How lucky can someone be to find their forever partner? Not only that, spend fifty years building a life and a family with that special someone? Reaching that marriage milestone is definitely worth celebrating with family members and close friends.
Looking back at those fifty years that passed in a blink of an eye is a trip down memory lane. You remember moments of true partnership, joy, sadness, hardships, love, and family.
A golden wedding anniversary is a tribute to that couple that stood by each other’s side throughout the ups and downs. Simply the right person to have spent all of those years with.
Now, how could the special couple properly commemorate those treasured years of marriage with their loved ones? Throwing a party seems like a good idea!
Below we’ve put together a guide to help you plan a memorable event for the special couple’s 50th-anniversary! Spending half a century with one person is a huge deal, and should be celebrated!
The Best Ideas for 50th Wedding Anniversaries
Setting the celebration date
As the 50th year of marriage approaches, the couple should think about when they want to celebrate. Setting the commemoration date a few months in advance is essential. By doing so, the couple has enough time to plan all the details. It also gives guests enough time to plan logistics.
Celebrating on the actual anniversary date is incredibly sentimental. It could also be on the date the couple met, started dating, or got engaged! All of these dates hold special value.
Send out save the dates either by mail or email as soon as you can to ensure all the right people attend the special event!
Choose a meaningful location
The location or venue should be one of the first things the planner or the married couple decides upon. Many venues usually get booked quickly, so the earlier the event site is secured, the better (just like a wedding!).
Apart from that, the location for one’s golden wedding anniversary should be meaningful to the couple. Maybe where the proposal took place, or where they made a special trip. If you want to go simpler, in a park or at their home can also work!
Invite family and friends
Inviting loved ones that treasured those years with the special couple is a fun process. So, who should the couple consider for the guest list?
Guests should be people that knew and were part of the couple’s life and relationships, such as the maid of honor, bridesmaids, best man, family members, friends, and even past co-workers.
Meanwhile, given that this is a respectable and special occasion, the couple should opt for something classic and elegant when choosing the invitation. Try to stay on a theme, or use a photo of the couple.
Here are some of our favorite invitations:
The couple should plan to send out the invitations at least one month before the event date, giving guests enough time to RSVP and plan logistics.
Another meaningful gesture on top of wedding invitations is to organize a wedding anniversary announcement in your local paper. It’s a nice way to celebrate with your entire town and make the couple feel special.
Decorate with the 50th wedding anniversary’s symbol and color!
Gold represents the traditional color for the 50th anniversary (the golden jubilee anniversary) – something that is solid, beautiful and endures time.
Therefore, it’s encouraged to use a golden color scheme to decorate the party along with some golden accents, such as gold picture frames, golden balloons, gold table decor, and much more.
Here are some party decorations we love:
There are so many decorations out there that will fit into any budget! You don’t have to spend a large amount to make the occasion special!
Honor the couple’s eternal love at the party
The wedding anniversary party is usually planned by close family members and friends of the special couple, with them overseeing most of the details. However, there are times when the couple may decide to plan the entire event.
A 50th wedding anniversary typically calls for a memorable party with beautiful golden decor, a dance floor, catering service, wedding cake, and moments throughout the party to honor the happy couple’s relationship.
With that said, you don’t have to opt for traditional, if you’re planning the party you know the couple the best. Therefore plan based on the type of ceremony they would enjoy!
Here are some examples of honoring the couple’s true love:
1) plan for a beautifully put-together slideshow with photos of the couple including their wedding photos
2) have a toast in which guests share their favorite stories of the couple
3) arrange for them to renew their wedding vows
4) organize a dance with their favorite songs
5) Play couple party games where the couples answers questions about each other
These are just some fun ideas to consider when planning a 50th wedding anniversary for a loved one.
Remember to give golden anniversary gifts
Time to talk about some awesome 50th wedding anniversary gifts!
Golden anniversary gifts vary from traditional to modern gifts.
Traditional gifts are usually made of gold or rose gold, such as jewelry and precious metal engraved goods or personalized objects. For example, a gold watch, gold rings, or a gold pen all make for great gifts.
On the other hand, modern gifts can be less expensive and more fun. For example, gifting a customized memory photo album or a group gift for a “second honeymoon” could be a good idea.
For personalized options, homemade gifts can be special to the couple because they see the effort put into making the gift. To keep gifts within the theme, guests can wrap or bag their gifts in golden wrapping paper and adorn them with some gold accents.
Finally, some people give yellow roses to the couple. This is a symbolic gift for the 50th wedding anniversary, which some say represents happiness and friendship in the marriage. Which is entirely fitting with the marriage milestone!
Dried flowers or herbs can also represent eternal love and make for a really nice fragrant gift for the home. Especially if you want something that lasts longer than a bouquet.
But whatever the gift is, guests should strive for something that makes their sentiment and kind wishes for the special couple clear!
Prepare some wedding favors
It’s not every day a close friend or family member celebrates their 50th wedding anniversary. It’s truly gratifying to have people who love this couple traveling and making time in their busy schedules to be there to celebrate.
Therefore, preparing thoughtful wedding favors for guests is a great idea for a gesture of gratitude and appreciation towards them. Here are some ideas to put together elegant 50th wedding anniversary favors.
Packaging
The options below should be customized to be in line with the theme. Incorporate gold, display the couple’s name and anniversary date. To get something that will look high-end, elegant, and can be easily customized and decorated to fit with the party’s theme, choose:
1) Gold personalized cardstock boxes
2) Vintage square candy boxes made of plastic
3) Gold personalized cake boxes
It’s important to keep in mind the packaging size, so the container fits the favors the happy couple wishes to convey.
Favors
As for party favors, these can vary significantly from a piece of cake to mini bottles of champagne. The important thing is that, given the major milestone being celebrated at this party, these favors reflect that.
Fun favor ideas
Have fun at the party
Once the planning is done, it’s time to catch up, dance, or simply sit back and enjoy a nice meal with good friends and family. This is one of those parties that bring together relatives who haven’t seen each other in a long time.
Encourage everyone to share interesting stories about the family or their school days. It reminds people of a simpler time and gives them the opportunity to get to know the bride and groom even better than they already do!
Now, over to you! Did any of these ideas for 50th wedding anniversaries inspire you?
Loving someone for half a century is a rare opportunity and achievement for most couples. Being with someone for so long means constantly renewing the love, patience, and care for one another. So celebrating that marriage milestone is definitely needed.
Planning takes time, and starting late can lead to setbacks.
The couple or the party organizers need to choose a date well in advance in order to secure the venue, catering, and other services.
Traditionally, this milestone is marked by the color gold. This can define the theme, party favors, invitations, and other aspects of the event. In addition, it can also inspire some of the traditional gifts given to the couple on this special occasion. Gifts such as gold or rose gold jewelry and yellow roses.
Hopefully, these ideas for 50th wedding anniversaries can help create a memorable party! But if a huge party isn’t the right move, maybe a creative, intimate gathering will do the trick. Regardless, as long as friends and family members are present, it’ll be a good one.
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