A fiftieth wedding anniversary is an occasion worth marking with a well-considered gift. Whether it’s your anniversary or the golden couple are family or friends, finding the perfect present has never been more critical.
Online shopping has dramatically increased the number of unique gift options available, but you may still need to figure out where to look first. So we’ve compiled this detailed collection of resources and lists to help you find the best 50th wedding anniversary gifts.
What Is the Theme for 50 Years of Marriage?
Whether you follow the traditional or modern list, a 50th wedding anniversary has a gold theme. At first, it might sound expensive, but with some creativity, gold provides lots of opportunities for affordable gifts and some stunning party decorations.
50th Anniversary Traditions
Often associated with grandeur and luxury, gold is a non-corrosive metal that has come to represent the lasting love of a couple celebrating fifty years of marriage. The gold theme comes from Ancient Rome, where there was a tradition of celebrating the fiftieth year of marriage by giving the bride a wreath made of gold.
Many years later, in 18th century Germany, a similar tradition continued with husbands presenting their wives with a gold wreath on their fiftieth anniversary. Recently, the list of gifts and celebrations has expanded to include new themes for each year, but the use of gold for the fiftieth year persists.
What Is the Flower for the 50th Wedding Anniversary?
Violets and yellow roses are the official flowers of the fiftieth wedding anniversary. According to the Petal Republic, violets symbolize innocence, everlasting love, modesty, spiritual wisdom, faithfulness, mysticism, and remembrance. Yellow roses represent joy, warmth, friendship, care, lasting bonds, remembering, and appreciation.
How to Celebrate a Golden Wedding Anniversary With Friends
Being married for fifty years is rightly seen as a reason for celebration, so it’s become traditional to mark the golden wedding with a party or small get-together. Wedding anniversaries from one to forty-nine years are often seen as private events remembered only on a small scale among family and one or two close friends. However, the golden wedding Is a momentous occasion used to reminisce on fifty years of memories and to toast the golden couple.
That being said, each couple will likely put their spin on how they want to celebrate the occasion. Some people keep it small, others go for grand parties, while a few prefer to raise a glass in the comfort of their homes.
Find out more by reading: 50th Wedding Anniversary Party Ideas.
The Best 50th Wedding Anniversary Gifts For Friends
You are usually expected to bring a gift to a 50th wedding anniversary. Some people will request ‘no gifts’ on the party invitation, but otherwise, a small present is appropriate.
Any gift can be suitable for a golden wedding celebration if it meets the couple’s suggestions or has a connection to their likes and interests.
If you’re not sure what to get, here are some general ideas to get you started:
Hampers
A hamper is a great way to turn small affordable gifts into something extraordinary. Who doesn’t love opening lots of individually wrapped, personally selected items? Of course, you can buy hampers prefilled with themed goodies, but it’s even better if you have the time to choose everything yourself.
You could go with a general hamper and fill it with small gifts you know the couple will love. It can easily be adapted to the gold theme by using gold wrapping and adding a couple of gold-themed items. This is a perfect way of having a gift that works for both people; choose a few gifts with each in mind and then some as joint presents.
Subscriptions
A subscription box can cater to most tastes and interests. They’re usually selections of mystery gifts that can be bought as a regular subscription or singly. They offer many benefits of a hamper, but someone else picks the items and packs them for you.
The range of subscription services available today is vast. Many are linked to particular interests, so you’re bound to find one that will suit the bride and groom. Although you may prefer to opt for a one-off box, if you purchase a subscription, you’ll be given a gift that will bring new joy and surprises every time the next one arrives.
Fifty small gifts
Buying fifty smaller items is a great way to link your gift to the theme of the celebration. You could get lots of different things or stick to one type. For example:
- Fifty mini spirit bottles
- Fifty craft beers
- Fifty small wine bottles
- Fifty decorative candles
- Fifty bath bombs
- Fifty posh chocs
Because there are several gifts and possibly a large amount of wrapping, this is an excellent opportunity for you to team up with others. If you have other friends looking to buy the couple a present, why not join forces and create a unique gift of fifty items?
If you go for one item repeated fifty times, ensure it’s something that both the bride and groom will enjoy. Then, you could split it and do 25 things for the bride and 25 for the groom.
Maps
Maps provide an excellent opportunity to create a genuinely unique gift. Most couples have a few treasured locations that have a special meaning to their relationship. For example, it could be the area they got married, a favorite holiday destination, or even the town where they live.
You could use a map of one of these places to make the ideal personalized golden anniversary gift. Maps are easy to find and can easily be framed or used to embellish other items. For example, you could frame them in gold, include them in a unique print or emboss them onto coasters.
Photographs
Photos can make an incredibly personal gift, and you’ve now more options than ever to turn them into something exceptional. For example, you could choose a shot of the happy couple or a memory you share with them.
If you don’t have a suitable picture of them, you could see one of something they’re interested in, such as favorite locations, pets, or hobbies. Once you’ve found the right image, you’ve just got to find the best way to present it. You can choose from large canvas prints, photo books, mugs, notebooks, and even jigsaw puzzles.
Wedding anniversaries are a cause for joyful celebration, particularly if your friends have reached a significant milestone. So while you may write a card to mark an anniversary, for this one, you’ll likely want to send a thoughtful gift.
Finding the right present for a couple can be difficult, particularly if you want to find something memorable that both of them will enjoy. While numerous companies and websites provide gifts specifically for anniversaries, they often need to catch up. As a result, they either need to be tackier or deliver the necessary personal touch.
To help you find the right gift for your friend’s 50th anniversary, we’ve put our heads together to create this article. It’s packed with ideas, inspiration, and advice to help you develop something that won’t break the bank but will meaningfully express how much the special couple means to you.
How to Choose a 50th Anniversary Gift for Friends
Buying a gift for your friends on their fiftieth wedding anniversary is a vastly different challenge from buying birthday or Christmas presents. The key is to choose something personal that will link to the occasion somehow. Some connections could be:
- Sticking to a gold theme.
- Referencing the number 50 or the date.
- Referring to the date of their wedding.
- Linking it to the theme of lasting love.
- Choosing something that connects to an interest that the couple shares.
- Focusing on specific memories that you have of their marriage or their lives together.
- Something that they can enjoy together in the future.
These all connect to the celebration in a way that will make sure loved ones won’t forget your gift.
More 50th Anniversary Gifts Ideas for Friends
If you still need to figure out where to start, here are some ideas that we love. Because the best anniversary gifts are the most personal ones, use these suggestions to get you started and add your spin for a truly memorable gift:
Caithness Glass Gold Heart Paperweight
This handmade crystal paperweight from Caithness Glass features a gold background with a small heart in the center. It’s only about 2.5 inches high, small but perfectly formed. It’s also ideally sized for being placed on a sideboard or bookshelf as a reminder of fifty happy years.
Pair of Golden Anniversary Mugs
These sparkly golden mugs say ‘Golden Anniversary’ and can be customized with names and dates. Each mug holds 11oz and can be cleaned in the dishwasher. They’re well-suited if you want a light-hearted, personal gift and links to the gold theme.
A Pair of Always and Forever Photo Mugs
These Always and Forever mugs from Funky Pigeon have a heart design that can be filled with photographs. If you have some pictures of the couple or photos from a particular memory or event they were part of, you can use them to make a unique souvenir. When the bride and groom sit for tea, they can look at the pictures and enjoy the memories.
Golden Wedding Engraved Clock
This wooden mantelpiece clock has been designed as a golden wedding gift. The wooden body is cream, with the clock face picked out in gold. You can have your message added in black lettering onto the front. Surprisingly affordable, this clock is a pleasing combination of a functional clock and a delightful keepsake.
50th Anniversary Keepsake Frame
This keepsake frame is ideal if you’re looking for something simple yet effective. Featuring space for two pictures, one of the wedding day and one of the golden anniversary, this can be given independently without adding the pictures. However, if you prefer, you can always take some appropriate photos and fill them in before wrapping.
Chocolate Gift Box
This luxury presentation box has a selection of about 18 classic Cadbury’s chocolate bars. It has a matt black finish, and you can write your words across the lid in gold. Likely, the chocolates will last only a short time, but the box can be kept and refilled with more sweet treats or other tiny treasures.
Snowdonia Cheese Company Three Cheese Selection
The Snowdonia Cheese Company offer this three-cheese gift set of their most famous products. It comes with 200g of Black Bomber, Green Thunder, and Red Devil. You can’t get better than this if you’re buying a pair of foodies. Black Bomber has won The Great British Cheese Awards, Nantwich International Cheese Awards, the World Cheese Awards, and the Mondial Fromage in France. Red Devil was a winner at the Nantwich International Cheese Awards.
Gourmet Coffee Gift Box
This gift box is the ideal gift for coffee lovers. Each box comes with two 227g bags of gourmet coffee selected from over 17 countries. You can choose whether you want it to be in beans or pre-ground. You can let them know what type of coffee the golden couple prefers. The beans are ethically sourced from single-origin micro-lot farmers. The box also has notecards for every coffee explaining everything about it and where it was grown.
A Box of Stories
A Box of Stories offers a box of four brand-new books from undiscovered authors as a one-off or monthly subscription. You can choose from various boxes, including mixed fiction, crime and thriller, light reads, young adult, science fiction & fantasy, and historical fiction. With four books in each box, this is an excellent gift for a couple to share. You could buy a one-off box, and if they enjoy it, the couple can sign up for the regular service.
Bloom Box Club
The Bloom Box is a gift box or subscription for anyone who loves to keep their home full of plants. Each box contains a plant, a ceramic pot or basket, a printed information booklet, and a surprise gift. This service promotes wellness by helping people add nature to their home environments.
A Yellow Rose That Lasts A Year
Yellow roses are the official flower of the golden wedding anniversary. However, a bouquet of roses may only last a week; this beautifully presented single rose comes in a 7cm by 7cm acrylic box and has been carefully preserved to last a year without needing water or food. It’s a real bloom, harvested from South America, but it’s perfect for anyone, even someone who usually struggles to keep a houseplant alive.
Handmade Metal Planter
This handmade metal planter comes with a wooden stand, and you can have a personal message written across the front in gold. It’s made from galvanized steel and painted with scratch-resistant matt paint. Adding the wedding date and a short message will become a treasured gift perfect for your friend’s golden wedding celebration.
Engraved Couples Terracotta Flower Pot
Another planter, this one’s a traditional terracotta pot with a personalized design on the front. You can add your friend’s name to the design and the wedding date. Although this one doesn’t link as close to a gold theme, it still looks great and would work well indoors or outside.
50-shaped Photo Collage
If you have many photos of your friends, this is a great way to display them. Upload them to Etsy, and they will be printed into this incredible 50-shaped display. You can choose to have them in black and white or in color, whichever you prefer. This unique gift is one of the best ways we’ve seen to utilize the number 50; it looks excellent in its own right, and the recipient will love looking at each picture.
Other Ideas For 50th Anniversary Gifts
We’ve trawled the internet, visited hundreds of online shops, and searched through thousands of gifts to bring you golden wedding gifts that will impress:
Personalized gifts
Adding your text or image to a present is an excellent way of making it stand out from the rest:
- A Golden Wedding Rose in A personalized Crate
Yellow roses are one of the official flowers for 50th wedding anniversaries, and this one is a variety specifically named ‘Golden Wedding.’ This set from Not on the Highstreet is my absolute favorite personalized gift, the rose plant would be excellent on its own, but this set gives you the option of adding chocolates, a bottle of bubbly, and even a personal message on a small plaque.
- A Historic Newspaper
A newspaper from the wedding date is a great way to commemorate the occasion. Several companies offer genuine original copies with certificates of authenticity and a dedication slip with space to add your message. You could present it as it is, have it framed in gold, or pair it with a bottle of Tattinger champagne.
- A Customised Board Game
Board games are a great way to pass the time and have fun with your friends and family. Now you can add a personal touch to a game and turn it into a unique gift. On Etsy, many games, including Monopoly, Guess Who, and Connect four, can be embellished with names, messages, and pictures. This is one of those gifts that’s great fun and is unique enough that, hopefully,
Practical gifts
Buying a practical gift that the happy couple might want to use is a great way to ensure that it’ll be remembered for many years to come:
- A Professional Knife Set
A well-made knife can make a vast difference to your cooking, and if you keep it sharp, it can even reduce accidents. This three-piece set from Zwilling features easy-grip handles and ice-hardened steel blades. They’re made in Germany, and you get one larding and garnishing knife with a 10 cm blade, one meat knife with a 16 cm blade, and one chef’s knife with a 20 cm blade.
- A Bluetooth Tracker Tile
Keys, remotes, and other fiddly items need no longer go missing with these handy Bluetooth tracking tiles. You’re not going to find a present more practical than this; attach a tile to any item that regularly gets lost, then when it’s missing, log on to the app on your phone and activate it to make the tile ring. They can also be used to find a missing phone. Just press the tile button to start your phone’s loud tone.
- A Solar Phone Charger
The more dependent we become upon portable technology like mobile phones, the more reliant we are on batteries. This 28-watt solar charger will give your phone or other small device several hours of charge just from solar power. It’s convenient and efficient, particularly if traveling or on holiday.
Discover more practical gifts here: Practical Gifts for a 50th Wedding Anniversary
Funny gifts
Only some people want to take their golden wedding seriously. If you’re looking for a present for a couple who love a laugh, then these gifts will be just what you’re looking for:
- Matching Aprons
Aprons can come in a broad range of amusing designs, and they’re ideal for a couple because they often come in matching pairs. So whether you want the golden couple to look like superheroes in the kitchen or display another funny quote, aprons are guaranteed to get a giggle and promise hours of fun at meal prep times.
- Novelty Toilet Roll
Available on Etsy, this has got to be one of the most unlikely 50th anniversary gifts, but it’s just quirky enough to get a few belly laughs. You can have it embroidered with any design you like or go for the fancy 50th-anniversary options. A great way for the golden couple to treat their ass to a touch of class!
- Novelty T-shirts
T-shirts are an ideal gift for any age. Numerous websites let you create your designs or choose from funny sayings and images. So if you’ve got any embarrassing pictures of the couple, now might be the time to dig them out.
If not, you can always go with something simple like this ‘pain the ass’ design or get designs themed on the couple’s likes and interests. There are a few predesigned 50th-anniversary designs, like this one on Red Bubble, but they can be hard to find.
Discover more funny gifts here: Funny 50th Anniversary Gifts
Unusual gifts
If you’re a bit unusual, you’re buying for a unique couple, or you want to find something that’ll stand out, we’ve got just the thing for you:
- Custom Retro Picture Viewer
This Retro red picture viewer comes with a customized 3D picture reel. Have your favorite pictures of the golden couple printed onto the reel to make the ideal novelty keepsake. If you had one of these great toys when you were young, you’d know how fun they can be. It’s worth buying this gift well in advance because, at first, you’ll receive the picture viewer and instructions on how to order your custom reel. So make sure you’ve plenty of time to create and receive the reel before gifting it.
- Murder Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle
If you’re buying for someone who loves murder mysteries, this murder mystery jigsaw puzzle is just what you’re looking for. It puts a new interactive spin on a classic mystery and invites you to find clues and solve the murder as you build the puzzle. Even the picture on the puzzle is a mystery, with nothing revealed. This isn’t your traditional anniversary gift, but it’s all the better for that.
- Hand Casting Kit
This incredibly personal hand-casting set is a great way to create a stunning keepsake to be treasured for many years. What better celebration of 50 years of marriage than a 3D copy of the golden couple’s clasped hands? The kit contains everything you need; once complete, it will set in less than 5 minutes. This isn’t a tricky plaster of Paris set. Instead, it uses color-changing chromatic alginate to cast the hands and high-quality stone plaster to capture every detail.
Discover more unusual gifts here: Unusual Gifts for a 50th Wedding Anniversary
Traditional
If you want to celebrate your anniversary, the anniversary of a loved one, or surprise your friends with a generous gift, then sticking with tradition is an excellent choice:
- Gold Plated Coins
Gold-plated coins are affordable and can be carried inside a wallet or purse as a treasured memento. One option is to look for a coin like this engraved fifty-pence piece. Another option is to get a token like this 24ct gold disc.
- Gold Plated Pen Set
Not only does a gold-plated pen meet the criteria of the gold tradition, but it’s also ideal for those who prefer to put pen to paper instead of tapping their shopping lists into an app. This pair of gold-plated Stratton rollerball and ballpoint pens are just a gift for the golden couple who still loves to handwrite lists and letters. They’re exceptionally well presented and much more than your average pen.
- Gold Preserved Rose
A gift of flowers is a great way to mark an anniversary, but they don’t last long. However, this particular rose has been electroplated with 24ct gold to produce a unique keepsake that will never wilt. It comes in a presentation box with a certificate of authenticity. Every care has been taken to preserve the petals and create a gift that your friends can treasure.
Discover more traditional gifts here: Traditional Golden Wedding Gifts
Gifts for Friends
Celebrating a friend’s golden wedding anniversary is a joy but one that comes with the responsibility of choosing a thoughtful present:
- Caithness Glass Gold Heart Paperweight
This handmade crystal paperweight from Caithness Glass features a gold background with a small heart in the center. It’s only about 2.5 inches high, small but perfectly formed. It’s also ideally sized for being placed on a sideboard or bookshelf as a reminder of fifty happy years.
- Golden Wedding Engraved Clock
This wooden mantelpiece clock has been designed as a golden wedding gift. The wooden body is cream, with the clock face picked out in gold. You can have your message added in black lettering onto the front. Surprisingly affordable, this clock is a pleasing combination of a functional clock and a delightful keepsake.
- 50th Anniversary Keepsake Frame
This keepsake frame is ideal if you’re looking for something simple yet effective. Featuring space for two pictures, one of the wedding day and one of the golden anniversary, this can be given independently without adding the pictures. However, if you prefer, you can always take some appropriate photos and fill them in before wrapping.
Gifts for Family Friends
Finding the right anniversary gift for family members can be more complicated than buying for a friend; there’s significantly more pressure to find something that represents how well you know them and how much you care:
- Anniversary Book
This is a great way to collect and present pictures, treasured memories, or keepsakes. For example, you could collect family photographs or include favorite anecdotes and tales from the 50 years of marriage. It’s ideal as a gift from just you, or you could collaborate with every family member, adding something unique. This could give the couple something to enjoy for many years and stimulate thoughts about their shared happy times.
- Family Trees
Family trees are a great visual way to celebrate a golden milestone with your family members. They’re very personal and can be turned into beautiful keepsakes or plaques that display the roots and foundations of a relationship.
Family tree gifts come in many different forms, including:
- Wooden trees engraved with names
- Framed family trees
- Ornamental plaques
- Golden family trees
- Photographic family trees
- Wedding Anniversary Photoshoot
A photoshoot is a gift that most couples are unlikely to buy for themselves but would be ideal for marking the special occasion. Not only can it be great fun, but it will also create images that your friends can enjoy for years to come.
Many photographers offer packages that are a complete experience to rival any day out. Or you could arrange for photos to be taken at the anniversary party.
