50 Years of Marriage – Wedding Anniversary Gifts and Ideas by Year!
“True Meaning of Marriage”
The true meaning of marriage is love. By love, I mean not just what we feel, but what we do. Love as a feeling is very flimsy, a roller coaster that goes up and down – Love is an action! For it to become the ultimate force and rediscover the true meaning of marriage, love has to be unconditional. You are not looking for acceptance or validation. You are giving yourself to another not for them, but for your values.
The true meaning of marriage is to express unconditional love to another. He is an unstoppable force that can withstand anything. How do you find it? You have to draw strength from yourself, without looking for validation or acceptance, just looking for the opportunity to show love.
A marriage should be celebrated every day and even more so when certain milestones are reached. The names of some anniversaries provide guidance on appropriate ways to celebrate or traditional gifts for married couples to give to each other; if there is a party these can be brought in by the guests or influence the theme or decor as well.
These gifts may vary in different countries, but some years have well-established connections that are now common to most nations: 1st Paper, 5th Wood, 10th Tin, 15th Glass, 20th China , 25th Silver, 30th Pearl, 40th Ruby, 50th Gold, 60th Diamond.
The tradition may have originated in medieval Germany where, if a married couple lived to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, their friends and neighbors would present the wife with a silver crown to congratulate them on the good fortune that had prolonged the life of the couple. their the couple for so many years. At the 50th anniversary celebration, the wife was presented with a gold crown. Over time, the number of symbols expanded and the German tradition came to assign gifts that had direct connections to each stage of married life. These symbols have also changed over time: for example, in the UK, the diamond was a well-known symbol for the 75th anniversary, but this changed to the now more common 60th anniversary after the 60th anniversary of the Queen Victoria on the throne were widely marked as her Diamond Jubilee.
Traditional symbols and gifts by year…
For a first anniversary a paper gift should be given, this symbolizes the strength that comes from an intertwined connection of the individual threads of the paper. It is also tradition to eat the top layer of your wedding cake on this date.
Your gift does not have to be expensive; You can get your husband/wife a journal or scrapbook to record memories of her anniversary or paste pictures of events from the past year. Or you could write a love letter and hide it in a lunch box or work bag or, for a bit of fun, make a paper trail around your house, each clue could lead to the next and finally to some printed tickets to a show. or the cinema. Why not decorate your romantic dinner table with some homemade paper flowers and use doyleys as tablecloths? Be sure to be careful if you light candles with all that paper around!
Some other great ideas might be postcards, a calendar, a magazine subscription, a puzzle, a special book, or a map (perhaps somewhere you’ve been or would like to plan a trip together)!
A fifth wedding anniversary wood gift should be given to celebrate this milestone, wood is strong and durable and should symbolize the strength your marriage has.
You could plant a tree together, in your yard, or perhaps in a park or church that is special to both of you. Choose a plant or tree that means something to you, perhaps an evergreen maple or a flaming red maple, something that particularly represents your love for each other. You could have a romantic dinner and eat from wooden baskets and drink from wooden chalices. The wood can be easily and elegantly engraved or sculpted into romantic shapes and figures, perhaps a personally engraved plaque with your names and the date or your home name or a family welcome sign.
The first major milestone: a tenth year of marriage should be celebrated with a tin or aluminum gift; this gift will reflect the strength and beauty of the connection between the couple who after 10 years will have learned to work together – a relationship that is flexible yet enduring, can bend without breaking.
Consider a keepsake gift made of any material, such as a photo frame or garden decoration; the style you choose will, of course, depend on the hobbies or personality of the couple.
Perhaps some artistic jewelery that combines the traditional material with a diamond for your wife, or a blue sapphire is the alternative modern gem for a 10th anniversary. You might even find a tin box that you could give as a gift; You could include a CD of songs from the year you were married or a special photograph.
Fifteenth anniversaries should be marked by the awarding of a crystal or crystal-themed gift; this represents the clear and sparkling love between two people.
A modern gift idea of a watch symbolizes past time along with a ‘watch crystal’ in reference to its transparent glass face. A beautiful crystal vase with some flowers, a glass of wine or a glass of champagne will be a perfect gift that can be treasured. You can add a touch of humor and get a crystal ball to help you see into the future.
You could have a romantic dinner for two, choose a simple tablecloth and crystal chandeliers, remember the colors you had at your wedding for some ‘brownie points’ and even a similar floral arrangement for that extra special touch.
Reaching 20 years of marriage is a great achievement and should be celebrated by reflecting on the commitment made. The symbol of this milestone is giving a porcelain gift, as this signifies how elegant and delicate love can be.
Plan a nice picnic in the park using china plates and cups you bought at the bargain shop, or you can invite friends and family and have a party, after 20 years you certainly have the right to celebrate.
Use Chinese lanterns as part of your decor or head to China Town for a Chinese meal and a night out, your rice or noodles will most likely be served in an authentic porcelain bowl.
Some good gift ideas would be a Wedgewood china vase or cake plate, or you could buy any small gift or event ticket and present it in a china mug or bowl.
Thirtieth wedding anniversaries, also known as the pearl anniversary, should be viewed very highly by friends and family as it is a wonderful achievement. Symbolic of a hard exterior and a soft interior, the pearl is the perfect gift to represent a marriage that has lasted up to 30 years.
A gift for the lady would be a set of beautiful pearl earrings, a necklace or a bracelet. There are several types of pearls to consider classic white, Tahitian black, or delicate pink; after the age of 30, the husband must know which one will be the most suitable. Perhaps a mother of pearl bowl or vase or simply choose another gift and incorporate an image of a pearl into the design and decoration.
If you’re planning something really special, you can arrange a trip to an exotic location that has pearls in its history, like Broome, WA. If your wedding date falls between April/May and September/October, this is the perfect time, it will be during the dry season: warm days, blue skies and lots of clean beach. It is a multicultural place with the pearling industry attracting settlers from all over the world.
A ruby or fortieth wedding anniversary is a very special one. Rubies are believed to contain an eternal inner flame, a perfect symbol to reflect that a 40-year marriage is still alive and strong.
If you are planning a party be sure to include ruby colored decorations and party favors, if you are having speeches and a toast you should ask for it to be made with ruby red wine instead of the traditional champagne.
For a more casual affair, perhaps a picnic in the park, choose ruby red plastic cups and plates for garnish and choose red grape juice as your mild option along with red wine. Whatever venue or style of celebration you choose, you can be sure to reflect ruby red in all your decorations, invitations, gifts and party favors.
The 50th anniversary golden anniversary is one of the most deservedly celebrated, this half-century milestone makes a fantastic statement!
All gold for this event, decorate your party venue with gold glitter, flowers and gold centerpieces, balloons, candles, etc.
If you’re in the US and know a couple who are celebrating 50+ years of marriage, or just got married, you can get an anniversary greeting or wedding greeting from the White House.
In Australia you could plan a trip to the Gold Coast or a gold mine – Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, VIC would be perfect! Take a trip to the museum and experience a golden adventure.
A great gift for this anniversary would be a large album filled with photos and memories throughout the 50 years of marriage, beginning with the wedding and including important events and family gatherings; You could even set up a guest book for people to sign and write congratulatory messages. .
Whether you’re celebrating your first wedding or your fiftieth, I hope this article helps you with gift ideas and event planning. Congratulations!
