Your 50th wedding anniversary is a big deal, so you probably want to celebrate with the best gift that’s meaningful, romantic, and cherished by your loved one. However, choosing the perfect gift isn’t always easy because there’s so much to choose from and there’s only one golden anniversary to get it right.
Since 1999, Capture has specialized in preserving memories of countless anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebrations, and we want to make sure yours is special. So, we’ll wish you a happy anniversary by giving you some great 50 years celebration gifts to inspire your special day.
Keep reading to learn about the symbolism of 50 years of marriage, the top 10 50th wedding anniversary gifts, and some unique, personalized, and other special ideas that you can use to select the perfect present for your husband or wife.
Jump to:
- The Symbolism of 50 Years
- Top 10 Golden Anniversary Presents
- Unique 50th Anniversary Surprises
- Personalized Half-Century Gifts
- Making the Celebration Special
The Symbolism of 50 Years
Celebrating your 50th year is a huge milestone in your love story, which is why it’s known as the golden wedding anniversary. In fact, a 50th anniversary is as rare as gold because fewer than 5 percent of marriages will last that long, making it a unique moment of celebration.
Being called the golden anniversary, it’s probably no surprise that traditional gifts include gold that symbolizes the beauty of your love that’s strong, untarnished, and resilient after all these years.
Additionally, yellow roses are also a symbol of the special occasion and make great golden anniversary gifts. Violets are also common because they represent faithfulness and riches in your loving marriage.
That being said, you don’t have to go the traditional route. In fact, some of the best 50th anniversary gifts are unique, non-traditional, or personalized including photo gifts for him or her, mementos, heirlooms, or presents that highlight your most romantic experiences.
Top 10 Golden Anniversary Presents
These are some of the best golden anniversary present ideas that you can use to inspire your unique 50th-anniversary surprises.
1. Jewelry
You can’t go wrong with jewelry, even if your partner doesn’t adore the traditional gold. You can go with white gold, silver, or even stainless steel. Some ideas for men include engraved watches, cufflinks, or bracelets. For women, you can go with a locket that includes your wedding photo, an engraved necklace, or a charm bracelet with charms that tell the story of your love.
2. Personalized Wall Art
Personalized gifts are great and show that you put some thought into your 50-year anniversary gift. Wall art is not only a great 50th birthday gift idea, but it’s also great for happy couples celebrating anniversaries. You can use picture frames with photos of your favorite moments, personalized messaging, your favorite phrases, and images that proudly display your relationship to the world as beautiful home decor.
3. Engraved Whisky Glasses or Champagne Flutes
If you and your husband or wife like to celebrate with a sip of wine, champagne, or whisky, then these are great gift ideas that can keep reminding you of your love every time you toast. You can find personalized, decorative, and stylish gold-finish whisky, champagne, and wine glasses on Etsy, Amazon, and other online sites. If you’re not a drinker, you can also do the same with a coffee mug!
4. Digitized Home Movies and Photos
Chances are, your most precious family memories and moments of the last 50 years are captured with old fashioned cameras, film video cameras, and vintage camcorders. You can digitize those memories to preserve them forever, which makes for a meaningful, lasting, and personalized 50th wedding anniversary gift idea. You can use Capture to turn your analog media including Super 8 film, photo slides, VHS tapes, and other formats into high-quality digital copies. You can even give your loved one the gift of preserving memories themselves with our digitizing gift ideas.
5. DIY Gift Box
Create your own personalized gift box and include multiple gifts that you can make or buy. Try including meaningful things like poems, keepsakes, or a family tree complete with Polaroid pictures or photo prints of each loved one. You can even include memories from your wedding date like vows, photos, veils, or other priceless memories.
6. Personalized Blankets or Throw Pillows
You can personalize messages on blankets and pillows, which symbolically act as the warmth of your love and make your partner comfortable. With messages of love these pieces are personal, meaningful, and lots of fun. Plus, you can even add photos of you and your husband or wife (just make sure you digitize old photos first so they’re preserved forever).
7. Wedding Memory Scrap Book
Another very personal and meaningful 50th wedding anniversary gift idea is to create a scrapbook all about your wedding and marriage. If you don’t know how to create a scrapbook you can put together a personalized photo album or make a digital DVD photo book that you can show at an anniversary party.
8. Custom Portrait
You can have a custom portrait painted of you and your partner’s favorite photo as a couple. You can have the artist paint it in a certain way that speaks volumes about your relationship. Ask them to include certain themes, colors, messages, or anything else to create something profoundly beautiful.
9. Personalized Puzzle or Chess Board
There’s not much better than a gift that you and your husband or wife can enjoy together. That’s what makes puzzles that include your wedding photo so special. If you don’t like puzzles, then you can have a chess or checkers board engraved with your favorite messages and customized figurines.
10. Vow Candle Holder
A candle holder is a great way to show that the passion still burns after all these years, so why not personalize one with your vows? Other options to include your vows in a meaningful gift include photo frames, sundial figurines, hand-painted Christmas gift ornaments, cutting boards, wall art, jewelry, or gold-plated golden anniversary plate.
Unique 50th Anniversary Surprises
In addition to a more traditional style gift, some of the most unique 50th anniversary gifts are based around surprises. You can set up an all-day anniversary date, surprise party, or renewal of your vows for example.
Try to think of how you can base a surprise around your partner’s favorite hobbies. For example, if they love old movie formats, set up a projector with a showing of their favorite movie from the year you were married. Or, if they love 80s cars, you don’t have to get them a car but instead can go on a weekend getaway that includes a rental or a visit to a car museum.
Vacations are always a great surprise and a unique gift that shows your husband or wife that you truly care about their well-being. Plus, you’ll get to spend the whole time together, which is really what a golden jubilee gift idea is all about.
Personalized Half-Century Gift
Personalization is a great way to turn common gift ideas into uncommon good gifts for your loved one. There are tons of great personalized gifts and almost anything can be personalized with a photo, message, vows, or memory.
For example, you can add a message or photo to jewelry, figurines, photo frames, or other knick-knacks and keepsakes. Additionally, you can digitize Super 8 film reels or home movies and then add your own messages to the digital movies.
Some modern gifts are both meaningful and practical. You can add a memory to a throw pillow, cutting board, wine glasses, or a plethora of other useful gifts for grandpa, grandma, and your 50th anniversary partner.
Making the Celebration Special
Meaningful and personalized half-century gifts are only part of the celebration. You can make the whole day special by planning an event or anniversary date, renewal of vows, travel ideas, or anything else. After spending 50 years together, you know your partner better than anyone, so include things they love, cherish, and enjoy for their 50th anniversary gift.
You can also make the celebration special by working together to come up with an idea that you will both love each other. While surprises are fantastic, they aren’t always necessary. Either way, whatever you decide on or choose to personalize, it’s bound to be meaningful, memorable, and loved by your husband or wife forever.
Conclusion
Congratulations on your 50th anniversary! It’s truly a milestone to celebrate and we hope that this list of 50th anniversary gifts and ideas will help to inspire a wonderful, memorable celebration. Whether you choose a unique event, personalized gift, or traditional present, it’s important to preserve all the memories you’ve made with your partner over the last half-century.
Capture can digitize your photos, home movies, film reels, and other memories to ensure they last forever just like the love you share. Click here to learn about our digitization services!
