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Throwing
an Anniversary Party to be Remembered
by: John
Lenaghan
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.
About the author:
John Lenaghan writes about party planning
and other tips for the Party Ideas 4u website,
where he provides valuable tips and advice
about Anniversary
party ideas, birthday party ideas and
other party planning topics.
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