These days, there are fewer couples than ever reaching their 50 year marital milestone, so celebrating this achievement is essential. Whether it is you, your family member or your friend who is coming up to 50 years of wedded bliss, it's important to ensure that you don't allow the event to slip by without giving it the appropriate commemoration and recognition.
It isn't easy to choose an anniversary gift which perfectly reflects your deepest sentiments for this key occasion in the lives of your loved one(s). Most gifts bought in a regular store are fairly generic and dull.
However, if you buy a gift from The Eternity Rose, a special and meaningful gift is easy to find. We have gorgeous gifts that are sure to touch the recipients' hearts, so instead of presenting the couple with an unoriginal and uninspiring token like a golden frame or mug, surprise them instead with a natural rose, preserved to last a lifetime and dipped in 24k gold. There can be no more impressive or fitting gift with which to mark the occasion of a Golden Wedding Anniversary.
You can easily see why a Gold-Dipped Eternity Rose is the perfect gift for a golden anniversary. Few tokens of love and romance are more iconic than a single rose, and when this beautiful blossom has been dipped in pure 24k gold then presented to the happy couple on their anniversary date, it bears a meaningful significance.
Each luxury rose is presented in a prestigious leather case, ready for display in the marital home, showcasing its beauty forever.
You can even personalise your unique present with a customised message engraved on its stem. Messages such as “my love grows for you with every day that passes” will beautifully express your devotion, and the recipient will treasure and appreciate the sentiments and care that you have put into selecting a gift with such meaning.
Origins and Traditions of Celebrating Anniversaries
Milestone anniversaries have been celebrated since the middle ages, and in the Holy Roman Empire, husbands presented their wives with golden garlands when they reached their 50th anniversary. In the 1920s, an official list was drawn up which assigned a theme to many anniversary years. Through the years, there have been additions, adaptations and alternations. During Queen Victoria's reign, for example, diamonds were linked to the 60th anniversary as well as the 75th when the queen celebrated her 60th year of ruling England.
Celebrating an anniversary is therefore a worldwide and romantic tradition.
1922 saw the custom of commemorating each anniversary year with a theme of its own. Emily Post, who was a writer from America, initiated the concept in her “Etiquette” book, however the list which we use today was not developed until 1937. It was only then that the American National Retail Jeweller Association developed the list further, assigning a gift to every single year up to the 25th and then each 5th year after that.
Some examples of these materials include:
- 1st anniversary – paper
- 5th anniversary – wood
- 8th anniversary – bronze
- 10th anniversary – tin
- 13th anniversary – lace
- 15th anniversary – crystal
- 20th anniversary - china (or platinum)
- 25th anniversary – silver
- 50th anniversary – gold
Celebrating 50 Happy Years of Marriage
While 50 years of wedded bliss is a cause to celebrate, it's important to keep in mind the wishes and preferences of the couple themselves. While some couples love partying, others want to have a more low-key day with only their closest friends and relatives.
Finding a present can be hard too, since the majority of couples who have enjoyed 50 years of marriage have a home that is already equipped with everything they could possibly need. It is traditional to give a luxury present, but it is always difficult to choose something since the internet and bricks-and-mortar stores have a wealth of options to choose from.
Gold has long been the material traditionally linked with a 50 year-long marriage since it represents the beautiful and enduring nature of such an enduring marriage. However, there are other themes which are linked to this marital year such as yellow roses and golden topaz, and either of these are good gift choices too.
Handmade Golden Anniversary Gifts
You can choose from all kinds of golden anniversary gifts, but a gift which has been made by hand has a special and particular appeal. Some ideas include:
A CD of significant music for the couple – maybe some tunes that date back to the days when they were first married, or some songs which have a specific meaning like their wedding day dance.
A poem written to honour the couple presented in a stylish photograph frame.
A special quilt with a square for every member of the family, decorated with fabric pens or embroidery
A wishing tree, made by spraying gold paint on a branch and then attaching significant objects to it together with gifts like theatre tickets or gift certificates.
A scrapbook of memories with compiled stories and images of some of the happiest events from their marriage.
Planning a Party for a Golden Anniversary
One of your gifts for your relatives or friends may be a get together or party arranged for their friends and family. However when you draw up a guest list, be sure to include everyone who is special to the couple. You can keep the décor theme simple by obtaining accessories and decorations in gold to adorn the room and the tables. The room could also be decorated with photos of the pair from their marriage onwards, and you could play tunes that date to the year in which they married.
Arrange a Fantastic Holiday
A great idea to help your loved ones to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary is to arrange a fantastic holiday which will supply them with many more happy memories. If your loved ones have always longed to go somewhere special, this is the ideal chance to book them on the safari or cruise they've always dreamed of.
Celebrity Couples Who Have Been Married for 50 Years
While many famous couples divorce soon after marrying, there are a few who have successfully stayed married for half a century.
In 2004, Kirk Douglas celebrated his golden wedding anniversary with Anna Buydens.
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip have had a very long marriage of virtually 70 years.
Bill Cosby has been married to Camille, his wife, for over 50 years and they have 5 children together.
You can show those special people in your life how important they are to you by giving them a wonderful gift on their golden wedding anniversary.
A 24k Gold-Dipped Eternity Rose will demonstrate the extent of your appreciation and love.
The Eternity Rose wants to wish anyone who has reached their 50th year of marriage a truly happy day, and would like to wish them many more happy married years together.