Creative Gift Ideas for a Silver Anniversary
Shiny, happy, thoughtful presents for a 25th wedding anniversary or any special occasion
The traditional gift for a 25th wedding anniversary is silver—but my favorite gifts are traditional with an unexpected twist. So when my 25th anniversary came around, I dreamed up not one but 25 silver gifts for my husband Andy (well, two of them are really for our dog, Groot). The gifts range from small (silver-wrapped candies or silver leather shoelaces) to significant (a keepsake silver box filled with love notes).
If you or someone you love is celebrating a 25th anniversary, any one of these gifts would make a meaningful gift on its own, or you can assemble all 25 to mark the occasion. Or, unwrap one gift every day leading up to the anniversary, advent-calendar-style. (You could also forgo gifts all together and give your partner 25 notes, 25 promises, or 25 ideas of adventures to have over the next quarter century together.)
SHOP OUR FAVORITE SILVER SELECTS
I always say the best gifts are meaningful and personal to the recipient, and many of these follow that logic—some are engraved, monogrammed, or filled with a hidden note or message. Since they’re silver, all of these items look festive and elegant, too. They’d make ideal gifts not just for anniversaries, but for birthdays, weddings, showers, father’s or mother’s day or bridesmaid or groomsmen presents. They’re also good for a retirement party, if you know any silver foxes moving onto the next phase in their careers. Add a sweet note to whatever you choose to give, and these silver gifts become the gold standard in presents.
These glimmering gifts fell into a few specific categories:
ACCESSORIES
For the man who shines every day, consider:
A silver tie
A silver pocket square
Silver leather shoelaces
A shoehorn
Cufflinks. I had these airplanes personalized with our initials—a D on one plane and an A on the other, and also ordered these cufflinks which says “Sweetie.”
BARWARE
Invite your spouse to toast to your anniversary with:
Silver tequila (also called blanco) I liked this bottle because it came with a silver stopper.
Silver whiskey stones Freeze these and use them instead of ice so they don’t dilute drinks.
A silver flask I had this one engraved with all the things Andy has to toast (or that might drive him to drink): 25 years with me, 3 daughters, and one dog.
PET PRESENTS
If your spouse is anything like mine, a great way to make them happy is to make their best four-legged friend happy. Now Andy can treat Groot to “drinks” (in the form of squishy dog toys of course).
“Dogquila”
“Dog Perignon”
TRAVEL
These gifts let your spouse carry your love with them when they’re on the road:
Luggage Tags I had these printed with my drawing of a plane and some fun phrases. (Andy’s say “Safe Landings” and “I’ll miss you”, but you could have yours engraved with any saying.)
A silver Swiss Army knife (Just remember to pack it in your checked luggage, not a carry-on or it will get confiscated at security.)
A silver dollar keychain I created this one by using this kit and ordering a silver dollar from the year we were married. You can order coins from any year on Etsy or GovMint, and turn them into cufflinks, keychains or necklaces, frame them, or use them to fill penny loafers—select the year someone was born and they make a great birthday gift.
Silver swim goggles Since Andy loves to swim, these were perfect for him.
DESK ACCESSORIES
A silver keepsake dresses up any desk, bookcase or bedside table.
A heavy silver chain This piece of art doubles as a paperweight—and a reminder that everyone in our family is always linked together.
A large silver box I had this engraved with our initials, filled it with custom-wrapped chocolate squares.
A small box Engraved with XOXO, this can hold stamps or paperclips or 25 little love notes.
A silver pen It’s as useful as it is elegant, but this pen is not for filling out work forms! It’s engraved with the phrase “for love notes only.”
PERSONALIZED GIFTS
Almost every gift had a personal meaning, even if it was as simple as swim goggles because swimming is one of Andy’s hobbies. But I also had several items customized.
Tiny, portable frame I filled this with photos of us at our wedding and 25 years later.
A silver matchbox This is engraved with my drawing of us and the phrase “we’re a perfect match!”
Foil-wrapped chocolates These chocolate squares were covered in custom wrappers printed with our wedding portrait and our entwined initials. You don’t need pictures or drawings to personalize something silver, though—you can also customize an item with a phrase or symbol, like the XOXO on this little box.
CANDY
Candy makes any gift sweeter. Whether you’re using it to fill a silver box, or decorate your celebratory dinner table, silver-foil-wrapped candy fits the theme visually and metaphorically, celebrating the sweetness of life together.
Foil-wrapped hearts
Foil-wrapped stars
Foil-wrapped balls
Foil-wrapped chocolate pyramids
THE CARD
Finally, I’m a big believer that every present needs a card and that a card can be a present on its own. (I love saving cards—looking back on them always makes me smile.) I ordered these silver-tipped envelopes from Amazon and drew a card to go with them—my take on our wedding photo from 25 years ago.
