An anniversary is a huge milestone in a marriage—one worth celebrating. Whether it's been ten years, twenty years, or more, enjoy this time spent with friends and family. Throw a wonderful anniversary party filled with good food, good drinks, and lots of fun. Continue reading "Plan the Perfect Anniversary Party" »
Celebrating an anniversary is a milestone event for any couple. If you find yourself in charge of making plans for this type of party, consider these tips and ideas.
Type, Size and Budget
First, determine the type of party appropriate for the couple. A casual party or a more formal affair can be held depending on the preferences of the guests of honor. A budget needs to be considered and may help in making those types of decisions. You need to determine how large the party will be, as this will affect your location and cost. Let the couple make a guest list, including children, family and friends of their choice.
Date, Time and Place
Next, a date, time, and place must be selected for the party. It is a bonus if the party can be held on the actual anniversary date, but this must be coordinated with the couple. The place may be an outdoor location, a local venue, a church, or even your own home.
Invitations, Theme and Decorations
Once the details are nailed down, send out the invitations at least two weeks in advance. These can be store bought, handmade or printed professionally. Wherever you choose to host the party, you might select a theme relating to where the couple was married or where they went on their honeymoon. Identify a hobby or activity that connects them and use that as a springboard for ideas. If you want to keep it simple, look up the traditional anniversary gift for that particular year. For example, the 25th year anniversary gift is silver, and the flower is the Iris. Use those elements to decorate and accessorize. Flowers, balloons, confetti or other decor is up to you, depending on the time, budget and the space. It is always nice to display wedding photos along with other pictures of the couple through the years.
Food
The party food served at your anniversary celebration will depend on your location and budget. Hire a caterer, cook a special meal yourself, or perhaps have family members help with the preparations. Consider your theme or a favorite meal of the couple when deciding on your menu. Usually a cake is served at anniversary gatherings. In recent years, bakeries have become creative with cake designs, and this could be a signature item on your food table. Of course a favorite family recipe would also be appropriate in this instance. Think about your guests, your venue, and the time that your party takes place when you make your food plans.
Entertainment and Activities
When you are planning the party events, there are many options to consider. For music, you can hire a band or musician, or simply play music of your choice in the background. Pictures are a must, and a professional photographer may be hired, or a family member can be enlisted to serve as photographer. Another option would be to have disposable cameras on tables to allow guests to capture candid photos. Speak to the guests of honor about their interest in renewing their wedding vows or providing pictures for a slide show. If their wedding video is available, it could be set up for viewing. As a special memento of the party, have a framed picture, memory book or other item that guests can sign as a tribute to the guests of honor.
Special Considerations
If your couple of honor and many of your guests are older, consider that in your planning. A party during the day might be a better choice. Think about a location that is not difficult to access with many stairs or other obstacles. Make sure plenty of seating is available for guests. Younger couples may enjoy an evening party with dancing or games. Talk to them and determine what type of party they would enjoy before making your plans.
With a little creative planning, you can host an anniversary party that will be memorable and fun! With your focus on the couple of honor, it will be the perfect way to celebrate their special day.
My husband and I had a small wedding ceremony 6 months ago with no reception. Would it be tacky if we hosted a one year anniversary party for those who felt left out?
That sounds like a fun idea. You can easily host a brunch, reception or a small get together. Keep it simple but don't skimp out on the details of what would have been at your wedding reception.
We hope this answered your question!
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Ask The Celebration Advisor:
Really need some advice/ideas. I've been asked to help plan a 60th wedding anniversary/high school graduation celebration on the same day..same deck. The deck has two separate sides, so two themes are feasible, but am at a loss as to how to make them connect in some fun way. (Grandparents & grandson).
Any ideas? I'm thinking garden party on one side..dance party on other? I've done a couple weddings and floral design, but this one has me pulling my hair out! HELP!!!
–Trish
Celebration Advisor Reply:
First of all, congratulations on celebrating two major milestones! No matter what ideas you choose, I'm sure it's going to be a special day!
I like your idea of hosting two separate parties that work well together. Having a more mature get together on one side, featuring seating areas and hors d'oeuvres, and a space for dancing and gathering on the other side will allow guests to move between the two spaces and celebrate as a family.
Unify the spaces using a single color palette for the entire party. Choose a couple of neutral colors and an accent color that will suit both parties. For an example we will use white, silver and blue. One the anniversary side, choose white table cloths, flowers and silver vases to create an elegant, comfortable atmosphere. Add blue napkins, ribbons and candies for a punch of color.
On the graduation party side, bring in sliver, white and blue balloons to create an upbeat vibe. Rent a strobe light or disco ball to complete the dance floor feel. Serve snacks on blue plates, or mix a blue punch as a colorful drink option. Fill out the decor with greenery, snacks and other decorations you find at your local supply store. Get creative! Guests can share one cake, and your invitations can serve double-duty by sticking to a single color palette.
Color is a great way to unify the two parties, while appealing to the substantially different demographics. From a distance, the deck will look cohesive, but guests will feel at home on both sides and maybe even mix and mingle between the two areas.
This Celebration Advisor post is sponsored by Wedding and Party Network.
This is a fun way to celebrate the milestone of a 50th wedding anniversary, but you can use the same ideas for any wedding anniversary. Decorate the party place with all things from the year the couple was married. In the case of a 50th wedding anniversary celebrated in 2009 the wedding year is 1959. Dig up all the information you can on 1959 and use what you find to help choose a theme.
In 1959 for instance TV shows such as Bonanza and Rawhide premiered in that year, so a western theme might be what your draw from for a theme and decorations. You might choose to use Etch A Sketch as decoration on the tables since they were invented in that year. For entertainment you could hire impersonators to play the popular artist from the day, such as Doris Day or Frank Sinatra.
For food again look to the past for what to serve. In the 50’s grilling was a rising trend, so grilled food may be a good choice for this party. Or any other food items that were popular during that time. Do the same with your beverages choose drinks that were popular during the anniversary couple’s wedding year. In 1959 soda pop in bottles were the rage. See if you can find soda in bottles to continue the theme year. Tang was a popular drink as well. For adult beverages, martinis were very popular in the late 50’s.
With a bit of research on your part, a golden opportunity to give a wonderful walk down memory lane to an anniversary couple is a snap. And remember you can do this with any wedding year.
This anniversay party planning idea was brought ot you by weddingandpartynetwork.com.
Silver Wedding Anniversary parties are a monumental occasion! I have found some great ideas for an anniversary party and especially for this particular occasion. Wedding Anniversary parties are typically held at the 25 and 50 year marks. But you can throw a party for any anniversary. However, the 25th Anniversary is the first traditionally highlighted anniversary celebration; so, it only seems right to do it big.
Sentimental decorations, such as pictures and videos should be used if possible. I found where a family decorated the tables with all different kinds of picture frames filled with pictures of the couple Continue reading "25th Wedding Anniversary Party Decoration Ideas" »
Bridal showers call for special out of the ordinary parties … so throw the bride a Flower Power Party. It’s easy to set up your backyard for a Flower Power party. Utilizing party rentals you can rent chairs, tables, gazebos and even linens to make a gorgeous garden party setting.
Your invitations should carry the flower theme so look for delicate invitations with flowers. While choosing the invitation find matching napkins, plates and cups.
If your backyard is lacking in the flower department call in a floral specialist. Have your local florist design table centerpieces and corsages using a flower that matches the invitations. Have pre-printed flower name Continue reading "Flower Power Party" »
Pairing wine and chocolate: a perfect party theme for adults.
Many say that wine and chocolate cannot be successfully combined, but others beg to differ. The key is to find the right combinations of the two decadent treats. In fact, the trend is growing so rapidly that many are throwing wine and chocolate tasting parties. So why not throw your own wine and chocolate party. If you follow a few simple guidelines your party will be a scrumptious success.
This is an adult party theme that is sure to be a bit spicy, fun, and sweet. Gather up or rent some Highball glasses for the Mojito’s (a rum and sugar drink with lime juice, mint and club soda.) Now add in the spicy Salsa, not the dip but a Salsa dancer. However, salsa dip and chips would be great food to have at this party. Hire someone to teach your guests to salsa.
You can hire a Salsa band or rent the equipment needed for the dance music. You may need to rent a dance floor as well depending on your party location. Many rental companies or party supply companies can help Continue reading "Mojito's & Salsa – The Sweet & Spicy Party Theme" »
2024 is here, and that means it’s time for everyone’s favorite blog: wedding trends for the year! If you’re planning a wedding for this year, or hope to plan one soon, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn what’s …
