Start with their wedding photo
Most couples married before digital cameras have one or two wedding photos, and after decades in a frame or an album they have faded, yellowed or cracked. Restored and printed big, it becomes the gift that ends up on the mantelpiece.
BeforeAfter10 anniversary gift ideas for parents
- 1
Their wedding photo, restored and framed
Restore it, print it at 8×10 or 11×14, and frame it. If the only copy is small, it needs enlarging properly to print sharp.
- 2
Then and now, side by side
Their wedding photo next to a recent photo of the two of them, in a double frame.
- 3
Their wedding pose, recreated
Get them to restage their wedding photo in the same pose, ideally at the same place, and frame the pair. It is usually the most laughed-over gift of the day.
- 4
Their wedding photo in color
If their wedding was in black and white, a colorized copy shows the day as they remember it. Give the original with it.
- 5
A book of their marriage, decade by decade
Ten or twenty restored photos from each decade, in order, with a line under each. Ask the whole family to send photos.
- 6
A slideshow for the party
For a milestone party, a slideshow of their life together on the TV or projector. Small or old photos look soft on a big screen, so restore and enlarge the best ones first.
- 7
Their first home, then and now
An old photo of the first house or apartment they shared, beside how it looks today.
- 8
The whole family, recreated
An old family photo from when you were kids, restaged with everyone in the same places, grandchildren added.
- 9
Letters from the family
A short letter from each child and grandchild about a memory of them together, bound with a photo for each.
- 10
The front page from their wedding day
A reprinted newspaper front page from the day they married, framed beside their wedding photo.
Traditional gifts for milestone anniversaries
| Anniversary | Traditional theme | Photo idea |
|---|---|---|
| 25th | Traditional theme: Silver | Photo idea: Their wedding photo in a silver frame |
| 30th | Traditional theme: Pearl | Photo idea: A then-and-now pair in a pearl-white mat |
| 40th | Traditional theme: Ruby | Photo idea: Their wedding photo colorized, in a deep red frame |
| 50th | Traditional theme: Gold | Photo idea: A gold-framed restored wedding portrait, or a book of 50 years |
| 60th | Traditional theme: Diamond | Photo idea: A family portrait with every generation, beside the wedding photo |
Getting the photos without spoiling the surprise
- Ask a sibling or a grandparent. Wedding photos were often printed in several copies for family.
- Take the photo out of its frame on a visit, photograph it flat near a window with the flash off, and put it back.
- Check old albums, shared family albums and genealogy sites.
- Restore and print a couple of weeks before the date, and leave time for framing.
BeforeAfter