Memorable
Anniversary for Elders
by
LadyJade
How do you
plan a wedding anniversary for an elderly couple married since
their teens? They have grown up together, raised a family together,
and managed to stay madly in love with each other. It’s
nothing short of amazing, and planning a celebration for two people
so special can be overwhelming, especially if you lose sight of
the task at hand. It’s easy to get caught up in the emotion
and forget what it is you are planning. Here are some ideas to
keep you on track throughout the planning process.
Wedding anniversary
celebrations are a time-honored tradition in every part of the
world. Every culture celebrates in special ways and, for an older
couple, traditional may be best. Let’s face it, times have
changed. Today’s society doesn’t celebrate in the
ways that an older couple would be familiar with. A mixture of
the past and the present could be the best way to please couples
that have surpassed the fifty year marriage mark.
As there
are differences in the way each generation celebrates, so are
there differences in the way in which different families celebrate.
Getting the information -- well, it’s nothing short of digging
and snooping! Talk to the husband or the wife and ask them “beat
around the bush” questions like:
- How long
were they married?
- How did
they celebrate their wedding anniversaries in the early days?
- What was
different?
- What does
a wedding anniversary mean to you?
My Grandparents
were married for over seventy years and my entire family helped
out with the planning. We’re talking about family members
who live all over the U.S., all the way from Idaho to South Carolina,
and the preparations were really a task! Not only was the wedding
anniversary being planned but, simultaneously, rooms were being
booked for out of town guests because this was a surprise celebration.
It worked out nice though because some of the questions from above
were literally stolen from conversations with my Grandparents!
Family members
phoned my Grandparents in the weeks leading up to the party and
would comment about their long marriage or ask questions like,
“What are you guys going to do to celebrate?”
My Grandmother
would unknowingly reply, “I don’t know. We probably
won't do anything special because it’s just another day.”
Through a
conversation with my Grandfather, a cousin of mine found out that
my Grandfather’s parents had BBQ’s and big ones too.
Grandma talked about Cloggers who routinely danced at various
parties from her youth. Naturally, we hired some of the best “BBQ’ers”
in the area and invited over three hundred people. It was a success!
The tables were covered with red and white checkered cloths, waitresses
(us) were dressed in floor length country dresses complete with
long aprons and hair nets, fresh cut flower centerpieces on every
table, a movie was shown that focused on their lives, how they
met, their children and the family as a whole. Every detail was
perfect, right down to the dusk horse drawn carriage ride home.
Before the
night was finished, my Grandmother called every one of us in tears
to say “thank you” because she felt so special. It
had been years since they had enjoyed themselves so much.
As you can
imagine, the event wasn’t exactly cheap. I believe the cost
was around one thousand dollars. Because it was such a momentous
occasion, some Cloggers danced for free, we didn’t have
to pay a rental fee at the park where it was held, and a photographer
gave use a thirty percent discount. The whole family pitched in
with one hundred dollar donations and once everyone was paid,
we all laughed at the twenty some odd dollars we had left. It
was worth it and more.
A wedding
anniversary celebration for an elderly couple is special and should
be treated as such. Find out what tickles the fancy of your special
couple and plan the wedding anniversary celebration with only
them in mind. When you see the look on their faces, the joy you’ve
helped create, and the true sense of happiness the wedding anniversary
celebration that you’ve helped put together brings them,
you’ll be proud. You never know what’s in the heart
of someone you love until you ask.
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