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Milestone Anniversaries
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Anniversaries can mark the occasion of everything from joining a company to exchanging wedding vows. The following tips and theme ideas are focused on milestone wedding anniversaries, but don’t let that limit you – whether you’re marking 20 years in business or 20 years with the one you love, many of the following suggestions can be adapted, as can the birthday themes listed earlier in this article.
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“I don't see why not,
young man. You look reasonably fit to me.” |
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First anniversary
To celebrate with friends, throw a “paper” party – decorate
with paper streamers and paper hats for everyone. One couple even
designed their own paper evening gown and tux for the event (paper
is the traditional symbol of first anniversaries. (See Wedding anniversary gift ideas later in this article for a more complete list). For a more intimate celebration, consider a bed and breakfast
weekend together, or an intimate evening at home (see Valentine’s
Day Central for some ideas).
Fifth and 10th anniversaries
Many couples choose to mark these milestones with a “second
honeymoon,” either recreating the original holiday or creating
a different getaway. If you want to surprise a couple with a second
honeymoon, consider taking up a collection to cover the cost of
a romantic getaway –- depending on your budget, it could be
dinner and a show, a weekend at a local spa or bed and breakfast,
or an all-inclusive Caribbean holiday. Remember to arrange for
child care in advance so the guests of honor don’t have to
make those arrangements themselves.
20th anniversaries and beyond
Celebrating major anniversaries often means doing your homework
about the couple’s history together. In many cases, recreating
aspects of their wedding day can be particularly meaningful. A
few ideas:
- Consider recreating the meal from the couple’s first date or wedding day, including the wedding cake (there should be pictures) -– many couples save the original cake topper, so be sure to ask if they have it tucked away.
- Have the couple’s wedding album or photos handy for viewing.
- Ask the couple or someone close to them retell their wedding story or the story of when they first met.
- Decorate the car of the anniversary couple.
- Help the couple renew their vows: Reprint the original wedding invitation along with the current one. (It’s best if bride and groom are involved in the planning of this.)
- Laminate copies of old photos, newspaper clippings or love letters and turn them into placemats for each guest at the party.
- Play music from the decade in which the couple met and/or married.
For party entertainment, try these ideas:
- Dance through the years: Have music from different eras available, and have each couple pull a style of dance or music from a hat and perform the dance. It’s especially great for younger people to see how many dances the older generations know.
- Visit the library and get copies of newspapers (front pages) from the wedding day, five years later, 10 years later, and so on. Type a list of events from the front page of each and have the guests determine what year it was. Select some newspapers with dates far apart and some close together to make the guessing more difficult.
- Guess the price game. Have guests work as individuals or teams to guess the prices of key products dating back to the date of the wedding. What did people pay for a gallon of milk 50 years ago? What was the price of a new Ford truck? The team or individual with the closest guesses wins -- but everyone will have fun reliving the past!
Be sure to record the special day with disposable cameras or Polaroids, or have a professional photographer on hand. Souvenir photos can be enclosed with thank-you cards later, if desired.
Wedding anniversary gift ideas
When it comes to gift buying, be creative. For example, most people
can't afford to buy rubies for a ruby wedding anniversary, but
how about a beautiful ruby-red throw, bottles of red wine or
some colored glass or pottery? You can also use these gift ideas
to inspire your party’s theme or colors.
One year
Paper: “A blank, clean page for a new start together.”
Gift ideas: Notepaper, a good book, tickets for a show, a painting or sketch, subscription to a magazine
10 years
Aluminum: “The durability of the couple to change through the years.”
Gift ideas: Tins of special and exotic food, picture frame, clock
20 years
China: “Values with years, something to cherish.”
Gift ideas: Dinner set, dinner set for eating oriental food including small bowls and chopsticks, selection of tea from China, figurine or ornament, beautifully presented Chinese horoscope, trip to China
25 years: Silver
Gift ideas: A locket, photo frames, watch, cufflinks, pen, dish, cutlery, antique tableware, trip to Mexico to buy handmade silver
30 years
Pearl: “Marriage grows over the years – remember all the tears of happiness and joy.”
Gift ideas: Mother of pearl jewellery/cufflinks, cigar case
40 years
Ruby: “Celebrating the fire still burning strong inside the couple.”
Gift ideas: Jewelry, ornaments, wine glasses, a trip to the Ruby in the Dust (India)
50 years
Gold: “Stems from medieval times to commemorate the precious years.”
Gift ideas: Jewelry, cuff links, photo frame, watch, shares, bullion, trip to go panning for gold
60 years and 75 years
Diamond: “Unconquerable.”
Gift ideas: Jewelry, cuff links, a trip to Tiffany's, New York
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