50th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

50th wedding anniversary gift ideas can't be your run-of-the-mill, birthday-card from "Hallmark"-type gift ideas. They have to be special and unique, celebrating a big-time event for the special people in your life. Whether you're a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, or even a grandchild, your 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas have to be extraordinary.

That's why it's important to put more thought into this type of gift than you might be accustomed to. Though it is a nice gesture to simply buy something at the store, a gift aiming to celebrate a unique event needs to have a more personal touch. If you've never been a great gift-giver, or are simply someone who's out of ideas, you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find some excellent, unique gift ideas that you might not have even thought of.

Why Your Gift Should Match the Occasion

When the nephew who lives out-of-state has a birthday, you probably send a card with a modest amount of money. But when a couple who have meant a lot in your life has a 50th wedding anniversary – a milestone by anyone's measurement – than you've got to come up with a gift idea to match the occasion.

So where do you start? First, let's talk about what to avoid. That’s easy. Avoid something that can be bought, wrapped, and given -- all in the same pre-packaged mold anyone else could have purchased it in.

It's also important to consider who's giving and who's receiving the gift. 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas depending on who's doing the giving: for example, the husband of 50 years will probably want to buy a gift with a meaning that only his spouse could understand. The son or daughter will still want to buy a meaningful, customized gift. Friends might want to avoid something digging too deep to find a meaningful gift.

Where does that leave you? Thinking about how to find a gift that can be customized that neither of your parents or grandparents have seen before. I've got the right thing for you.

50th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas from the Heart

Have you ever considered a customized jigsaw puzzle for the couple of the hour?

I remember one of the first 50th wedding anniversary puzzles I made. In 1994 a young couple, I think brother and sister, came to me to commission a puzzle for their grandparents’ anniversary. They brought lots of snapshots and a 5x7 Sepia-toned wedding portrait. The bride wore a rather severe dress and sensible shoes. The groom was dressed in his navy blues. His ship was in Boston harbor; he had weekend liberty. Then he sailed off to the war. We made a collage of most of the snapshots surrounding the portrait, photographed it and used that photograph for the 16x20 inch puzzle.

Whether you're a grandchild, child, relative, or friend, a jigsaw puzzle customized for the recipients is a great, classy way to commemorate a once-in-a-lifetime event.

You can find these 50th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas puzzles at J.C. Ayer & Co. Jim Ayer will suggest ideas based on previous puzzles he has made. He will convert any prints you have to files – everything is now digital, not like the above example – and might subtly enhance in Photoshop an image or two. You and Jim can work together to make a digital collage if necessary and it usually is. The design of the puzzle can be customized as well as the image. Often a date or place is added in drop-out-lettering. Your knowledge of the recipient combined with my experience of what works will result in a beautiful puzzle. Remember the whole process does take time so please do not wait until the last minute. A couple of weeks is usually enough.

If you're still stuck on 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas, here are a few suggestions for ordering these customized puzzles:

From the grandchildren: Include a large family portrait or a new picture of all of the grandchildren of the lucky couple. This may take some planning so that you can take a fresh picture that will serve as a surprise for the anniversary couple, but it will be worth it to see their reaction after all of the trouble you went through. Not only did you have a customized puzzle made up just for them, but you decided to take a fresh picture as a surprise. You can't beat that "Wow" factor! Remember that the puzzle does not have a picture on the box. The picture evolves as the puzzle is put together.

From the children: A full family portrait. Taking the "grandchildren" idea from before and expanding on it, you could organize the entire family to get together for a family portrait, or simply take a picture of your parents' favorite portrait and email it to Jim Ayer. You might also consider using an older picture from your own childhood to commemorate the occasion and show the couple how far they've come. Just be sure that you don't remind them that they might be getting old!

From friends or relatives: Any friend or relative can have a jigsaw puzzle made up that commemorates this special time by taking a photo of the couple themselves and having it made up by J.C. Ayer & Co.

From anyone: For the spouses, the children, the friends, the relatives, and the grandchildren, make sure to use a photo of the couple doing something they enjoy. If they're sailing enthusiasts, find a loving picture of them together on their sailboat. You could also create a montage of different pictures from their life, including their hobbies, their travelling, and what their family has been up to.

Finding the True Spirit of Gift-Giving

A good gift – especially as it relates to 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas – comes from the heart. You can't get the same appreciation from the recipient if you buy a store-made gift, as good as your intentions might be. You have to think about the person receiving the gift more than you think about yourself, which gets to the true spirit of gift-giving in the first place.

You can't buy something you think you'd like and assume that the recipient will enjoy it as much as you. Instead, think about what would make them happy, especially when you're thinking about 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas. You can't manufacture a great gift, but when you put thought into it, you can customize one!

This applies especially for the "person who has it all." When you’re thinking about 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas, you have to think less traditionally. If your parents or grandparents have been blessed financially, it's time to think "outside the box" to create a truly unique gift they wouldn't have thought of themselves. That's where J.C. Ayer & Co. comes in. If you've been out of 50th wedding anniversary gift ideas, they can help you get the creative juices flowing again.

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