Fifty years of marriage is a milestone worthy of praise and celebration. Do you know a happy couple that’s going to be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary soon?

Maybe you are the one with the upcoming 50th anniversary? The 50th anniversary is also called the Golden Anniversary and is oftentimes represented with gifts made of gold.

But let’s face it, the couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary is likely in their 70s and beyond, and they probably don’t need any more “stuff” – be it gold or not – to clutter their space.

I think that experiences and personalized presents make the best gifts. They provide lasting memories and show the happy couple how much you care. Do you need some thoughtful gift ideas for an upcoming 50th wedding anniversary? I’ve got you covered with this list.

A Travel Experience

The happy couple may have been dreaming of traveling to a specific place for years but never got around to it or didn’t have the means to make it happen. This can be a group effort where you can pool money from friends and family and send them off to their dream destination.

You can also surprise them with a secret destination. Why not make it a family event and send the couple off with their family members. Cruise vacations make an excellent choice because they are all-inclusive and effortless.

Note: Stick to travel adventures in your country of residence during periods where international travel health risks are a concern (such as the Covid-19 pandemic). Check with current health and safety travel advisories before purchasing travel tickets.

A Family Event

At this point in our lives, we tend to enjoy family time more than ever. The kids and the grandkids are probably spattered all over the place, and we don’t get to see them as often as we would like.

Why not plan a get-together and gather as many family members as you can? This takes quite a bit of planning, but the happy couple will definitely appreciate the gesture and the memories that will be created.

Treat it like a wedding of sorts and hire an event planner. A 50th wedding anniversary is quite an achievement and is worthy of a big celebration. You can pool money from family and friends to fund the party.

A Couple’s Photoshoot

Another way to create memories is to offer a personalized portrait photoshoot for the couple. You can hire a local professional photographer or do it yourself if you have some photography skills.

A fun idea is to recreate their wedding photos. Try to set up the photoshoot in the place where they got married and choose attire that resembles what they wore on their happy day. Print out the photos and mount them in gold picture frames so they can enjoy them in their home.

A Personalized Box of Goodies

Put together a basket of their favorite things if you know them well enough. It can be food items and special treats. Some companies create exquisite gift boxes and offer to deliver straight to the receiver’s door.

A Course or Class

Classes – online and in real life – are quite trendy at the moment. It’s never too late to learn something new. Maybe the happy couple always wanted to learn about photography? Maybe they’d like to learn creative writing?

Help them learn from the masters at Masterclass. How about learning French Pastry Fundamentals from Dominique Ansel or Creative Writing with Margaret Atwood. These classes are offered online and can be completed at an individual pace.

A Couple’s Spa Treatment

Who doesn’t love to be pampered!? I know I do. Booking a spa day for the Golden Anniversary couple makes a great gift if they normally avoid splurging on these types of treatments for themselves.

Get them a gift card so that they can choose the treatments that they want.

A Memory Photo Book

A half-century of communal living will automatically generate lots of memories. Births of children, birthday parties, anniversary trips, family get-togethers, holidays, and so much more.

You can gather some of the photos taken at special events during their lives together and create a personalized photo book. Websites like Shutterfly will create a custom book for you or you can design it yourself and have it delivered to their home.

Ask around among family and friends for photos of the couple. Maybe you will discover photos that they have never seen before.

Alternately, if money is an issue, you can get crafty and create the photo album yourself. Adding some personal words and thoughts to the album is a warm gesture and sure to melt the happy couple’s hearts.

Do you know of someone who celebrated or is close to celebrating their Golden Anniversary? What do you think will make a thoughtful gift for them? Have you celebrated your 50^th wedding anniversary? Which of the gifts you received did you like best? Which ones did you absolutely hate? Do you have some personal ideas or experiences for a Golden Anniversary that you want to share with the community? Please use the comment box below.