Many of the anniversary years have traditional gifts that go along with them. In many cases, these traditional gifts have been updated to reflect the modern era. Most of the traditional gifts are still suitable for gift giving today. You can choose between the traditional or modern gift or give both.
Although the first ten years all have traditional gifts associated with them, the major anniversaries such as the first, fifth, tenth, twentieth, twenty-fifth, and fiftieth are the ones most commonly associated with traditional gift giving.
For first wedding anniversary gifts, choose paper for traditional or clocks for more modern. Paper gifts could be magazine subscriptions, tickets to a play, a photo album or scrapbook, or the movie script from a first date movie.
Five (5) year wedding anniversary gifts should be wood for traditional or silverware for a more modern gift. Wood can be in the form of a birdhouse, a jewelry box, photos or a poem in a wooden frame, or even a tree planted in the couple’s name.
Ten (10) year wedding anniversary gifts are aluminum or tin for the traditionalist and diamond jewelry for the modern gift. It can be difficult thinking of a fitting anniversary gift in tin or aluminum, but you do have options. Food tins, such as those containing gourmet cookies, are appropriate. Some picture frames and lamps are made from aluminum.
The 20th wedding anniversary gifts are china traditionally and platinum for modern. Fine china is only appropriate if the couple doesn’t already have a set–otherwise it will just take up more space in the kitchen. Specific pieces are usually a good bet, as is a china vase. Platinum rings are the most common platinum present.
In some years, the traditional and modern gift are the same. The 25th anniversary is the silver anniversary and 25th wedding anniversary gifts should incorporate silver. Silver jewelry is usually thought of for this anniversary, but many small silver keepsakes can be engraved. A two panel silver picture frame is an idea, with the first panel having a wedding picture and the second panel having a current photo.
The 50th also has the same gift for both traditional and modern. Since it is the golden year, the 50th wedding anniversary gifts are gold. Gold, of course, can be jewelry, but there are other options as well. Small gold trinkets, a vacation to the Gold Coast, or a gift basket filled with items that contain the word gold are all ideas.
While you shouldn’t feel bound to traditional gifts, they make a great starting point for coming up with a creative anniversary gift that will be cherished.