Wedding Anniversary Gifts

This year, Mr. M and I celebrate our 30th Anniversary.  Or as we call it, 28 years with credit for time served since marriage is and institution and we were together for 2 years before committing it to law.  As I was reading the list of traditional wedding anniversary gifts, for 30 the gift is pearl.  Why is that ironic?  It takes constant irritation of an oyster's mantle for 5 to 20 years to form a pearl of any value.  Notice any correlations?  Me neither.

At any rate, since I was researching I looked into the other traditional anniversary gifts.  Only a few that I'll share.  This is the link to the chart I'm using, if interested: https://www.eternityrose.com/anniversary-gifts-by-year

1 - paper, 2- cotton, 3-leather, 4-silk... The first 4 years' is a win/win.  One spouse can get gifts covered in the lingerie department and both sides win. 
5 - wood, 6 - iron... then we get into the heavy metals, which means kitchen wares for her and golf clubs for him.  Otherwise known as stuff you could literally hurl at each other.  Is there any wonder that most marriages tank in the first 7 years?

10 gets to diamonds - figuring after 10 years the original wedding band is worth an upgrade.  Then we get into jewelry furs and watches.  Value added investments, since you get one for being married to the job at retirement, why not at a decade of marital bliss.

16-20 revamps the table wear with silver and porcelain.  21-25 goes back into the heavy metals in case you need more battle implements.  Pictures, sculpture and furniture round out to the end of the 2nd decade.

Then we get into the semiprecious stones and noticeably - this chart only goes to every 5 years because if you have survived marriage into the 35-60 range it's high time your kids start coughing up the goods and it better include tropical vacations and elaborate fetes.

At the end of our original wedding reception, we adjourned to our hotel and took a 2 hour nap, with no extra curricular activities.  We awakened to discover we had no wallets, no money and our shoes and clothes were in another vehicle.  So we drove to my grandmother's house, stopped to pick up our mail - found a wedding card with cash inside!  Had quick drive through since neither of us ate at the reception.  Arrived at my grandmother's famished, ate wedding cake and opened gifts.  THEN we went back to the hotel to the previously interrupted extracurriculars...

We determined that if we had it to do over again, we'd keep it small and simple and catered by KFC.  HENCE, for our 30th, we're only inviting 30 of our closest friends and family, keeping the BBQ theme and NO ONE is wearing hose or bow ties... period.

This time we're using any funds to replace our aging freezer.  Where's that one the traditional gift list?  Nowhere for good reason. That kind of gift is sure to get a spouse whacked and PUT in said freezer. 

It promised to be a grand time... and here are the then and now photos...