Since the Middle Ages, we have been celebrating anniversaries - the annual return of a certain date of the year that really matters to us. Whether it’s birthdays, weddings, momentous events, or marking the death of a loved one, anniversaries are an important part of life. Anniversaries have become a special milestone to remember the commitment made to another.
Celebrating wedding anniversaries has roots in Germanic tradition when a husband would present his wife a silver wreath on their 25th anniversary and a gold wreath on their 50th. Pagan celebrations involved large gatherings of family celebrating every ten years, but then couples began celebrating privately every year. Traditional gifts evolved, and lists were made regarding expectations of specific gifts to commemorate each year.
Classic List of Anniversary Gifts:
- 1st Anniversary – Paper
- 2nd Anniversary – Cotton, China
- 3rd Anniversary – Leather, crystal, glass
- 4th Anniversary – Linen, silk, appliances
- 5th Anniversary – Wood, silverware
And so, the list goes on and on, with one French version even listing uranium as the traditional gift for an 85th anniversary. Quite an adventure to be had shopping for that one! Anniversary gift lists have changed and evolved in different places, so lists can vary greatly from one region to another. With very little research, you can discover the traditional gift for an upcoming anniversary and find the perfect gift to commemorate the important milestone.
What is the Traditional Gift for a 31st Wedding Anniversary?
The traditional gift for the 31st wedding anniversary is travel. And what an amazing opportunity that is to celebrate love and add more memories to the foundation of your relationship! Whether you decide to travel on a budget or splurge for your dream vacation, there is much inspiration to be found in just the planning of these getaways. After 30 years of marriage, you know enough about your spouse to plan a trip that can be a surprise – let your imagination run wild!
Did you have an amazing honeymoon and want to return to the special location? Or maybe you never had a honeymoon due to your life circumstances at the time. Either way, using the occasion of your 31st anniversary to reconnect and recommit to your significant other is a beautiful way to start the next 31 years of marriage.
Where Will you Travel for your 31st Wedding Anniversary?
Near or far, it is time to get out and celebrate! There is much to consider when dreaming up plans for this ultimate travel occasion, and there may be only one question to ask – is your passport up to date? International travel is a perfect gift for the person who has been by your side for over three decades.
5 Top International Destinations:
If a trip requiring a passport is a little beyond your budget or allowable time away from real life, there are many places in the United States, and even just down the road from you, that offer plenty of romantic getaway opportunities in spectacular off-the-beaten-track towns. You don’t have to look far to find the perfect location to celebrate your time together so far. Consider jumping in the car and heading to the nearest lakeside destination, including:
Best U.S. Anniversary Destinations at the Lake:
- Any of the Great Lakes
- Torch Lake
- Lake Tahoe
You will be charmed by the lakefront destinations – cabins with “It’s Better at the Lake” home décor or a stylish, upscale hotel that touts fabulous local lake art – whatever your preference in accommodations, you will find it at the lake. Celebrate at restaurants frequented by locals and bring home lots of local hand-crafted treasures. The activities that have come to define your time together as a couple take on a deeper meaning when wandering a small lake town on your 31st wedding anniversary.
How Do I Choose a Travel Destination?
The decision on where to travel is as personal as your choice of how you will commemorate the occasion of your 31st anniversary. It is not much of a stretch to say you can’t go wrong in your choice of either. Has a dream trip to Italy been the highlight of conversation for years, and you can afford to make that happen? A destination vacation with a corresponding wood map may just be the dream team of 31st-anniversary gifts!
Commemorate Your Travel with a Wood Map
Whether you choose to cross the pond or stay in a tent at the edge of a pond near you, commemorate the 31st anniversary of your journey together with a high-quality wood map. For three decades now, you have been making memories, and your home showcases your time together as a family. Contribute to the beauty of your collection with a stunning piece of lake art that celebrates how you marked the occasion of your 31st.
5 Types of Wood Maps:
- Wall art
- Clocks
- Cork maps
- Cribbage boards
- Serving trays
The gift of wood is the traditional fifth-year anniversary present, so it would be ideal if you had six lakes of wood already in your collection. But if not, it is never too late to begin adding wood map lake art to your home décor that celebrates your life together and the places you have experienced as a couple. But which style of lake art would be best to fit the occasion?
Which Wood Map Makes the Best 31st Anniversary Gift?
You have traveled the world together, and these wood maps are the perfect way to celebrate three decades with your favorite travel partner. Rest assured, if you can’t decide on just one, you can always add each style of lake art to your home, elevating your space and highlighting your memories. Each elegant style of wood map may evoke a special memory for a different reason. As you explore the laser-etched detail of each lake of wood, you will be taken back to the location featured on the wood map and remember each road and point of interest as if you were there yesterday.
Wall Art
Wood map wall art is perfectly framed to create a feature piece in any room of your home. Small, medium, or large, square, and rectangle-shaped – the right size is available to catch your eye and bring back the feeling of freedom you felt as you wandered the Sleeping Bear Dunes along Lake Michigan with your favorite person in the world. Delight dinner guests with stories of your adventures in The Mitten, traveling scenic Highway 22, and visiting wineries. You will relive each detail of the roads and locations that are laser-etched into the beautiful birch of the wood map lake art for years to come.
Lake art of this quality will require prominent wall space in your home or office. To properly highlight the features of the wood map, as well as keep the memories top of mind with every glance, a wall that offers space on both sides of the piece, as well as adequate lighting for appreciating the details of the wood map is a must. This remarkable memento of your time together will be a treasured part of your lake art collection for years to come.
Wood Wall Clocks
Mark time until your next anniversary or a fabulous vacation with a stunning wood map clock. The 12” timepiece is also considered a traditional gift for a 31st anniversary, so this is an extra-special gift. Plan an anniversary trip to Maui and break the news with a stunning wood map clock! No matter where you live, there is a timepiece that details a body of water where you have already made memories or anticipate an amazing time together celebrating your anniversary.
While the lake art clock does not require much wall space, you will want to mount the clock in a prominent place in your home or office. With every tick of the clock, you will be brought back to the place where you celebrated your 31st anniversary with the love of your life. Though you wish time would slow down, you cherish every moment you spent together and look forward to the time you break away for your next adventure together.
Cork Maps
Wood map cork maps are the perfectly sized gift for commemorating a 31st-anniversary trip or making the announcement of where you will be going. The 8x10-inch cork map offers all the detail of the larger lake art with the added convenience of being easy to wrap and stunning to display! Give your partner a Hawaii cork map to announce your upcoming 31st-anniversary trip, and let the excitement build as it is proudly displayed in a prominent place, a harbinger of the amazing adventure on the horizon. After your getaway, the cork map serves to commemorate your time together on the Big Island as well as remind you to not wait another 31 years to travel!
Cork maps are a subtle yet powerful addition to any room décor. Place the lake art cork map on your office desk to inspire memories of your adventure and to light a fire under your plans for future travel! A perfect addition to a mantle or bookcase, the eye-catching cork map will bring a smile with each glance at its laser-etched detail of the roads and points of interest where you spent memorable days with your partner. Small but mighty, cork maps that commemorate travel will be a favorite style in your wood map collection.
Wood Cribbage Boards
Arguably the best wood map option for celebrating your anniversary since this one can pack up and travel with you! Give an Ireland cribbage board to announce your upcoming anniversary travel destination, and be prepared to bring your love of competition along for the journey. If you are traveling to the United Kingdom, the birthplace of cribbage, pack your wood map cribbage board! Cribbage is the only game allowed in pubs due to its popularity. It is easy to pack, consisting of only:
- A 14” x 14” x ¾” board
- Skunks
- Pins
- A standard deck of cards
- Hidden storage compartment
One of the reasons you fell for your partner in the first place may have been their competitive spirit. Celebrate the family game nights or date nights spent around a cribbage board over the past three decades with an elevated lake art cribbage board that clearly says you wouldn’t change a thing. After all, you were the winner 31 years ago when your spouse said, “I do!”
Serving Trays Made of Wood
Whether it has taken you 31 years to plan a trip to the French Quarter or your favorite trip together involved a tour of every tearoom in New Orleans, a wood map serving tray is an elegant way to commemorate all the memories made (and yet to be made!). A stunning addition to your home décor, this functional lake art brings together the details of the terrain you covered and recalls the adventures you shared with travel. Every time drinks are served at a dinner party or a quiet lunch for two is served on the wood map serving tray, conversation starts anew, and shared experiences are relived, strengthening relationships and creating anticipation for the next adventure.
Wood map serving trays are easy to display in any room in your home when not in use. Displayed on a shelf or demanding attention on your coffee table, a lake art serving tray is as much a favorite for its function as its beauty. Quick to start conversations or inspire memories, this piece will be an admired part of your collection for years to come.
Pack Your Bags and Go!
Whether you are traveling for the special occasion of your 31st anniversary or packing up for a spontaneous adventure to Lake Walloon with your favorite travel buddy, a high-quality wood map is an excellent way to commemorate travel and enhance your home décor with memories of destinations both near and far. When considering a gift for the one you love the most, lead with your heart and be prepared to open that wallet. After all, you both are worth it! Thirty-one years is a huge accomplishment, and cheers to looking forward to the next 31!