30th Wedding Anniversary Archives - Wedding Anniversary Advice

30 years of Marriage is something to be proud of especially in this day and age. We've been collecting together information about the different symbols, gift ideas and how each wedding anniversary is celebrated or represented and we think we've come up with some pretty good research. So what is the 30th wedding anniversary? The traditional 30th Wedding Anniversary gift is the Pearl, the modern equivalent is the Diamond.The modern wedding anniversary symbol likely changed for commercial reasons.The color of the 30th Wedding Anniversary is Coral.The traditional flower of the 30th Wedding Anniversary is the Lily. Like the other symbols for wedding anniversaries there is a mix of traditional symbolism and more modern commercialism surrounding the 30th Wedding Anniversary. We personally prefer the traditional reasons for having the Pearl purely for how romantic it is. https://youtu.be/yK0FXBCy0eo What is the traditional symbol for 30 years of marriage? The 30th Wedding Anniversary symbol is pearl The traditional symbol for the 30th wedding anniversary is the pearl. A pearl is considered a symbol of beauty which is cultivated over time as it grows within it's Oyster. The Oyster shell itself is considered ugly compared to the Pearl which lays inside it and this can be thought of in the same way as a thirty year marriage. After thirty years together things change, as a couple you have changed. Perhaps you are not as beautiful as you once considered? But the unity and love represented by a 30 year Wedding Anniversary shows commitment, patience, compromise and above LOVE! Within the imperfect shell that you may have become lies perfection. Your marriage is this perfection and is represented by the Pearl. What is the traditional gift for the 30th anniversary? Well just like other wedding anniversaries it is actually not necessary to give the gift of a Pearl or a Diamond this is just a tradition - it is perfectly acceptable to offer a gift that is related to Pearl or a Diamond even if this means that you offer a bottle of wine and wrap it in pearl wrapping paper - the symbolism is there. You could also choose to tie a bow around your present if the bow is pearl in color. Hand made gifts are perfect - what we also suggest though is that you actually put some thought and effort into the gift because it shows that you care, this is especially true for hand made gifts, put that extra time and effort into your idea. How to celebrate the 30th wedding anniversary 30 years is a respectable amount of years - a wedding is a big day, it is the day when two people come together with the intention of becoming life partners and everything that comes with that including all of the happy as well as sad times that life inevitably brings. So to celebrate this day after thirty years when the same couple are still together is a real achievement especially in this day and age when divorce is all too readily available it really is remarkable that two people still show commitment after all of this time. We've created a special post that gives you our recommendations for how to celebrate a wedding anniversary and this applies to the 30th anniversary just as well as any other.Our hat is off to you - by the way at the time of writing this post Eleanor and I have been married for 17 years and finding out all of this stuff about the traditions and gifts etc is a real eye opener, we're both really enjoying it. Traditional & Modern Wedding Anniversary Symbols When wedding anniversaries were first introduced only the big milestones were celebrated but due to western commercialisation this grew over time and 1937, the American National Retail Jeweler Association (now known as Jewelers of America as a result of an organizational merger) introduced an expanded list of gifts. Many people do not realize that there are in fact two symbols for most wedding anniversaries because there is a traditional version and a modern version. It is thought that this list was updated for commercial reasons or that the traditional list was too stuffy or out-dated. So for this reason the modern equivalent of the 30th Wedding Anniversary symbol is now considered the diamond. We personally think that the explanation behind the symbol of the Pearl is romantic and very apt, however a diamond - although beautiful - just seems like a commercial opportunity to make more money. If anyone knows of another reason then we'd love to hear it from you. The origins of the current gift conventions date to 1937. Before that, only the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries had an associated gift. In 1937, the American National Retail Jeweler Association introduced an expanded list of gifts. The revamped list gave a gift for each year up to the 25th, and then for every fifth anniversary after that. - source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_anniversary#cite_note-9 -also see: https://www.jewelers.org/gift-guides/anniversary-jewelry-guide we noticed Pearls have moved to the third wedding anniversary. Different countries have different symbols, usually between the US, UK and other English speaking countries but in the instance of the 30th Wedding Anniversary gift symbol it is the same - the Pearl or the Diamond. 30th wedding anniversary gifts for parents or friends You should pick something that shows you care for your parents, after all this is a really special day for them and although it is their day and not yours, you are their offspring and it is really touching to show that you respect their longevity and commitment to each other after all of this time.Remember that although these gifts are not related to Pearls or Diamonds you can always find a way to present them in some way connected to the tradtion of Pearl or modern symbol of the Diamond - a Pearl bow or wrapping paper is perfectly acceptable. Some gift ideas for parents (or grandparents) are: A collated DVD loaded with well wishes from friends and familyA family portrait complete with hand written well wishes which can be included within the framePersonalized wine or or celebratory drink - Cava or ChampagnePersonalized crystal cut glasses engraved with a heartfelt message to the your parentsComparison pictures from the year they were married compared with today presented as either a single portrait / photograph or a collageA treat trip back to their original honeymoon locationA party with family and friendsLilies - after all the Lily is the traditional flower for the 30th! These are just the ones we came up with off the top of our head, you can search the internet for more and find lots of great gifts or better still create something yourself if you are able. We've also put together a list of recommendations which you can see here. 30th wedding anniversary gifts for him Although men are supposed to be quite 'blokey' when it comes to gifts not everyone is the same and a thoughtful gift which you put your heart into will mean a lot to him. Give him something more thoughtful than a personalise wallet or something. Here's some of our ideas: A trip to a Coral Reef somewhere - if you have the money! Coral is the traditional color of the 30th Wedding Anniversary so this, although expensive, is quite apt!Tattoo - it's not for everyone but show her you care by getting a celebratory tattoo for the occasionA video message - this is something that can be kept for a long time rather like a photo but (and this really is just our opinion) men don't notice ornaments and photographs perhaps as much as women do and so to be able to refer to a video, especially if it's in a format that is not easy to destroy - present it within a card or as a gift in a Pearl package (traditional) so he can break it out - it will mean a lot.Revisit your honeymoon location For more gift suggestions for him see our recommended list of ideas by clicking here. 30th wedding anniversary gifts for her Go girly or not, it really depends what type of a person she is. These are just a few ideas of the top of our head, a quick Google search shows so many gifts it can make your head wobble! However, we strongly believe that a gift should be personal and by that we mean putting effort and thought into it, she will be really touched, trust us! Lilies - after all the Lily is the traditional flower for the 30th!A trip to a Coral Reef somewhere - if you have the money! Coral is the traditional color of the 30th Wedding Anniversary so this, although expensive, is quite apt!PearlsDiamondsPictures of your wedding day combined with modern pictures to show how you have both changed, put these either in a frame or in a photo book.Renew your vowsLeave her a video message and present it as a gift so she will never lose it (see gifts for him above) For more gift suggestions for her see our recommended list of ideas by clicking here. People also ask: What advice do I give the bride? We answered this in our blog post "Marriage advice for the bride" where we give you a complete and honest answer from investigating what advice people who have been married for many years would give. Also see what is the 20th wedding anniversary gift and what is the 40th wedding anniversary gift