Putting On The Perfect Surprise 25th Anniversary Celebration For Your Parents
Where do you start? If you're planning a celebration for your parent's 25th anniversary, the first decision to make is if you'd prefer to have a small get together for family and close friends or a large party with a lot of guests. This choice will depend on how your parents would prefer to celebrate the occasion; you can always do a little snooping to get an idea of this. You also need to figure out if a modern-style party or a traditional anniversary celebration would be a better choice.
In a traditional party, the theme will have to do with the material which is traditionally associated with the anniversary - in the case of a 25th anniversary; this would of course be silver. Generally, these anniversary parties are formal in nature and function almost as a second wedding reception for the couple. However, a modern style anniversary party does not hold as closely to this tradition and may include other themes besides the familiar silver theme.
If you opt for a traditional, large anniversary celebration, there is a lot of planning to be done beforehand. You have to put your guest list together and find a place to hold the event which can comfortably accommodate all of the guests you plan to invite. You could hold the event in a home, but it is more common to hold 25th anniversary parties at reception or banquet halls to make it easier for everyone to attend.
Next, you need to create invitations (or have them made by a professional). If it fits into your budget, then you should usually go with a professional in order to ensure that they have the kind of elegance that the event calls for. Before doing this, you have to figure out if the event will be a casual or formal dress affair; this information should go into your invitation, as well as the fact that the event is a surprise party. There's nothing worse than having your parents try to lend a hand in planning their own party, after all!
The next step is to decide how to work the silver theme of the anniversary into the decorations for the event. You can find many different ideas about this or if possible, hire a party planner to help you with the details of your party decor. Generally speaking, you should stay with silver as the main color in your decorations, with accent colors which do not take away from the theme. Flowers are something you will no doubt include among your decorations; for 25th anniversaries, irises are the traditional flower to use for centerpieces and accents.
Aside from invitations and decorating the hall or home where the party will take place, food is one of the most important concerns. It all depends on your budget, but food for the party could include everything from a full buffer to appetizers and drinks; whatever you choose, just make sure that there is plenty of food available for your guests. For dessert, a wedding-style cake is always a good choice. If your budget permits, a large, lavish cake is sure to impress everyone at the party, including your parents.
One thing which many people do for anniversary parties is to put together some kind of visual or audio presentation which highlights their parent's marriage. This could be a slide show of photos taken over the last 25 years, home movies or their favorite music, especially the song which played during their first dance at their wedding.
The toast is something else you'll need to plan for. As the host of the event, you'll need to give a speech; focus on how much you appreciate your parents and all the things they've done for you over the years.
Naturally, there is also the gift. Since the 25th anniversary is something like a second wedding reception, perhaps a second honeymoon would be an appropriate gift, if this is affordable for you. If this is beyond your means, mention in the invitation that you want to help your parents go on a second honeymoon and are trying to raise money for that goal. If you can, try to make their second honeymoon even better than the first! Other than that idea, gifts which relate to the silver theme are always appropriate. Whatever you give, make it distinctive and personal.
If you are planning a smaller gathering or a contemporary style of anniversary party, than an informal event like a backyard cookout might be a good idea. There are certainly plenty of ideas for themed anniversary parties, but make sure that your theme is classy enough for a celebration of your parent's anniversary! Even with a small informal celebration, you need to make sure to demonstrate your love for your parents with this important event.
Since this is a surprise party, you need to come up with a decoy for your parents. For instance, you could tell your parents that you've arranged for a dinner at a high end restaurant for them. If you aren't planning a formal party, then you could use an excuse like a gift of tickets to a play, concert or other event - but do not tell them exactly what, since you don't want to make a specific promise you do not plan to deliver on. You want them to be surprised, not disappointed!
Of course, there are things which are not appropriate for a 25th anniversary celebration. You don't want to trot out the old jokes; your parents probably would appreciate that you steer clear of these, no matter how amusing you may find them.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cristina_Simpson
In a traditional party, the theme will have to do with the material which is traditionally associated with the anniversary - in the case of a 25th anniversary; this would of course be silver. Generally, these anniversary parties are formal in nature and function almost as a second wedding reception for the couple. However, a modern style anniversary party does not hold as closely to this tradition and may include other themes besides the familiar silver theme.
If you opt for a traditional, large anniversary celebration, there is a lot of planning to be done beforehand. You have to put your guest list together and find a place to hold the event which can comfortably accommodate all of the guests you plan to invite. You could hold the event in a home, but it is more common to hold 25th anniversary parties at reception or banquet halls to make it easier for everyone to attend.
Next, you need to create invitations (or have them made by a professional). If it fits into your budget, then you should usually go with a professional in order to ensure that they have the kind of elegance that the event calls for. Before doing this, you have to figure out if the event will be a casual or formal dress affair; this information should go into your invitation, as well as the fact that the event is a surprise party. There's nothing worse than having your parents try to lend a hand in planning their own party, after all!
The next step is to decide how to work the silver theme of the anniversary into the decorations for the event. You can find many different ideas about this or if possible, hire a party planner to help you with the details of your party decor. Generally speaking, you should stay with silver as the main color in your decorations, with accent colors which do not take away from the theme. Flowers are something you will no doubt include among your decorations; for 25th anniversaries, irises are the traditional flower to use for centerpieces and accents.
Aside from invitations and decorating the hall or home where the party will take place, food is one of the most important concerns. It all depends on your budget, but food for the party could include everything from a full buffer to appetizers and drinks; whatever you choose, just make sure that there is plenty of food available for your guests. For dessert, a wedding-style cake is always a good choice. If your budget permits, a large, lavish cake is sure to impress everyone at the party, including your parents.
One thing which many people do for anniversary parties is to put together some kind of visual or audio presentation which highlights their parent's marriage. This could be a slide show of photos taken over the last 25 years, home movies or their favorite music, especially the song which played during their first dance at their wedding.
The toast is something else you'll need to plan for. As the host of the event, you'll need to give a speech; focus on how much you appreciate your parents and all the things they've done for you over the years.
Naturally, there is also the gift. Since the 25th anniversary is something like a second wedding reception, perhaps a second honeymoon would be an appropriate gift, if this is affordable for you. If this is beyond your means, mention in the invitation that you want to help your parents go on a second honeymoon and are trying to raise money for that goal. If you can, try to make their second honeymoon even better than the first! Other than that idea, gifts which relate to the silver theme are always appropriate. Whatever you give, make it distinctive and personal.
If you are planning a smaller gathering or a contemporary style of anniversary party, than an informal event like a backyard cookout might be a good idea. There are certainly plenty of ideas for themed anniversary parties, but make sure that your theme is classy enough for a celebration of your parent's anniversary! Even with a small informal celebration, you need to make sure to demonstrate your love for your parents with this important event.
Since this is a surprise party, you need to come up with a decoy for your parents. For instance, you could tell your parents that you've arranged for a dinner at a high end restaurant for them. If you aren't planning a formal party, then you could use an excuse like a gift of tickets to a play, concert or other event - but do not tell them exactly what, since you don't want to make a specific promise you do not plan to deliver on. You want them to be surprised, not disappointed!
Of course, there are things which are not appropriate for a 25th anniversary celebration. You don't want to trot out the old jokes; your parents probably would appreciate that you steer clear of these, no matter how amusing you may find them.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cristina_Simpson
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