden wedding anniversary, so why don’t we start by giving you a few quick tips.

Tips on picking your golden wedding gifts

When it comes to choosing golden anniversary gifts, friends and family often struggle with such a difficult task. The couple may decide to use the option of creating a gift registry, but most will let people decide for themselves what and if they want to give golden wedding anniversary presents. Which of course leaves people facing a bit of a dilemma. There are so many different gifts available it can sometimes be a struggle knowing which one to choose.

Here’s some inspiration for your golden wedding anniversary gifts:

• Your 50th anniversary gifts should be in keeping with the lifestyle, needs and wants of the couple. There is no point buying them a BBQ for the garden if eating outside really isn’t their thing. Also an anniversary rose will be totally the wrong thing to give to a couple whose backyard is just a concrete patio. Dinnerware or glasses may be welcome, but if they’ve already got cupboards full of the same you’ll be wasting your cash.



• Engraved champagne flutes may be the perfect answer, because they aren’t necessarily designed to be used, but more to be kept as a momento for ever. As well as being engraved with their names and anniversary date they could also be trimmed with gold leaf.
• As the couple are celebrating 50 years of married life, we think it safe to assume they aren’t spring chickens. Which means they aren’t going to appreciate matching trainers or jewellery that is more appropriate for a young person to wear. Their age may also rule out many of the more common gifts that are given for an anniversary celebration. Their home is already full with everything they need. They’ve got no room for more plates, ornaments, trinkets or other generic anniversary fare.
• Have a chat with the couple’s family and friends to see if you can get a better idea of the kind of golden wedding gifts the couple might want or need.
• Consider the couples interests when looking for golden anniversary gifts. If they love to travel then some travelling accessories might be perfect. If they love to eat out in restaurants then consider giving them a voucher.
• See if there are any other family members or close friends pitching in so that a more extravagant gift can be purchased. A few people contributing will mean they might even get to enjoy a vacation somewhere exotic.
• If you’re still unsure about what to get the couple then small gifts such as candles and other decorations might be suitable.

Gold is obviously the most popular 50th anniversary present, and here are a few of our suggestions.

Golden anniversary gifts to bring a sparkle to their eyes

50th wedding anniversary gifts that feature gold are numerous. Gold jewellery, golden picture frames, even gold-dipped roses. If a gift made entirely of gold would be out of your price range you can also buy a number of gold-plated gifts. Even a gift that is coloured gold would be perfect for a golden anniversary present. Why has gold become so popular for 50th anniversary gifts? It symbolizes strength, beauty, faith, perfection and wealth. No surprise then for the connection with a 50th anniversary.

If you want your gifts to be different, and stand out from the crowd of other generic gifts, keep reading for some innovative ideas.

Many couples choose to renew their wedding vows on their 50th anniversary. We’ve already suggested people could club together to cover the cost of an anniversary gift. And if the couple are planning to renew their vows the vacation could take the form of a second honeymoon. They might even appreciate revisiting the location of their first one.

A golden wedding anniversary gift basket is another great idea. Fill the basket with functional as well as sentimental gifts and tie it all up with a gold coloured ribbon and bow. If you want to make the basket more interesting you could include some items from the year they tied the knot. Such as cents and dollars, music from the era, a newspaper, or stamps.

Golden anniversary gifts with a hint of nostalgia have become very popular gift ideas. Make an anniversary collage or photo album filled with photographs and messages that will invoke the couple’s happy memories. Include photos of family, friends, places they’ve lived, locations they’ve visited, special events and anything else you think they’ve got fond memories of.

Another good way for the couple to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary is to enjoy a show or live music event. Take a look online and check whether there is anything interesting happening locally. If there’s something you think they’d like then buy a couple of tickets..

A family tree will be another 50th wedding anniversary gift idea, and there are lots of sites online that will trace a family tree. And present their findings in a unique golden anniversary gift.

Finish off your choice of golden anniversary gifts by wrapping them in gold coloured paper, gold ribbon and a golden bow. And don’t forget to add a suitable message, that shows how much you value them as a couple.

Gold is the traditional theme for a 50th wedding anniversary, but you don’t have to feel pressured into choosing something made of gold. While it’s traditional it doesn’t mean you can’t buy something completely different. As long as you’ve put some thought into your golden wedding anniversary presents the couple are going to appreciate any gift that you give.

Gifts for a 50th wedding anniversary don’t have to be golden

Gold is a wonderful material, that suffers the ravages of time without any blemishes, It’s strong, beautiful and dazzling, much like the anniversary couple’s love. However, a gift that isn’t made of or coloured gold can still make a lasting impression on the happy couple. Time for some more golden wedding anniversary gift ideas.

Violets and yellow roses are also traditionally associated with a 50th wedding anniversary. Violets symbolize faithfulness in love and humility, while yellow roses are popular because of their colour but also because they symbolize warm feelings of friendship and optimism. Rather than give the couple a bouquet, consider instead a living plant for their garden. That way they can remember and enjoy your gift for longer than a couple of weeks.

Glassware is always going to be a 50th anniversary present that will be welcome. To add to the emotional value of the gift you can have it personalized with the couples names and the date of their anniversary.

A family portrait is a great gift that will bring everyone together. Book a session with a professional photographer and have the couple sat in the middle and surrounded by all the people that are precious to them. Present the portrait to the couple in a golden frame and they’ll be proud to display it in their home.

You might be interested to know that a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary can receive a congratulatory message from the Governor General. All you need to do is complete a simple application and provide proof of the anniversary and the message will be sent to the couple in the post.

We’ve already touched on the origins of this important celebration, but let’s look at it in a little more detail.

What is a golden wedding anniversary and where does it come from?

A 50th wedding anniversary is also known as a golden anniversary and is the reason gold is the popular theme for 50th wedding anniversary gifts. The tradition can be traced back to Medieval Germany, when a husband gifted his wife a garland made of silver after twenty five years of marriage and one made of gold when they reached the milestone of 50 years. From this old custom comes the celebration we participate in today.

There are many different themes associated with a number of years, not just 25 and 50. There is a traditional list of themes that was created and added to over time and in the 19th century it became popular to celebrate a number of other anniversaries. Different materials became associated with certain years and were chosen became they symbolized the growing value of the relationship. By the early 1920’s only the most significant milestones had a theme, but in 1937, the American National Retail Jewellers Association decided to give each year its own special theme. What a marketing ploy that was. However, the less cynical among you might consider it a caring move. As surely every anniversary deserves special recognition.

Gifts for a golden wedding anniversary that will touch their hearts

Golden is the traditional gift for a 50th wedding anniversary, but a gold garland might not be considered the perfect kind of gift. After all when will the wife ever get to wear it? Anything associated with gold is going to be perfect, including jewellery, accessories or a holiday destination with ‘gold’ in its name.

Take a look online at some of the other gift sites and you’ll be amazed at the variety. A dinner service with gold leaf detail, glasses trimmed with gold, and wine varieties that feature gold. Flowers also make a great golden wedding anniversary present and again there are plenty to choose from. As well as those that have gold in their name, there are also plenty of that are yellow in colour. Which perfectly matches the gold theme. We’ve already given you plenty of options for golden anniversary gifts that are suitable for friends or family, but there might be a few husbands that have found their way here. So we’ll finish up with some tips on picking golden wedding gift ideas for your beautiful wife.

Golden wedding anniversary presents for your darling wife

For your 50th anniversary we think it’d be advisable for you to really push the boat out. Time to find the ultimate gift your wife will treasure for many years to come. It should also serve to remind her of all the good and bad times and how you’ve stuck together. Women look forward to receiving gifts on many different occasions, but for a golden wedding anniversary she’s going to be hoping your gift is perfect. Keep reading because we’ll be narrowing down the field a little and offering up a few ideas.

It’s pretty safe to say that you can consider yourself in a long-term relationship and a pretty successful one at that. Your gift must show your wife how much you care and how you’ve enjoyed the journey so far. It’s a great opportunity to rekindle some of her early memories, because we all know that females love sentimental gifts.