Traditional Anniversary Parties
Posted by: Rebecca on: March 3, 2012
THEME: It seems that someone long ago has already picked out themes for wedding anniversaries. Here’s the list:
1 year Paper
5 years Wood
10 years Tin
15 years Crystal
20 years China
25 years Silver
50 years Gold
75 years Diamond
INVITATIONS: Take your cue from the theme, and if you can’t make the invitations out of the medium suggested, then use pictures of crystal, china, etc. Silver or gold paper could be used for those anniversaries, and invitations to a Diamond Wedding could be diamond-shaped.
MATERIALS FOR ACTIVITIES: The point of an anniversary party is to honor the couple who have kept their marriage alive for a number of years. The most common anniversary celebrations given are those referred to as the Golden Weddings. Previous to the 50th anniversary, it is perfectly acceptable to give a party for the couple, but it is usually not as large an affair as the Golden Wedding.
For those smaller celebrations, it may be best to invite a small group of family members and perhaps some very close friends. Try to choose games that might go with the theme, such as word games for Paper, a nature walk and tree identification game for Wood, a hobo party with appropriate games for Tin, fortunetelling in a crystal ball for Crystal, a Chinese party with authentic games from China for the China anniversary, and games involving silverware such as Potato Relay and Spoons for the Silver Wedding.
For the more common Golden Wedding anniversary, there are usually quite a large number of people in attendance. For this reason, games like those suggested above are generally impractical. The traditional anniversary celebration is something like a Mock Wedding Reception. For this type of celebration, you don’t need very many materials for activities. You’ll need a decorated area for the reception line, a table for gifts, chairs and tables for food and guests, and equipment needed for musical numbers and/or speeches.
FOOD: For the smaller gatherings, try to serve some favorite food of the honored couple, especially if you are having a dinner. Often, a specially decorated cake is served for dessert, and these can be made to fit the theme. For paper, bake the cake in the open-book pan available at craft and cake-decorating stores; it can be the book of their life together. For Wood, try decorating a sheet cake with a family tree. Tin could mean small, individual cakes baked in tin cans. For Crystal, try decorating a wedding-type cake with little crystals from chandeliers. For China, bake a round layer cake and decorate the top to look like their first china pattern. For Silver, decorate with silver paper leaves and the little silver balls used on wedding cakes. For Diamond, cut cake into a diamond shape before frosting.
For the Mock Wedding Reception at a golden wedding celebration, have a large cake much like a wedding cake, accented with gold decor. You might have a golden punch made with apple juice and ginger ale, and, instead of colored mints, you could have lemon drops in the candy dish.
DECORATIONS: For the smaller, earlier celebrations, take your decorating cue from the theme. For Paper, use lots of paper streamers, etc. For Wood, gather and display as many wooden objects as possible. Set potted trees around. For Tin, decorate with tin cans, shorn of their labels. For Crystal, be sure to display wedding crystal and decorate with crystal prisms. For China, display different patterns of china–or, for a play on words, decorate in Chinese style. For Silver, display silver items and use silver-colored decorations. For Diamond, you can again use lots of prisms, such as those hanging from chandeliers.
For the Mock Wedding Reception, decorate in gold and white, with plenty of flowers, paper wedding bells, or whatever suits you. Be sure to have a backdrop, such as a lattice garden archway, for the reception line. Perhaps you could have the couple’s favorite love songs playing softly in the background during the reception line. Set up an elegant table for refreshments and another for gifts, if gifts are expected. Also, set the appropriate number of round tables and chairs around the room. Centerpieces could be single white roses in bud vases tied with gold ribbons.
BLOW-BY-BLOW: If you wish to play games at your anniversary celebration, choose any that suit you. (Later posts will detail a number of games.) However, if your party is an intimate, “family only” affair, we can suggest one activity that will assure a heartwarming, memorable time with loved ones.
We call this activity “Reverie,” for that is just the type of mood it is meant to create. It is basically a time of sharing old memories, but if you need some help jump-starting the trip down memory lane, you can write some words or phrases of people, places, things, animals, and actions on 3″x5″ cards and have participants draw cards and think of a memory about the word(s) on their cards. You can get these from dictionaries, other games, books or your own imaginative memories.
A Mock Wedding Reception is very much what it sounds like: The honored couple stands (or sits) in a reception line, with children and grandchildren if possible, and welcomes the guests as they come through the line. Gifts are piled on a gift table. After going through the line, guests get something to eat and mingle. Musical numbers may be presented as solos or duets. When the reception line has ended, the honored husband and wife cut a cake, and they may open their presents as well. Sometimes a dance is held.
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Wedding Anniversary Celebrations
Posted by: Rebecca on: February 10, 2012
Wedding Anniversary Celebrations are not as common as other types of parties, but often the family will wish to mark the Silver or Golden Wedding anniversaries. The following parties are focused toward those types of celebrations, but any of them could be adapted to use for smaller anniversary parties.
A Crash Course in Mothering
Posted by: Rebecca on: February 7, 2012
THEME: Class on baby care for a first-time mother-to-be
INVITATIONS: The invitation should look official, like an invitation to take a college course. Use calligraphy or a flowing script font on your computer, and print on a nice bond or parchment paper. The guest-of-honor is invited to take the course, and the guests may be invited to come and participate as “associate professors of motherhood.”
MATERIALS FOR ACTIVITIES: Name tags for each guest; a crossword puzzle using names of baby items and pencil for each guest; a baby doll, diaper, stopwatch, two diaper pins and a blindfold; a sheet of blank paper for each guest; prizes, if desired, such as baby items like candy pacifiers, outlet plugs, baby shampoo, etc.; an elegant diploma for passing the course.
FOOD: Serve foods that babies like: milk, applesauce, graham crackers, juice, animal cookies, etc. Another idea is to make nut cups in the shape of diapers. This is done by cutting small rectangles or triangles of baby-print fabric, folding and pinning them like diapers with tiny safety pins (leaving leg-holes too small for mints or nuts to fall through), and setting them upright as if an invisible baby was sitting in them. Then grasp each with tweezers and dip briefly into melted wax to coat, setting them out to dry and harden. These little “diapers” can now be filled with mints and nuts, or whatever small snacks you desire.
DECORATIONS: Decorate in pastel colors and cut pictures from parenting magazines of mothers doing things with babies. Make a collage or hang them around the room. Set out familiar items like bottles, baby powder, diapers, bibs, baby blankets, pacifiers, stuffed animals, baby toys, etc.
BLOW-BY-BLOW: As guests arrive, give them name tags reading “Prof. (their name) .” Welcome the mother-to-be as a new student, and “orient” her by giving her the crossword puzzle to do. (All other guests will do it, too, and the first one to correctly complete it may be awarded a prize.)
Next, the “instructors” will demonstrate their prowess in the Blind Diapering Contest. Set a baby doll, cloth diaper and two diaper pins (closed) in the center of the room. Each contestant will have a turn to be blindfolded and see how fast she can correctly diaper the baby doll. You (the hostess) will time each one. Last of all, the guest of honor will try it–”to see if she has learned anything”–and the contestant with the best time may receive a prize.
Now it’s time to settle down and get a little more serious. Give everyone a blank piece of paper on which to write some word of advice for the new mother. (It can be funny or serious, whatever they prefer.)
After the advice is in, present the “successful student” with a lovely diploma (“suitable for framing”!) and celebrate her “commencement” by commencing to open the presents. Do this in the usual way, recording the gifts and givers and passing the gifts around to be admired. You might also suggest the “professors” tell the mother-to-be what each item is used for, perhaps making up silly uses–like putting the diapers on her head during the baby’s bathtime, to protect her from splashes!
To complete the evening, serve the refreshments.
Variations and Comments: It is important to make sure that this is all done in the spirit of fun. The mother-to-be should have such a rapport with the other guests that she would never feel she was being belittled, mocked or teased for her lack of knowledge or experience. In fact, some of the “professors” might not be mothers yet themselves, so they really would not be able to “instruct” her. If done in the right spirit, the atmosphere will be humorous and light-hearted, and no one will be offended.
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