So, my husband's dear aunt and uncle are having a 50th wedding anniversary rededication ceremony and lunch for around 100 people (fancy sit down lunch, like a wedding reception in a hotel) down in central Italy in two weeks. The little town is all inside the walls of a castle. It sounds super fun!

Except....I have to figure out what to give them as a gift. And I have to buy it here in Switzerland, and am completely at a loss as to where to buy and what to get. This is a party in Italy so this is no case for a $20 gift card from Target. Got to do something fancy, right, maybe in the range of 200-300 CHF?

It is the "golden anniversary," so gifts of gold are customary(?), but jewelry sounds weird (as a couple gift). So maybe something gold themed?

They are a sweet couple in their 70s, but it's hard to know what to get them. He likes to play bocce and she likes to ride her bicycle and sew. These interests aren't really inspiring any ideas. Help!

I always find it nice if the family gives a bigger gift together for an anniversary, everyone just chips in. Many people are also not very concerned about presents - they`re happy you took the time and traveled a long way to see them and attend the party.

May be check out the Marks and Spencer website-they now deliver to Switzerland.

ideas: picture frames, candlesticks, fruitbowl,photo album,

garden ornament, hammock, fruittree to plant in the garden (that's if your driving!)

Amazon Kindle for reading books on

What about a case of white wine or a nice gift basket of "Swiss" stuff (like wine, local honey, chocolates, gold picture frame for a picture of their special day etc.)? Would that be nice? Maybe even stick a nice poem in the frame in the meantime?

(In best Ben Stein voice from Ferris Bueller's Day Off) "Anyone, anyone?"

I would get them a very nice picture frame, where they can put a picture taken in their special day (perhaps with you and your husband) and remember it forever.

Is there any way that you can buy the gift in Italy instead of here? There are many, many artisans/jewellers all over the country who can custom make it for you for a fraction of the price you'd pay here, in any combination of gold, silver, precious woods, etc. If I remember from your earlier posts, your husband is Italian, so IMO worth checking into (i.e. could call ahead and inquire regarding prices, etc. and pick up the gift once you are down there).

Another idea - which we are doing for my grandma's 90th birthday: have one of said artisans/jewellers create a custom-made wood&silver or wood&gold box where they can store jewellery, letters, other stuff, etc. with a special inscription on the inside of the box from you and your husband.

Good luck!

Grazie, Federica. Yes, my husband is Italian.

Yes, I would LOVE to shop for this in Italy, too. All sorts of specialized stores for this sort of thing

Unfortunately, we have to leave Lausanne after 5pm and we won't get there until after midnight...and the ceremony starts the next morning. I think it's the sort of thing we would want to see first, you know?

A couple of people have suggested the fancy picture frame idea, but my only worry is that they'll unwrap like 15 golden jeweled picture frames. Maybe the box idea is a good one? Do you have any opinions about the idea of doing a nice gift basket of Swiss stuff? Feel free to be honest! I need some advice

I second this idea...the gift basket, totally something I would do....

a good wine
selection of Swiss chocolates
some cheese
dried meat
local honey
a pack of fondue? dunno not everyone's thing


or a two person fondue set, with fondue, and if they are not cheese fans, a then chocolate for a sweet fondue with strawberries...

The idea of a nice fondue set is really cute and romantic Seems like it could be fun for them. I do kind of like the idea of the basket because it's thoughtful and practical--I worry that they are going to get a lot of stuff that could be hard to accommodate in a house full of 50 years of stuff!

Does anyone know where to buy baskets? (The kind appropriate for making a gift basket out of.)

Has anyone seen any cute fondue sets while out shopping? Typical would be nice (but not too cheesey, pardon my pun, like no swiss flag, maybe some tasteful edelweiss motif or something).

I second the idea of a basket of goodies. You can still do the gold theme, with a gold liner to the basket, or huge gold organza type ribbon on top. Plus, add some gold foil covered Swiss chocolate coins, or gold bars , scattered throughout the basket. To keep it fun, you could also add some little things that show you are aware and interested in their interests eg: clip on bicycle light (the "frog" ones are easy) or a gold pen etc Funny things such as a cheap gold fairy wand, could be fun if you add little humourous personal pessages to each item. They don't have to be thing to keep.

Wine with a gold label?

Or fill a bicycle basket with goodies:

http://www.bikester.ch/fahrradzubeho...os/265389.html

Otherwise you can find baskets in home decoration shops like Interio, department stores or some delis that sell filled baskets. Good luck, I think it's a great idea!

I once bought a nice fondue set for a couple of friends at the Globus in Bellevue (Zurich), and also bought a cookbook with various cheese and chocolate fondue recipes to go wth it, in the same store. They loved it.

I think the basket idea is awesome, and you could also consider including in it some regional/city specialties from different parts of Switzerland: for example, a box of Basler Läckerli, a few special cheeses, and my newfound love, sweets from Appenzell (try inquiring with these guys at Café Laimbacher, maybe they can ship you something over to Lausanne - totally worth asking because they make yummy stuff!).

By the time we're 40 we have most things. By the time we are 70 we have several of everything we want and more "things" can even be burdensome

If they have a garden or a place they love could you buy a tree: maybe an olive tree and a plaque to plant for them. Then (sounds morbid) when one of them is left alone there will be a place that will remind them and something that lives on.

Not sure if practical but with 100 guests they will have a whole bunch of memorabilia unwrapped and in a pile the following morning

So in the end, we made a nice basket with:

• a fancy cast iron fondue pot with a delicate gold design around the rim
• a burner base for the fondue, that has little hammered golden mountain scenes on it (reinforcing "gold" theme)
• fondue forks
• a small bottle of dry white white (good for making fondue), from Valais
• a small bag of Gruyeres meringues, golden brown (will travel well, unlike cheese)
• All in a straw basket with gold fabric ribbon

We spoke to their daughter (my husband's first cousin, but more like a sister since they grew up together) who confirmed that they did not have a fondue pot, but more importantly, they like fondue! They are from north of Milan so fondue isn't too far outside of their culinary comfort zone. We all agree that it will be fun for them to do with the grandkids during the cold winter months.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!

Good area, and very true We love our cheese (I am from Varese).

Glad to hear the update, have fun at the party!

I bought my parents a tin of Golden Syrup for their 50th. They enjoyed the idea!