40th Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas

Reaching a 40th anniversary is rare. It deserves celebration—whether quiet or with others. If you're thinking about a gift, here are some options.

Some gift ideas

The traditional gemstone for a 40th anniversary is the ruby. Rubies symbolize passion and lasting love—fitting for a relationship that has lasted four decades.

A ruby ring, necklace, bracelet, or earrings works well for a wife. For a husband, consider ruby cufflinks or a tie clip. Rubies catch light and become something worn daily, a quiet reminder of commitment.

Spend the day doing something you both enjoy. Toast each other with sparkling red wine to mark the occasion.

The 40th wedding anniversary is also called the Ruby Anniversary. If traditional gifts don't appeal, there are other ways to mark the day based on what the couple actually enjoys and values.

Plan a picnic in a private spot with red paper plates and cups. Pack everything in a covered basket with a red tablecloth. Bring nasturtium flowers, the traditional flower for the 40th anniversary.

Include songs from the year they married, plus their "special song." Download them to play during the picnic.

Buy tickets to a favorite sports event, movie, theater, or concert. Present them in a ruby red box tied with matching ribbon.

For travel lovers, consider a trip to Ruby Falls in Tennessee, the Ruby Mine in Cherokee, North Carolina, the Ruby River in Utah or Washington State, or the Ruby Golf Course in the Bahamas.

A keychain made from an uncirculated penny from the anniversary year is small and meaningful—something they'll use and remember.

Personalized Belgian chocolate with a ruby red message appeals to someone with a sweet tooth.

A visit to memory lane

Spend a weekend in the town or place where they met. Revisit spots they used to frequent, restaurants they loved, and the location of their first kiss. Talk about what those places meant to them.

Create a memory album. Gather photos from their wedding, children, grandchildren, trips, homes, and pets over the years. Ask family and friends to contribute written stories to go with the photos.

Write a poem about your relationship and frame it in ruby red ink. Or ask family members to each create a quilt square that can be sewn into a blanket—a keepsake for warmth and memory.

Go on a second "first date"

Remember the nerves and excitement of that first date? The effort to impress?

Recreate that feeling for the 40th anniversary. Dress in red. When you arrive, recall what you said to each other, how you felt, what was at stake. Talk about how your love has grown and changed.

Renewing your vows

A vow renewal reaffirms commitment. Keep it private with just the two of you, or include family and friends with a gathering afterward.

If you host a reception, set up a wish tree. Paint a large branch ruby red and decorate it with ornaments, ribbons, and glitter. Hang photos of important moments and pictures of loved ones. For a surprise, hang tickets for a trip or gift certificates to favorite restaurants.

Decorate with ruby tablecloths, ruby glitter on centerpieces, red balloons on chairs, ruby candles, and nasturtiums in red vases. Consider renting red-tinted china and glassware.

Gift ideas for the happy couple

Print a favorite photo of the couple in a red frame, wrap it in ruby red paper, and tie it with ribbon.

Personalize the photo with their names, wedding date, and a message. Wedgewood makes a Crimson Jewel Photo Frame in bone china with Chinese flowers on an imperial red background—good for a mantelpiece or side table.

For whiskey lovers, Macallan Ruby Whiskey is a thoughtful gift. Its color echoes the shade of rubies in crown jewels.

Ruby chocolate ganache truffles are light and fruity with a dark chocolate shell—a good choice for chocolate lovers.

A red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls serves eight and can be topped with a festive cake topper.

A red mug with a saying about marriage, paired with assorted hot cocoa, teas, and cookies in a decorated basket, is personal and practical.

Frame the front page of a newspaper from their wedding day, with a personal message. Or gather photos from the couple or ask friends and family for theirs, and put them in a decorated, personalized album.

An embroidered pillow cover with their names, the date, and a message can be made yourself or ordered. It will remind them of their life together.

Personalized crystal champagne flutes engraved with "Mr. and Mrs." and the marriage date are thoughtful. Pair them with a bottle of champagne.

For a 40th anniversary during COVID-19

Pandemic restrictions can make large gatherings difficult. Limits on group size, reduced restaurant seating, or takeout-only service complicate planning. But there are still ways to mark the occasion.

Ruby red paperweights engraved with a name and date can be ordered online and delivered with a gift card. Red candleholders with scented candles ship directly as well.

Send a red vase with flowers to their home. Attach a gift card for a favorite restaurant, wrapped in red ribbon, to the arrangement.

Host a virtual party on Facetime or Zoom where the couple opens gifts while everyone watches. Play their favorite song and raise a glass for a toast. Or organize a "card party" where everyone sends cards with gift cards, money, or restaurant certificates for takeout. Flood them with messages and well-wishes.

Reaching a 40th anniversary is an accomplishment worth celebrating, however you do it.

References

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A 40th wedding anniversary, called the Ruby Anniversary, celebrates four decades of shared life. It includes memories, challenges, and growth. It matters to the couple, their families, and friends as a mark of a relationship that has lasted.