Can you believe it? Half a century together! It’s an exceptional achievement, and a true testament to the strength of your love. And, although you won’t be quite as gushy as you were back in year 1, there’s definitely cause for a celebration.
Whether it’s your first, 14th or 50th, romance and sentimentality are what wedding anniversaries are all about. Think of it as your chance to celebrate all the happy memories, days out, major milestones and laughs that you’ve shared.
Even if you’re not usually the romantic type, this is your opportunity to celebrate the incredible life that you and your soulmate have shaped together.
With the tradition of wedding anniversary themes, you can set your relationship alongside thousands (maybe even millions) of other couples, across history. Gifts following the 50th wedding anniversary theme have been given ever since the Roman Empire - which is pretty mind blowing, when you think about it.
To ensure your 50th wedding anniversary gift ticks all the boxes (one of a kind, sentimental, thoughtful, you know the drill), we’ve shared our expert guide to finding the perfect anniversary present for your other half. Below, you can find out more about the history of this tradition, and our experts’ top tips, to help guide your search.
How many years is a gold wedding anniversary?
Couples celebrate their gold wedding anniversary after reaching 50 years of marriage... a truly remarkable achievement!
How many marriages make it to 50 years?
According to our research only approximately 9% of marriages make it to their 50 year anniversary.
The history of 50 year wedding anniversaries - why gold?
After 50 years together, it’s fair to say that themed wedding anniversary gifts are a bit of a life-saver. Left to our own devices, we’d start running out of ideas by year #7.
Not only do these annual anniversary themes provide a yearly source of inspiration (thank goodness!), but they also set your personal anniversary celebrations as a part of 50th wedding anniversaries throughout history.
In fact, the practice of couples giving each other golden gifts to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary dates all the way back to the Roman Empire.
In this period, it was traditional for a husband to give their wife a golden wreath as a present to mark their 50th anniversary (for their 25th anniversary, a silver wreath was given).
This tradition spread across the empire, and still remains a part of popular tradition to this day.
Traditional gift ideas for your 50th wedding anniversary
Throughout history and across the world, gold has been a treasured metal, commonly used for keepsake, treasured gifts and decorative jewellery.
So, it seems fitting that this precious material is the theme for this year’s anniversary.
It’s a stunning choice for an anniversary present - and the fact that it’s on-theme is an added bonus!
Gold features in a vast array of luxurious products (after all, it’s been used for gifts for centuries, so artisans and craftsmen have had plenty of practice!). So, you’ll have loads of pieces to choose from.
To help guide your search, our experts have shared their 50th wedding anniversary gift inspiration. You could choose a gold gift of:
- Gold jewellery. This could be:
- Earrings
- Necklace
- Bracelet
- Brooch
- Ring
- Cufflinks
- Pocket watch
- A golden globe
- A golden rose sculpture
- Laser cut paper cards or commemorative artwork to frame
- A commemorative plate, with gold detailing
- Gold commemorative coin from The Royal Mint
- A photo frame, coated in a layer of gold
Modern gifts for a 50th Wedding Anniversary (also gold)
As we get into the more major milestones, we often see that the modern gift themes are the same as the traditional themes. And, as it was for the 40th wedding anniversary, the modern theme for the 50th wedding anniversary is also gold.
Why is that?
Well, the list of modern wedding gift themes was created to give couples an alternative option to the traditional gift themes. This is because, often the material for the earlier themes was outdated, old fashioned, or simply not relevant to modern homes.
In the same fashion as the traditional themes, these modern themes started off with more affordable products, and gradually got more expensive as time went on. So, it seems fitting that gold is the material for the 50th wedding anniversary.
Since gold has remained just as popular today as it was 100 years ago, gold has firmly retained its place as the coveted 50th wedding anniversary gift theme.
As you search for your golden wedding anniversary gift, use our experts’ top tips to guide you. These 5 tips will help you to choose a 50th anniversary gift that your other half just how much they mean to you:
- As beautiful as a gold necklace from a highstreet store may be, we urge you to think outside of the box. Look online to try and find an alternative gold gift, or a piece of jewellery that really stands out from the crowd.
- Keep an eye out for personalisation services. This is a wonderful way to make your gift one of a kind.
- Look for a design that matches the style and personality of your other half.
- Depending on your budget, you may want to ask a craftsman to design a bespoke, custom-made gold gift for your anniversary.
The theme of gold provides a handy starting point, while still leaving you plenty of room for creativity. So unleash your imagination, and find a gold gift that’s as unique as your relationship.
Although it’s a pretty big ask, we think traditional wedding anniversary themes are just the thing to give this once-in-a-lifetime occasion the gravitas that it deserves.
