50th
Location and Decorations
by Lisa
Adkins-Gonzalez
I once attended
the most beautiful 50th anniversary party held at a local American
legion post. The celebrating couple met at a legion dance and
both often spoke of the first impression of the other when they
first laid eyes on each other - so the family thought it would
be fitting to hold the celebration and design every unique touch,
around the legion hall. All of the couple’s friends were
invited, even a few people who were present the very night the
couple met! From the band to the décor, to the food and
speakers who recited what they witnessed the night of the couple's
meeting - it was absolutely breathtaking because I felt the magic
energy throughout the whole party.
When planning,
consider where the couple met:
·
A legion hall dance?
· At school / college?
· Church?
· A blind date?
· On a bus?
Paying attention to particular details like those will pay off
in the long run for creating that intimate atmosphere.
Another tip
is to pay attention to any collection of family history the couple
has held on to over the years. If the couple has a collection
of home movies, pictures, or even audiocassettes, find a way of
blending those into the celebration. The couple most likely experienced
plenty of ups and downs over their fifty-year marriage. Take advantage
of the stories told over the years and use them. A beautiful idea
is to create a visual segment for everyone to see or a compilation
book of the couple's marriage to give to each guest as a keepsake.
Family history
could be anything!
·
Photos
· Love letters
· Home videos
· Special gifts
· Poems
Use every
piece of collected memorabilia to your advantage. If a couple
has a lot of momentos, then rest assured that these items are
meaningful to them.
Once you’ve
sifted through mounds of information and creative ideas, you now
have the big idea. It’s time to put your vision to work.
Depending
on the idea and the vision, you’ll need to decide exactly
what will take place at the event itself. Will there be dancing,
food, and special décor? Will arrangements need to be made
for special guests? What is the over all atmosphere you want people
to feel? The planning for a special anniversary can be a lot of
work so if there are other members of the family who can provide
assistance, it’s a good idea to get them involved. If you’re
all alone in the planning, but you don’t know much about
décor or organization, it may be fitting to hire a consultant.
A party consultant
can be very useful when planning a momentous anniversary party
but there are a lot of woe’s that come along with hiring
a professional for an event, and the most common jaw dropper is
price. It’s sad but true, there are some party planners
who take advantage of those who wish to throw an unforgettable
anniversary party and because they know it’s such a special
event, they’ll charge double the norm. Just be selective
and clear about costs.
The best
advantage in hiring a consultant is of course their experience
with tedious details that would take you weeks to accomplish.
A consultant already has lists of businesses such as caterers
or bands that they use. Ask a consultant why they recommend particular
businesses and remember someone needs to oversee their work. Just
because they are handling most of the prep doesn’t mean
you can just back off. Keep in touch with them, explain every
detail, and make sure they understand the expectations.
When it’s
all said and done, the anniversary party should be detailed to
fit the celebrating couple and not a fantasy of someone else’s
desires.
Some people
would prefer a simple celebration over a huge anniversary party.
If that’s the case, then respect the couple's wishes. In
fact that was the case with my best friend’s grandparents.
The couple felt that they wanted something a little less formal,
more family oriented, because they spent their lives raising a
family of eight children and their wishes were respected in a
huge way that brought tears to the eyes of the couple. The couple
had family all over the U.S. as well as a few members who lived
in Germany. All of their kids pitched in (supposedly) to rent
a huge RV to take the couple on a nearby beach vacation. The couple
was surprised to arrive at a campground to celebrate their anniversary
at the biggest family reunion ever!
The RV touch
was provided because the children remembered just how much their
parents enjoyed traveling in an RV the family once had.
Everyone
is different. Be creative, remember important details, important
people, special places, momentous occasions, and plan the best
50th anniversary party based on the essence of a couple's history,
family and love together.
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