Help me plan an awesome anniversary party!
January 21, 2010 9:56 AM Subscribe
How can I make my parent's surprise 40th wedding anniversary party the best?
My parents are celebrating 40 years of marriage in April and my brother and I are planning to throw them a surprise party. I've managed to get my hands on all of their old photographs and am scanning them in for a slide show with music via projector. I found a Scrabble-themed (their favorite game) guest book to use. We're going to rent our church for location and have a catered dinner.
What am I missing?
My parents are celebrating 40 years of marriage in April and my brother and I are planning to throw them a surprise party. I've managed to get my hands on all of their old photographs and am scanning them in for a slide show with music via projector. I found a Scrabble-themed (their favorite game) guest book to use. We're going to rent our church for location and have a catered dinner.
What am I missing?
Definitely seconding old friends sending letters.
In particular, see if you can find as many people as possible who were at the wedding to either send their congratulations or attend the party itself. Even if they're not so close today (as long as there wasn't any bad blood), it'll be a treat to get back in contact and remember the special event.
posted by Madamina at 10:13 AM on January 21, 2010
In particular, see if you can find as many people as possible who were at the wedding to either send their congratulations or attend the party itself. Even if they're not so close today (as long as there wasn't any bad blood), it'll be a treat to get back in contact and remember the special event.
posted by Madamina at 10:13 AM on January 21, 2010
And contact old friends to see if they know of old-old friends that your parents may not have seen for a while.
posted by craven_morhead at 10:14 AM on January 21, 2010
posted by craven_morhead at 10:14 AM on January 21, 2010
Stage a slide show? People love those, your parents will treasure one. You could also put together a special scrapbook of photos of their marriage as a gift.
posted by bearwife at 10:29 AM on January 21, 2010
posted by bearwife at 10:29 AM on January 21, 2010
Oops, how did I miss a whole line of your question? Pretty sleeples this AM. Sorry I missed that you're doing the slide show. Can you preserve the whole thing on a DVD for them?
posted by bearwife at 10:31 AM on January 21, 2010
posted by bearwife at 10:31 AM on January 21, 2010
In addition to the old friends sending letters, have a journal or somesuch to pass around at the party, where the attendees can write in remembrances and good wishes for your parents. You might also include any letters you get in the same journal.
posted by sarajane at 10:31 AM on January 21, 2010
posted by sarajane at 10:31 AM on January 21, 2010
For my wife's parents' 50th, we found their wedding clothes and put them on mannequins. We also looked up the #1 hit songs from the year they were married and performed them.
posted by KRS at 10:39 AM on January 21, 2010
posted by KRS at 10:39 AM on January 21, 2010
Did this for my parents last year. We did our best to make the party resemble a wedding reception. The original bridesmaids and one of the groomsmen were there. We printed fancy-looking invitations on nice paper. My wife and I made a delicious, scaled-down wedding cake. Everyone had a great time.
Have fun!
posted by jon1270 at 12:40 PM on January 21, 2010
Have fun!
posted by jon1270 at 12:40 PM on January 21, 2010
Something we did for my parents 50th was to sit the two of them down with a pile of pictures. We had a video camera trained on only the two of them with about the only instructions was to just talk about the pictures and hold the picture up to the camera for a second or two as you begin to talk about it.
There were only a couple people in the room, so in the background you hear some questions being tossed out. Most of it is them just discussing their life together through these pictures.
This was turned into a DVD, using iMovie, which is pretty easy and quick. Where they hold the picture up to the camera, the photo is inserted full screen, while they are still talking and then goes back to the two of the discussing after you see the photo for a few seconds.
This was a friends idea and I have recommended it over and over. The DVD is priceless as it was two years later my mom passed.
We made copies and offered it to whomever wanted a copy. The images from the party were on the DVD as well.
For the actual party, we did put pictures on a wall. This worked out well as the wall become a gathering point for people to talk, look and discuss throughout the whole night. I think we put 50 pictures on the wall.
Have fun!
posted by fluffycreature at 12:53 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
There were only a couple people in the room, so in the background you hear some questions being tossed out. Most of it is them just discussing their life together through these pictures.
This was turned into a DVD, using iMovie, which is pretty easy and quick. Where they hold the picture up to the camera, the photo is inserted full screen, while they are still talking and then goes back to the two of the discussing after you see the photo for a few seconds.
This was a friends idea and I have recommended it over and over. The DVD is priceless as it was two years later my mom passed.
We made copies and offered it to whomever wanted a copy. The images from the party were on the DVD as well.
For the actual party, we did put pictures on a wall. This worked out well as the wall become a gathering point for people to talk, look and discuss throughout the whole night. I think we put 50 pictures on the wall.
Have fun!
posted by fluffycreature at 12:53 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:08 AM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]