Was invited to an a 25 year anniversary party for a close friend of mine and I need some ideas for a gift. I do not want to give just money, Anyone real creative with the 25 year anniversary(silver)?

thanks

P.s. I do have plenty of time to put something together, party isn't until August, if that helps.

While not real creative, I think picture frames are always a timeless gift, there are some very nice polished nickel / silver ones available.

Additionally, a silver dollar money tree would be nice.

Possibly a donation in their name to a worthwhile charity if they seem to have everything or the invitation says no gifts?

dl

Although I'm not a big fan of gift cards, how about a gift certificate to a nice restaurant? I would advise against buying any pre-made "25th Anniversary" gifts. Most of them end up in a drawer or in a thrift shop. I have a couple that I display...only because the people who gave them to me come here a lot. LOL

How to Make a Wedding Towel Cake from Thinkwedding.com! How about a towel cake with silver ribbon and money? These are really beautiful and the cake (towels) will remind them of the wedding.

I agree. And I would also discourage giving picture frames -- we got a ton of them for our 25th anniversary and didn't use a single one of them since I had already accumulated the picture frames I wanted myself over the years

Actually, the gifts we appreciated the most were restaurant gift cards

How about a memory book - if you know (or could find out) the people who will be at the party, you could email them and ask for a few memories/short paragraph from each. Then as they respond, put their responses on to a nice font, print it on nice paper, and mount it into your memory book!

I did this for my step mother-in-law and FIL's silver anniversary. It was a big hit, and everyone passed it around at the party, and they STILL keep the book out on their coffee table years later!

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I totally agree. Our 25th anniversary is coming up, and I would much prefer a restaurant gift certificate to a picture frame or some other item stamped 25th anniversary. A bottle of wine or champagne would also be nice, if the couple enjoys that.

Before my parents said "ABSOLUTELY NO PARTY" for their 50th annivesary, we were going to request that the quests in lieu of gifts bring 50 pennies (a roll of pennies) which would the amount "collected" would be donated to Mom and Dad's favorite charity (local library).

I would suggest a gift card, bottle of wine/champagne or gift basket (with "stuff" you know the couple likes). Or a donation in their name to their favorite charity....

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I would suggest a restaurant gift card. At least that is what I would enjoy. I would think that if they had been married 25 years they were probably retired, maybe on a fixed income, even if not that old in these economic times there is not alot of money for extras like eating out. Eating out is an extra that people can enjoy, but you don't do it unless you have EXTRA money. A picture frame, more junk around the house, they have been married 25 years, they have probably accumulated plenty of stuff over the years. Or maybe a gift card to a store so they can pick something out for the house or yard, if you don't want to give cash.

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visit my homepage http://penny.mycoupons.com/

If you can get or know a number of the people who will be attending, how about the "memory book" idea with everyone contributing a "memory" to the book(basically free for them but possibly priceless to the anniversary couple), then also having those same guests contribute money and you all go in together and get them a weekend get-away--maybe a B&B somewhere or something along those lines.

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"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope." Anonymous

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I saw this in a catalog I received yesterday...I want one!...I thought it was so cute! I just liked it because it's very unique. Here's the link:


What on Earth - A Collection Of Fun Wear & Delightful Diversions

They also have one of a heart with names in the sand...I think I might get DH that for our 19th anniversary coming up!

What on Earth - A Collection Of Fun Wear & Delightful Diversions


~Lisa

Oh, I think this is the BEST idea. The memory book would probably be put away in a closet at my house (although it would be pulled out often), but the weekend getaway is WONDERFUL!

DH and I planned a great vacation to a resort in the Mexican Mediterranean for our 25th. Then hurricane Wilma came along and cancelled everything. No flights, no hotels, NADA. We always thought we'd book it again, but of course never have. We ended up doing absolutely nothing for our 25th. I think that the idea of sending them somewhere for a weekend is wonderful. It doesn't have to be anywhere exotic. Just somewhere around the area they live in (that way they wouldn't have to use a lot of gas, either). Just getting away is a great thing.

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Linda

Nothing with silver, for starters. Like another poster said, at 25 years married couples usually have decorated their house the way they like. Most likely, more sit-a-rounds are not welcome.

I like the memory book espcially if people have good FUNNY stories to tell and someone can write well. When you ask others for funny stories make sure they understand that you or somone else will be editing the submission. You will be shocked at how poorly some people express themselves. Old photos would be great too. Those 70's hair-dos are always fun to look at.

Personaaly, please don't donate in my name. It may be politically incorrect to say but donating in my name says you either think I have too much of everything already or you do not know me well enough to give me something I would enjoy. Yes, I want to save the whales, feed starving children, plant a tree in Israel but today it is my anniversary (birthday, retirement, get well etc) and I would like a gift!

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Lyn Clarke

I can't help but comment on the "silver 25th anniversary" items. My in-laws received enough of the "silver 25th anniversary" items that they actually bought a corner curio cabinet for ALL of it - it is like a shrine in the corner of their dining room! And my mil does not use anything in that cabinet - it is for "SHOW" only! I just roll my eyes everytime I see it! And I just know she will "give" us something in 5 years when we have our 25th - great I'm sure it will be something out of the shrine cabinet.

I like the memory book idea. Or you could ask others you know to email you pictures of the couple and make a DVD. It is simple enough to do, you can have the pictures playing to their wedding song.

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We celebrated our 25th last year. Our family and friends got together and surprised us with a party. We did get a couple of frames, but, mostly money. We got tickets to the Bristol Nascar race as a gift, so most everyone thought money would be a good idea to help fund the plane tickets and hotel. We did also get 25 lottery scratch tickets, which I thought was on original idea. Wish we had won big with them.....

Wow....thanks for all the great ideas!!!!

We did a memory jar for my parents. Same idea as the book except when I printed them out I cut them in strips and folded them up into a big glass jar I got at Pier 1. The jar sits on the table and every so often we would just grab out a few and read them and laugh. As other occasions came up (70th birthday, etc.) I asked my siblings and their kids to write a few more memories to be added to the jar. It was a huge hit for everyone.

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*******If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
But if life gives you limes....make margaritas!!!*******

Your post made me chuckle. We are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, and I just turned 49.
I am a long way from being retired, but looking forward to my AARP discount!

Have not scrolled through all the posts here, but here's how I figured out what to give to dh for our 25th.
Swans are a symbol of fidelity, they mate for life. Find some kinda animal that is faithful and mates for life. See if you can find some kinda small silver (or plated) type thing with that theme.
Also, for the past 10 years I've given dh some sorta bluebird to attach to our *bluebird tree* lamp ( that I bought from Hallmark years ago). Tried to re-iterate the *bluebird of happiness* theme for us ;-)
When couples reach that 20 year hallmark, they are more tired and broke than ever (at least for us middle income folks ;-), so all the suggestions for GC's sounded great to moi-self.
MZ

Some of these ideas are really good, gonna pass them along to my friends.

I would think that if they had been married 25 years they were probably retired.

Me too! We're celebrating our 28th in a couple of months, but are not ready (well, maybe ready, but not able) to retire yet. And we got married late in life ... I was 28! That made me 53 on my 25th anniversary. OK, I know some people retire at that age (my sister, the orthopedic surgeon, for one), but not MOST of us!

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Linda

My aunt & uncle live far away from us. Since we were unable to attend the party I sent a usable gift.
For their 25th anniversary I sent a huge decorative glass jar full of silver Hershey Kisses.
I purchased the jar at St. Vincent de Paul, washed it up, addes silver ribbons and silver flowers...it looked professionally done.
They placed the jar on their guest sign-in table at their party.
It was a hit!
I have since used that idea in a smaller version for 25 and 50th anniversaries. Hershey makes gold colored kisses!

Going a bit off topic...but I've been married 30 years and am far from retirement.
I'm 54 and have a few more good years left (I hope!).