Fifty years of marriage is a landmark achievement for any couple. We’re happy to lift our glasses and cheer for you both! The 50th anniversary is also known as the golden anniversary: it’s associated with the precious metal that’s strong and resistant to corrosion, much like a long-lasting marriage.
If you’re lucky enough to have made it to this momentous occasion, why not throw a party? The party can include all your friends and family, or just the two of you celebrating a lifetime together. We’re here to help you determine what to do for this special day! Equally, if you’re hosting an anniversary party for your parents, grandparents, or aunt and uncle, then we can help you with that, too.
Party Ideas For Just the Couple
Wine Tasting
If you’re fortunate to live near a vineyard (or even if you don’t), enjoying a night of wine tasting can bring back the romance. Keep the love flowing by buying your favorite wine to take home with you.
Cruise
Call it a second honeymoon, and take a week away on the ocean. There, you can spend seven days romancing, relaxing, and soaking up the sun. Either go alone as a happily married couple or take a few friends along.
Cooking Class
What could be more romantic than devoting the evening to learning a new recipe? Spend your anniversary learning a few new skills and feeling close to your partner as you cook together. The new recipes can even be added to the family cookbook for the rest of those you love to learn as well.
Skydiving
For the adrenaline junkies, this is an amazing option. Skydiving is the kind of experience that might be at the top of your bucket list. This is perfect if you’re looking for something small but monumental.
City Break
Have you ever dreamed of visiting the Louvre in Paris, seeing the Rockets in New York, or riding a double-decker bus in London? A city vacation might be an ideal celebration for you, so dust off your passport and board a plane for your anniversary.
Formal Dinner at Home with Catered Food
You love and enjoy your home: it’s where you’ve spent many happy years together. Why not celebrate this golden anniversary with a catered dinner at your house? You can have your favorite food delivered and open a bottle of wine. This party time is right for those who want just a quiet evening at home.
Party Ideas to Include Family & Friends
Backyard Family Party
Have the whole family over for a backyard blowout. Depending on the time of year, you can pull out the BBQ (and apron), paddle pools, or basketball hoop. A backyard party can be as relaxed or over the top as you want.
Memory Lane
Fifty years is a long time; half a century to be exact! We suggest you decorate the venue with images and stories from every decade of the couple’s marriage, including milestone events from over the years, such as new homes, new babies, or fantastic trips.
Beach Party
Whether you own a beach house or rent one, a beach party will always make a splash with your guests. If the house is large enough to accommodate everyone staying there, it can become one big slumber party.
Gold Party
The golden anniversary is a perfect theme itself, so why not have all of your décor be gold-themed? This party theme allows you to gild any event location for a party with your friends and family in floor-to-ceiling gold. You could even dress in gold attire for the event.
Murder Mystery Party
Have your guests channel their inner Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple with a murder mystery party. Hire a company to help you set up the game or you can organize your own caper for guests to discover who the killer is. A bonus idea would be to hold a contest for the best-dressed costume on the night.
1950s-Themed Party
Who doesn’t love a retro party theme? Pull out the poodle skirts, leather jackets, and rock n’ roll records to enjoy the ‘50s. You and your friends can twist the night away while celebrating the future.
Family Reunion
As time passes, family members move away or get new jobs in another state, it happens. A family reunion is a fantastic reason to get everyone to meet up outside of the holidays. You can even get everyone matching t-shirts to wear for the event.
Renewing Your Vows
Say “I Do” once more, and reaffirm that you love each other even after all this time. Have a beautiful vow renewal at the same venue you were married 50 years ago. This time you can include any kids or grandkids that’ve joined your family since.
Cabin Retreat
If you’re more of an outdoors couple, then why not take everyone up to the mountains for a cabin retreat? You can turn off your phones, start a fire pit, and roast marshmallows while telling your stories about the happy couple!
Essentials for the Perfect Anniversary Party
Regardless if you’re hosting your own anniversary party or preparing an event for your parents, choosing a theme is just the first step. Next comes sending out the invites, selecting the decorations, and even putting together a custom gift registry for guests to choose from. We have options for everything you need to get the party started!
Party Invitations
If you’re having a party with all of your loved ones, then we’ve got the invitations for you! Depending on the party theme or the location, the details of your invitation will change. The important thing is to include the time, date, place, and a way for guests to RSVP to the anniversary party.
Party Event Supplies
When planning a party, it’s essential to enhance the event with the right party supplies. You can decorate to fit the theme, with pictures of the couple or items that have been important to the couple over the years. If you’re decorating for a surprise party, then it’s best to choose designs that are meaningful to the couple.
Gift Ideas
If you’re going to a 50th anniversary party for your parents, family friend, or other loved ones, it’s important to not show up empty-handed. Bring their favorite bottle of wine, a custom photo album from the decades together, or personalized pillows to put on their bed. It’s important to bring a gift to an occasion like an anniversary party, celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event with a custom gift that will set you ahead of the rest of the guests!
Congratulations again to the happy couple for making it fifty years! We all hope to have our marriages last that long. Depending on whether you’re planning the party for someone else or yourself, it can be hard to know where to start; hopefully this article has given you some guidance. We’re sure that no matter what theme you choose, the occasion will be phenomenal!
Lucy is a Content Specialist at Zazzle in Cork, Ireland. Originally from America, she is now settled in Ireland with her husband and Corgi-mix puppy Dug (yes, like from Disney’s UP!). It’s the simple things in life that matter, so give her a bag of M&M’s and she’s happy. She loves to relax with a good book, cozy up on the couch for a movie, or go to the park for a stroll with the family.
