Forget the Silver - Gift Ideas for Your Parents' 25-Year Anniversary

First is paper, 10th is tin, 25th is silver, 50th is gold (and 90th is granite!)... wedding anniversaries call for traditional gifts of such designated materials. If your parents' 25th wedding anniversary is coming up, they get silverware or something exciting like that.

If you want to change it up, however, there are a variety of alternative gifts to go for.

I like to go for something personalized, such as photos. You can create a slideshow or photo book to present at an anniversary party with photos of your life as well as the life of their marriage. Put their favorite song in the background and you're all set for tears... or grimaces. (Hint: It's also fun to have an anniversary trivia game to see who knows most about the marriage!) You can also create a photomobile or another way to display pictures; they even have ways to display them in room dividers. Finally, there are great personalized items you can purchase, such a clocks, message-in-a-bottles (with a special message engraved or placed inside), frames, and more!

If you want to spend a little more, go ahead and buy them a trip. Cruises are a great way for them to try something new, and maybe without the rest of the family. They may offer great food, rock climbing, stops at exotic and exciting places, and comfy sleeping quarters...

If you want to keep things active, try taking them skydiving or something else exciting. What a great way to sightsee and reaffirm youth and a lust for living!

For those who are more grounded, going to a new restaurant can be very exciting. They've never been to sushi? Try to show them what they've been missing out on, possibly right under their nose.

You most likely want to get your parents something they can enjoy together and spend more time with each other completing or participating in. Shows or concerts are great ways to achieve this.

Also, any anniversary after the 20th is when the couple will include other people in the anniversary celebration. Let them tag along, or plan an anniversary party.

For a twist on the silver theme, you can take them on a trip to Idaho, the heart of SIlver Country, to help them find genuine silver products for each other. Let them stay in the Little Silver Country Hotel in Kent as well for a great trip to Europe.

Finally, you can investigate where or how they met and create a gift for them based on the origins of their relationship.