Anniversary fifty plan wedding
- Throwing an Anniversary Party to be Remembered
Anniversary parties are a wonderful way to celebrate
two people who have been together for a number of years. The most
common anniversary parties are for 25 years and 50 years. There are
many things you can do to make this day special for not only the couple,
but all of their family and friends as well. Many people have shared in
the joys and sorrows of the anniversary couple and they help to make
this a special day as well. Planning an anniversary party is a huge
undertaking, sometimes almost as big as a wedding.
Silver or Gold?
An anniversary party theme is fairly simple to
determine. Unless the couple or their immediate family has requested a
particular theme (this is unlikely), you should plan a fairly
traditional party. A 25th wedding anniversary is traditionally silver,
while a 50th anniversary is gold. Use this to plan the majority of your
party, everything from invitations to decorations.
Who to Invite
An anniversary party can be as big as a wedding. While
many people opt for a small get together consisting of family and close
friends only, others look forward to a huge celebration with everyone
who has touched their lives in past years. 25th anniversary parties tend
to be of the smaller more intimate variety, whereas 50 years together
definitely deserves more of a to-do.
If you’re planning a huge bash, it may take quite a
bit of time to come up with a guest list. If the happy couple knows
about the party the easiest thing to do is ask them who should be
invited. Family members and close friends are fairly obvious, but in
addition you may want to invite old coworkers, church members, old
neighbors, and the list can go on. If you are planning a surprise party
for the couple, this can be a little tricky. Rather than getting the
input of just one family member, send a tentative guest list to several
family members and ask each for additions and deletions. This will help
make sure no one gets missed.
The Invitations
If you’re throwing a huge anniversary party, sending
out invitations can be quite the task. If the party budget allows for
it, get them custom made. You can order the invitations online and get
everything shipped to you and ready to go. This will save an enormous
amount of time. If the party budget is tight and that money would better
go to use elsewhere, making your own invitations can actually be quite
simple. All you need is a computer and a printer. You can download some
great invitations templates that are simple enough to put together. All
you need to do is add all the party information and perhaps a beautiful
quote on the front and voila your invitations are ready to go.
Setting the Scene
Decorations for the party don’t have to be hugely
extravagant, but by adding some special touches you will help make the
night even more special for the happy couple. Use the anniversary color
almost exclusively; this will help make a great effect. Some ways to use
either silver or gold are:
- Use gold or silver pen or ink for place cards, menu,
and any other written items
- Gold or silver balloons make a beautiful yet
inexpensive decoration
- Add gold or silver placemats or doilies at each
place setting
- Gold or silver candles and or candle holders make a
great centerpiece
- Dinnerware and barware should have gold or silver
accents
There are many other ways in which you can incorporate
these colors into the party. Just be sure not to overdo it since this
may actually have a night club-ish tacky sort of look to it. Add plenty
of white to balance it out.
Favors to Remember
Many couples will want to send their guests away with
a little something to remember the night by and as a thank you for
attending. One of the best favors ideas is a small picture frame of the
couple. You can use pictures from their wedding day or a more recent
photo. If you can find picture frames that hold two photos a nice idea
is to add both a picture of their wedding day and a recent one. Friends
and family of the couple will love taking this beautiful keepsake home.
Another great idea is a CD of songs form the era that
the couple met and was married. This will bring back great memories for
many of their family and friends and is probably one of the most useful
favor possibilities. Be sure to check with local copyright laws to
determine what type of fees apply to creating and giving away a music
compilation. Make sure that all the music on the CD gets played
throughout the night to really give guests something to remember.
A Night of Nostalgia
A great idea for any anniversary party, big or small,
is a slide show. Start the show of with pictures of the couple when they
first met and progress through the years of children and grandchildren.
Don’t be surprised to see a few eyes get misty during the show. Add some
memorable quotes throughout the show, and play some touching music that
reminds them of certain times in their lives.
If you want the slide show to be a surprise, you can
ask family and friends for their favorite pictures to add to the show.
You’ll probably end up with more pictures than you’ll know what to do
with so don’t worry if you can’t get any of the couple’s picture albums.
As you can see, planning an anniversary party can take
a lot of time, so start planning as soon as possible. Since you could be
inviting well over 100 people, starting a year in advance isn’t too
soon. Don’t try and take this task on by yourself, you’ll probably have
plenty of offers from friends and family to give you a hand; definitely
take them up on their offer. This will be a night for everyone to
cherish and remember, and the happy anniversary couple will be on cloud
nine after seeing how much they mean to everyone in their lives.
