Why are anniversary gift ideas so unremittingly shite?

[EoinMcLovesCakeJumper]

My parents' wedding anniversary is coming up at the end of this month. It'll be their 48th, so you can imagine that I've had a lot of years of trying to come up with something original that they'll both like (they have almost nothing in common. I have no idea how they've lasted this long). I went online to search for inspiration, but everything I could find in the likes of Not On The High Street was either twee, tacky, or both. My parents are not soppy people and they'd think I'd lost it if I bought them a heart-shaped picture frame with a montage of their faces in it. Other highlights included:

Cushions. SO MANY CUSHIONS. Pairs of cushions with "big spoon" and "little spoon" on them. Cushions that say "Love you to the moon and back" on them. Cushions with a picture of the couple's wedding venue on (in this case, it would be a large and ugly Methodist chapel that is no longer there).

His 'n' hers socks with foil embellishments depicting the coordinates of their home address, presumably in case they're found unconscious somewhere and the search and rescue team need to know where to dump the bodies.

Coasters that say "Mr and Mrs Whoever" on them in curly script inside a heart with an arrow through it. Who would get to keep those in the event of a divorce, I wonder.

Just ranting, really, but if anyone has any non-soppy anniversary present ideas, I'd be agog to hear them...

I bought my husband an arbour seat for our anniversary, we both love it and it's going strong years later. Other presents could be a nice David Austin rose, special wine glasses, a weekend away? (Tricky at the moment!), vineyard tour?

i hear you! we had a big one last year, (me and mr Midnight) and trying to find a gift for him!! awful

New teapot and mugs, tea and fancy biscuits?
Garden bench?
Coffee machine?
I hate soppy stuff

Do they like gardening/have a garden?
We brought a personalised wooden flower raised bed thing that said happy anniversary on it.
We brought a digital photo frame with pictures of them, DS and us in it.
We got a happy anniversary rose one year

Newspaper subscription
Restaurant vouchers
Board game (a local version of Monopoly!)
Jigsaw puzzle
RHS or National Trust membership
Hello Fresh or Gousto delivery
DVD box set
Cafetière
Clock
Windowsill herb box
Bird table/feeder
Photo album

I don't think I know anyone that buys things for other people's wedding anniversary's. Saying that I've never bought a resent for DJ either, we just go out for dinner.

Does 48 have an 'official' present attached to it in the way the early years do? I'd just send flowers/chocolate/alcohol!

Oh but you should cone here whenever there’s a “the b&g have requested money but I want to give them a gift”. People are ALWAYS suggesting personalised cheese boards and engraved photo frames.

Couldn’t think of anything worse.

Can you get them a voucher for a local restaurant?

A painting of their village.

Your mistake is looking for anniversary presents. Drop that idea and go for something they would both enjoy. A meal out for the two of them?

The only time I have bought anniversary presents for my parents was for their 25th and 50th anniversaries. They never send each other gifts (I actually had no idea of their wedding date until I was an adult). Me and my husband have never sent each other gifts on our anniversary either.
Do your parents actually want/expect a gift?

They'd insist that they don't want me to "spend a lot" but my cards would be marked if I got them nothing at all

Some nice ideas here, thanks. They do have a garden and I did actually get them a lilac bush last year, so I wanted to do something different this time. I like the windowsill herbs idea.

This is why I didn’t not think anniversary gifts should really be a thing. Celebrate with a meal and a drink to say ‘another year without me strangling you with the damp tea towel you left on the worktop again!’

*do not think

Consumables are your friend👍👍

I hate receiving gifts. I have a houseful of stuff without people adding to the clutter. 😁 But if someone does buy me something, it's chocolates or wine, a plant for the garden or a meal out.

It would never occur to me to buy a gift for someone else’s anniversary!

I'd far rather have consumables or else a gift card for somewhere I like to shop, but my parents are not of that mindset. Hence they ignore my repeated requests to not get me anything for my birthday, and my home is full of "things" that are a nuisance to dust.

Get an Afternoon Tea delivered to them. Nice gesture, bit of a treat and doesn't need a home! 😆

The posts about thinking it's weird to buy anniversary presents at all are kind of beside the point. We do buy them in my family and they will be expecting something, which is why I asked!