Why give anniversary gifts to parents?
If you’re a thoughtful kid, your parents already know to likely expect a great gift from you on their birthdays, Christmas, and Mother’s/Father’s day. But if you really want to surprise them, why not give them a unique anniversary gift as well? 🎁 A parent’s anniversary is a special day, but it’s one more often than not neglected by their offspring. At Flytographer, we believe in celebrating your story, which includes the occasion of proclaiming one’s love officially to the world. Showing appreciation for this unique bond of your parents is truly special.
Everything starts with a date. And it’s not necessarily only a wedding date that counts, but first date nights, engagements, moving in together, or even the date of the first declaration one made to the other are extra special key moments. This one is on you — if you don’t already know the most important date for their relationship, try to find out … discreetly. 🤫
Now, the question is, what thoughtful gift to give? Don’t worry. We’ve got your back, as always. Here at Flytographer, we have five personalized ideas for the best anniversary gifts for parents – moms, dads, and step-parents included.
TLDR
(A little sneak peek just for you 😊)
- A romantic getaway or staycation: An extra special gift that won’t go unnoticed!
- Celebrate with family, friends, and loved ones: Happiness is real when shared! The perfect gift might just be a family trip or a special party.
- Capture their love with a Flytographer photoshoot: A special keepsake that will last a lifetime.
- Gifting a personalized photo book: Now that your parents have photos from their Flytographer session, you can pair the anniversary present with a stunning photo book.
- Picture frames, prints, & wall art: The perfect way to highlight a special occasion and adds depth to the moment being portrayed.
Photo: Andrea on the Amalfi Coast for Flytographer. Cameron and their family celebrate their trip to the Amalfi coast with a family photoshoot.
1. A romantic getaway or staycation
Honeymoons don’t need to happen only once. A good vacation is always an excuse for a celebration … or is it the other way around? 🤔 Studies show that couples who travel together are happier and more satisfied with each other. The shared experience of a trip is the perfect way for them to reconnect on new levels and discover new things about one another that often go unnoticed during the fast pace of the daily routine. Needless to say, whether a weekend getaway or a far-flung vacation, time in a new place together is one of the best anniversary gifts for parents.
Photo: Elina in Amsterdam for Flytographer. Chantaine and partner capture memories in Amsterdam with a photoshoot at The Jordaan.
Legendary romantic getaways
Real talk, life together after a number of years of marriage can sometimes become a little … boring. But romance and spark can always be reawakened in legendary getaways such as Paris, Venice, Bali, or any of these awe-inspiring locations where you can’t help but fall in love all over again. Big vacations are extra special for significant milestones, like a 25th anniversary, for instance.
For travel lovers, experiences can be the perfect gift, and speak louder than material things, especially if the experiences can be shared with their significant other. If paying for a giant vacation isn’t in the cards, you can offer the thoughtful gift of planning it all. You can help them to define their travel itinerary and choose sightseeing spots. 🗺 This can be as fun as the trip itself. (Well, almost!)
But remember it’s a good idea not to over-pack your folks with activities. Leave them space to explore and wander by themselves — getting a little lost in a new city can be the best way to find yourself. 😉
Photo: Zuzana in Dubai for Flytographer. Christian and partner capture memories in Dubai with a photoshoot in the Dubai Desert.
Local “Staycation”
You don’t need to go too far. There’s always a local treasure worth exploring. Just think about your parent’s common interests or hobbies for a more personalized anniversary gift. If they’re into wine, look for a vineyard near them with a good wine pairing program. Maybe they’re the outdoorsy types. Then what about booking them a romantic lodge in the woods?
Even in their hometown, you can gift them a staycation by booking a fantastic local experience, such as a weekend at the best hotel in town or a historical tour. An extra special touch would be to call the venue of choice for the celebration or their hotel in advance and tell them it’s your parent’s anniversary. Most places can prepare something appropriate for the occasion, like a small gift box, a welcoming champagne bucket, or a candlelight dinner.
Photo: Cheryl in Miami for Flytographer. LaCole and their partner capture memories together on a hometown photoshoot in Miami.
2. Celebrate with family, friends, and loved ones
You know very well that happiness is only real when shared — with you, of course.
Family Trip
It’s your parent’s anniversary, but you don’t need to be left out of this special occasion altogether. If they’re up for it, you can join them on their trip or even make it a multigenerational experience by bringing your little ones, if you have them, or your siblings and their kids. Being with close family is in itself a celebration of their union and a perfect gift. Just be sure to ask them if it’s okay to join the vacation. You don’t want to spoil the romance if you know what we mean.
Photo: Enzo in Honolulu for Flytographer. Kimberly and family capture memories in Honolulu with a photoshoot at Waialae Beach Park.
Throw them a party
If you’re prepping for the 25th anniversary, 30th anniversary, or any milestone anniversary, you can go big. 🎉 These are such special occasions that you can throw them a really splashy anniversary party. Invite the entire family, their neighbours, and friends. The key is to gather the special people that were always there throughout their years of marriage.
Parties are an excellent opportunity to tell their story to loved ones and make the couple themselves revisit significant dates, like the day they met or the day you came into their lives, for instance. And you can go very visual with these memories, using some of their videos and photographs and arranging them in a slideshow. But be careful not to go too personal and over-share with this gift idea. It’s a party, not Oprah’s couch, so skip details that might be inappropriate or inside jokes that no one else will get. Always focus on the positive. 📽
A lovely party is an excellent stage for them to renew their wedding vows in a ceremony, especially if they’re reaching a milestone anniversary. The renewal honours a new phase in their lives and shows their commitment to their bond to grow ever stronger. 🥂 And your parents’ big milestone anniversary? What better excuse to throw a big party?
Photo: Madison in Jackson Hole for Flytographer. Lucinda and their family capture memories on a trip to the Grand Teton National Park with a family photoshoot.
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3. Capture their love with a Flytographer photoshoot
Your parents’ anniversary is yet another opportunity to create more visual history for a relationship. It’s another stage in a couple’s lives, another extra special milestone. They’ll certainly want to remember how they looked and how happy they felt on that special day. Have you ever thought of gifting them this happy memory with a day filled with love and fun, crowned with a Flytographer photoshoot? 📸 👑
With a Flytographer gift card for a first-time photo session, this anniversary gift idea can make the celebration of their wedding date memorable in a very different way. It can be used on the very date of your parent’s anniversary and the photoshoot can be done in places that are backgrounds for their love story. Maybe at the place where they met, their first kiss, or the proposal spot. It will be up to them to choose their meaningful locations, which is also a celebration of their story.
You might also suggest that they capture their everyday activities, such as reading on the couch, a stroll in the park, or cooking together. Small doses of love also live in the ordinary bits of our lives. We may be biased, but this is one of our personal favourite anniversary gifts for parents.
Photo: Nadine in Cape Town for Flytographer. My-Chau and partner celebrate their anniversary in Cape Town with a photoshoot at Signal Hill.
4. Gift them a personalized photo book
Now that your parents have the beautiful photos from their Flytographer session, you can complement the anniversary present with a stunning photo book of their experience. They make fantastic wedding anniversary gifts and the perfect keepsake. 📔
When most images live on our screens nowadays, a gorgeously-designed physical book they can hold in their hands and take their time flipping pages could be just the thing that makes them reconnect to happy memories. A book also makes it fun to “show and tell” with other family members and loved ones. A personalized photo book is a thoughtful gift worthy of a special place in their home, a piece to be admired not just by mom and dad but by everyone that comes to visit.
A custom Celebrate photo book is a fabulous choice for anniversary gifts for parents. They are unique, extra special, and eye-catching, something that really tells your parents’ love story and represents how much you value them.
5. Picture Frames, Prints & Wall Art
Do you want to know another good way to highlight your parents’ anniversary? Put a frame on it! 🖼 A nicely designed photo frame is a stunning object and a perfect gift that adds depth to the moment being portrayed. It can draw more attention to a meaningful photograph on your wall or side table just as it does to an artwork hanging on a museum wall.
Photo frames come in all styles, so it might not be easy to pick one. The important thing here is to choose one that matches their home decor and does not steal focus from the picture. Literally. A composition of different frames is an idea for a unique anniversary gift for the love birds. Create an elegant gallery wall in their living room or bedroom. And they’re not just for pictures. You can be creative with a thoughtful DIY and use meaningful things that tell stories about your parents’ love, such as their written vows or an old love note. 💌
But let’s focus on what matters: the composition of the pictures. You can print pictures from their Flytographer session or add some diversity with pictures from the beginning of their relationship or even wedding photos. And why not combine this gift set with pictures of you and your siblings? You’re also part of their journey. For a nice storytelling touch, you can organize them chronologically to create the timeline of a love story.
Photo: Mary and Maurizio in Amalfi Coast for Flytographer. Pamela and partner capture memories on the Amalfi Coast with a photoshoot.
Anniversary gifts for parents
Sometimes a happy anniversary card isn’t enough to express your appreciation for your parents. Gestures usually speak louder than words. Now that you’re all grown up, it’s your chance to give something extra special to that special couple!
No matter where in the world they are, book a Flytographer photo session and make your parent’s next anniversary a special day to remember.
We bet they’ll fall in love all over again. 😍
“This was such an amazing shoot! Spyros is a storyteller. He is warm and his eye is brilliant. My wife and I have been wedding photographers for 12 years, Spyros made us so comfortable. We also learned some things from him. We left our shoot feeling inspired to create. Once we received our pictures we were blown away!”
David
“I’m truly blown away by our experience with Bree. She’s incredibly talented, so funny, and just all-around someone who knows what they are doing and you can tell really really enjoys her artistry. Bree took us from awkward, a little shy, and uncomfortable in front of the camera people to full-blown models, the confidence she gave me in her direction and her natural ability to bring people out of their shells while also capturing us in our truest form is something I will never be able to thank her for enough.”
Bailie
“A very enjoyable experience. Meeting and talking with Francis, our photographer, was like meeting an old friend. We walked about Quebec City talking and taking pictures as if we were tourists having fun together. We think that is why the pictures came out so naturally. Relaxed as the time with him was, his expertise clearly is demonstrated by the quality of the finished product.”
Shirley & Tom
