Throwing an Anniversary Party to be Remembered

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.
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.