After 49 years of marriage or partnership, you might not have quite reached the milestone of half a century.
But it’s still an incredible commitment to another person that deserves an incredible celebration.
About 49th Wedding Anniversaries
In just one more year, you and your partner will have been together for an entire half a century. This is an incredible achievement. But that doesn’t mean this year shouldn’t still be as special as it can be.
There are, surprisingly, no traditional gifts to celebrate 49 years in the US and the UK. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find something special between the two of you.
Even in the countries where there is a traditional gift, they are relatively obscure objects. Cedar, being a type of tree, is interesting. Especially as traditional usually dictates that gifts become more precious (and more luxurious and expensive) as the years go on.
Zircon is a stone you may have never heard of before. Zircon is a gemstone that is commonly found in the Earth’s crust.
Although these materials might seem a little strange, they do allow you some leeway when it comes to buying gifts. So make sure to read on for our guide to the best ways to celebrate your 49 years together, as well as the best gifts to mark the occasion.
5 Unique Ways to Celebrate Your 49th Wedding Anniversary
Return to the Place You Met or Where You Had Your First Date
If you’re saving your big celebration (such as that once in a lifetime trip) next year for your 50th, then this is the year to do smaller but more sentimental things.
Taking a trip to where you first met or where you had your first date is just that. It is a small action with huge meaning.
Do Something You Haven’t Done in Almost 50 Years
If going to where you met or where you had your first date isn’t an option, doing something that you used to do together is a great alternative.
Do Something You Have Always Wanted To
By now, you probably have your routines down. But, if after all that time you’re still feeling adventurous, then doing something completely new is a great idea.
Just Spend the Day Together
If you have busy lives, lots of commitments, and lots of friends and family members, you likely spend a lot of time with others. Your anniversary is a day for just the two of you.
So you can ignore all other commitments and just be together. Have breakfast in bed, go for a walk, play a board game, or do a puzzle. The day is just for the two of you.
Go Away for a Few Days
Even if you have a big party or a trip planned for your 50th anniversary, that doesn’t mean you can’t go on a small vacation now. It doesn’t have to be anywhere momentous.
But just a few days in a peaceful and beautiful place will be a tender way of celebrating your marriage.
5 Best Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Him
OUR TOP PICK
A watch is a very classic and traditional gift. If you invest in a good quality watch, then it will last a lifetime. Hopefully longer. Long enough at least to be passed onto someone else.
Watches are expensive gifts. But, if your partner has been wearing the same old watch for years, it might be time for a new one.
This is a classy gift that shows you care and love your partner but it isn’t such a big gesture that it will overshadow whatever you have planned for your 50th anniversary.
EDITORS CHOICE
This is a sentimental gift but is in keeping with some of the traditional symbols. Cedar is a different material to stick to when buying presents. A stone or a metal would be much easier but Zircon is not an especially luxurious gift.
If you can, find a wooden box made of cedarwood. Fill this box with memories, reasons why you love your partner, inside jokes, and other things that are special to your relationship.
Then, you can spend your anniversary looking through them. Or, whenever he is feeling down or if you have had a fight, he can open up the box and read one of the slips of paper. This will surely make things better.
BEST VALUE
This is a great gift by itself or along with the crystal cut glasses. Buying him a bottle of his favorite drink is a nice gift by itself.
But finding a bottle that is as old as your union is a nice touch.
RUNNER UP
A Bottle of His Favorite Drink
A bottle of your partner’s favorite whisky, wine, or liqueur could be just the thing to celebrate 49 years.
Bonus points if you find a bottle that has aged for 49 years.
RUNNER UP
If your partner is a smart dresser, he might enjoy a traditional pocket watch. It can be engraved with his initials.
Or the date of your wedding.
5 Best Wedding Anniversary Gifts for Her
OUR TOP PICK
This is a classic gift for any partner. Jewelry is a statement. Especially if you buy her something that is special to her.
You don’t want to be the cliché partner who just buys any old thing. So, if you decide to go for a classic gift. Try to make sure it is still special and sentimental.
EDITORS CHOICE
We have also included an orchid as a gift for the couple. But buying someone flowers is such a classic and romantic gesture that we couldn’t leave it out.
Orchids last a long time and are sturdy plants. So, if you have bought your partner a lot of flowers over the years, or regularly buy her flowers, gifting an orchid is a way of showing your affection in a different and more permanent way.
BEST VALUE
As you have been together for so long, you likely have a lot of shared memories. Creating a photo album or a book of all your memories together will be a treasured gift.
You can fill it with photos but also tickets from shows or concerts you saw together, one of your wedding invitations, or other small things that mean so much to the both of you.
RUNNER UP
An Experience
This is a great opportunity to gift your partner an experience she has always wanted but never had the chance to do.
This can be anything from a hot air balloon ride to simply traveling to somewhere she has always wanted to go.
5 Best Anniversary Gift for the Couple
OUR TOP PICK
Although it might not be the most romantic flower, an orchid is a fitting symbol for such a long union.
Orchids last a very long time. They are sold in pots of soil so they won’t wilt and die in a week or so, as cut flowers do.
A purple orchid can be kept in the home, planted in the garden, or left out in the pot in the garden or on a patio.
The orchid will act as a symbol of their long term commitment to each other. But also as a symbol of your commitment to them as a friend.
EDITORS CHOICE
If your friends have a large garden, a cedar tree would be a nice addition. You can choose a young tree or one slightly older that can be replanted.
Cedar is a symbol in some cultures for 49 years. So gifting a cedar tree would also act as a symbol of the couple’s union.
If planted in the garden, it will grow for (hopefully) many years to come. So it can be a sentimental but not saccharine symbol of their commitment and love for each other.
BEST VALUE
This is an elegant and traditional gift. It is also one that can be used for every anniversary in the future and become a new tradition.
RUNNER UP
No one will ever be disappointed with a bottle of champagne. Even if your friends don’t drink alcohol, there is plenty of delicious non-alcoholic champagne available.
Champagne is a classic celebratory gift that will definitely be appreciated.
RUNNER UP
Bake them a Cake or Make them Something Special
If you’re a keen amateur baker or crafter, making something for your friends would be a lovely gesture.
You can bake or make them something that symbolizes their relationship but also your friendship.
Tradition, Modern, and Symbolic Symbols and Gifts
Traditional Gift in the UK | None |
Traditional Gift in the US | None |
Traditional Gift in Spain | Zircon |
Traditional Gift in Germany | Cedar |
Traditional Gift in Russia | Cedar |
Traditional Gift in France | Cedar |
Traditional Gift in Italy | Zircon |
Flower Gift | Purple Orchids |
Gemstone Gift | Zircon |
Modern Gift | Luxury Gifts |
- History of Anniversary Gifts - June 30, 2021
- 27th year Anniversary Gifts - February 10, 2021
- 47th Anniversary Gifts - February 10, 2021