Children's wedding anniversaries

We have our Golden Wedding anniversary this year. One friend sent us a 'food parcel'. She went round the supermarket buying anything with a golden theme. Biscuits, tea bags, flower seeds, beer and wine were just some of the things in it.

Our children have arranged for us to have lunch in one of the concrete forts built in the Solent in the mid-19th century to protect Portsmouth. For 30 years we have been going past them regularly and commenting on them as we travel in a Brittany ferry on our way to our house in France. We will now watch the ferry we usually catch as it goes by the fort.

To be honest I think that anneversaries are between me & DH. I would only really think gifts from others might arrive if we threw a big party for a milestone one, and even at that, a bottle of fizz would do!

If we werent throwing a big celebration, even for a milestone one, then I wouldnt be expecting gifts from anyone excepr DH.

Tish thank god I thought it was just me!! No I only send a card, as far as I'm concerned it's between them. I will however babysit for them.?

A tree or shrub if they have a garden. Many have the name silver in their title.

Two of our friends gave us a silver birch tree for our silver wedding which has thrived in our garden and is now very tall (we have been married for 52 years).

Perhaps a silver tree or plant for their garden? Size of plot would make a difference so if you don't want to go for a silver birch there are wonderfully named roses, one of which could turn out to be especially appropriate

When it was my son & Dil's 25th 2 years ago we gave them some very nice glassware in grey and black and money for a meal. Another idea would be to get a photo album and put a £10 (or £5/£20) note in opposite photos through the years. Someone once did this as a wedding gift (minus the photos) and the couple were in awe when they opened it!

I generally give them a card and send flowers for other years.

I have in the past made special 'hampers' up for both silver and gold wedding anniversaries...

These have included lots of items - in the relevant colour, for example:
A packet of gold foil-wrapped teabags, Terry's All-Gold Chocolates, Photo Frame, Pens, even a metallic washing up sponge, a box of pretty notelets with gold envelopes (perfect for writing Thank You notes for other anniversary gifts received) Vouchers etc.
All the items were tastefully packaged in a handmade gold-coloured hamper box. I also included a Poem I had written about the couple.
The present showed that I had put thought into each item, making sure I bought them items I knew they would use and that I had also spent some time gathering all the little gifts together, purchasing things when I came across anything I thought would be useful to or appreciated by them.

It’s their anniversary, not yours, why would you give the a gift? A card perhaps but that’s all.... did/do they give you a gift on your wedding anniversary.... sorry if that sounds mean!

We always send A nice card and put money into our dd bank account so they can go for a meal. They can't afford to go out often so this goes down well.

We got a rose called ‘ Silver Wedding’ ( many moons ago!), so I’ve given that on occasions. Maybe that with a meal/theatre/spa voucher?

I've never been big on Wedding Anniversaries except the "Special ones".

My DM is 90 next year & has said she doesn't want presents but she is going to request donations to Yorkshire Air Ambulance, like it or not she will get a present from her DGGSs as DD has said they're too young to want to give money instead of a present

Witzend disagree about John Lewis vouchers, I never shop there but M & S

I should have written key “fobs.”

I feel quite mean now, but I only get token gifts just to mark the occasion. First year, paper, I found a card with a pop-up heart, cotton was a tea towel with the anniversaries printed on, leather I had key find embossed with the latitude and longitude of the place where they married, wood was a disc of wood with a constellation marked on it and stars cut out with the each family name next to one. This year is iron so I have two small cast iron love birds for their garden. I need to up my game!

The only anniversary I gave my children a gift for was their first wedding anniversary, after that it was a nice card only. My daughter is now a single parent and was told that gifts from her ex in laws 'belonged' to my ex son in law, despite them being given to both of them on the anniversary. If either of my children reach their Silver Wedding Anniversary (my son has twenty years to go and DD would be starting from scratch) I would get vouchers for them so they could choose what they spent it on.

The loveliest Silver wedding anniversary present that we
received was a bag with 25 Spring bulbs along with 25 ‘silver’ horseshoes, wishbones etc. 20 years later I still have some of the bulbs and occasionally when I’m gardening I dig and reveal a ‘silver’ trinket and it reminds me of the very dear friend who bought us the gift. And so, something that will last for many years and be a wonderful reminder of you!

Why not do them a “photo book” easy to do on the internet or you can do them in many photo shops. All you need is a lot of photographs of people special to them and special occasions over the years - I did one for my mum and dad’s Ruby Anniversary and they said it was far the best present they got. The best thing with photo books you can add writing and make it so personal, so much fun when doing it. I have done quite a few over the years and they are so special.

Every anniversary - not reached 25 yet - a personal card designed by OH, a bottle of champagne and we have the GC overnight so they can have a 24 hour freedom pass to celebrate together. It seems to be appreciated - especially the 24 hour pass

I found a cheque in a card ticks the box. Most couples will have had the necessary when they set up home.With money they can please themselves.

I like Lemon's idea! Are they making a big thing of it, or is it low-key? Take the cue from them. An anniversary is for the couple to celebrate their relationship.

It doesn’t have to be actual silver, silver coloured photo frames, a lovely bouquet of pale flowers tied up with silver ribbon, vouchers ( for anything) in a silver envelope.

I have always bought a present according to the theme for the year. Cotton anniversary I bought them some new bedding. This year their 10th is tin so I have decided to cover a box in nice paper and fill it with favourite foods and drink in tins . You get the picture,! It means they have had some unexpected presents over the years

We had our Ruby anniversary last year and invited family and close friends to share a meal with us.
A local restaurant did us a good deal when we explained that we were footing the entire bill but asking our guests to put a donation into a box we had on the day.
The money then went to a street children charity we have supported for a long time.
The box contained more or less what we had paid but the money went to a good cause.
Yes we paid out of our own pocket but it did 'advertise' the charity and a couple of folks have since started supporting them so good has come out of it and it was more fun than just sending them a cheque!
As far as our DS x 2 and DD are concerned we just send cards as on 'normal' years they don't even remember! They only remembered the Ruby because of the free food!

Theatre, restaurant or hotel voucher?

It wasn't a big anniversary , but when Gdd was still a baby I booked them dinner, bed and breakfast (plus a lie-in!) in a nice local hotel - and Dh and I babysat overnight. I did ask first whether they'd like it.

If yours still have young-ish children, would that be an option?

When all else fails, John Lewis vouchers are good IMO. Must be a very odd person IMO who can't find something they'd like in JL!

We paid for our son and DiL to go to a spa for a day. We have also bought them Theatre vouchers. One year I found a voucher that could be exchanged for three different options including dinner on the River Thames.