Suggestions for an anniversary party.

[whitby_2773]

hallo all

as you may know, it's tim's and my 25th anniversary on september 1st. we're heading off to australia on august 3rd for a 3 week visit home, during which time we're having an anniversary party for about 30 people at which we're planning to renew our vows.

we're having something low key - it will be at my best friend's house which is a large log cabin home with large outside decks, set on 2.5 acres and surrounded by national park, a few appetizers to start scattered around the living areas (pate, a herbed cheese ball, and a smoked salmon/onions/capers platter), then a buffet of lasagne and coq au vin, with salad and veges. this will all be home made and i have no isssue with the quality of the food and wine - it will be top notch. afterwards we're having a white chocolate and strawberry cake for dessert (see attached picture, but imagine a second, larger layer beneath).

in between the main course and dessert we're having speeches and presenting the people who were our bridesmaids and groomsmen with gifts (which we never gave them 25 years ago), then we're renewing our vows.

on the buffet table we're placing framed copies of our vows, a photo of us from our wedding, and also a framed wedding photo of both sets of our parents.

and that's about it. i wondered if anyone had any ideas as to how we could make this more special? it's fine the way it is, but just perhaps a tad....unsurprising?

any ideas on how to make it more romantic or unusual would be very appreciated.

 

[Deelight]

OMG that cake looks delectable

, I think the anniversary sounds fantastic Whitby - as you are looking for ideas a slide show of the last 25yrs you have spent together would be romantic and kinda sweet .

 

[atroop711]

how surprising do you want it to be? A lap dance for Tim? just kidding. I think it sounds great and congratulations! I love that you''re renewing your vows with your friends and family. If I think of anything..I will post later

 

[Catmom]

Everything you are doing sounds fantastic! Along the lines of the video idea is to do large, nicely decorated posters instead. These are placed around the room and have pictures of not only you guys from the last 25 years but also the invited people and how they fit into your lives. People will spend hours going through each of the posters and they are delighted to see their photos as well. It''s very fun to see old pictures and how every one has changed. It is a lot of work to put together though.

 

[Lilac]

I think that sounds so sweet! Congratulations on 25 years! I agree a slideshow or pictures sounds great, but it depends on how time-consuming you want to make this for yourselves

Other than that, everything you mentioned sounds really nice, and I especially like the gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen - it''s so special that you can share this with them again 25 years later!

 

[nycbkgirl]

o congrats! that already sounds so romantic and beautiful! but i agree on the pictures thing...a video of before marriage, wedding pics and throughout the 25 yrs..its kool to see the changes also nice to relive all those memorable yrs...hope u enjoy it and another 100yrs of wedded bliss dusted ur way

 

[Ellen]

For romance/ambiance, light TONS of candles as the sun goes down. Candles just add soooo much.

And the lap dance is a thought...... Ok, nevermind.

p.s. That cake is unreal!

 

[atroop711]

Date: 7/22/2009 5:39:33 AM
Author:whitby_2773
hallo all


as you may know, it''s tim''s and my 25th anniversary on september 1st. we''re heading off to australia on august 3rd for a 3 week visit home, during which time we''re having an anniversary party for about 30 people at which we''re planning to renew our vows.


we''re having something low key - it will be at my best friend''s house which is a large log cabin home with large outside decks, set on 2.5 acres and surrounded by national park, a few appetizers to start scattered around the living areas (pate, a herbed cheese ball, and a smoked salmon/onions/capers platter), then a buffet of lasagne and coq au vin, with salad and veges. this will all be home made and i have no isssue with the quality of the food and wine - it will be top notch. afterwards we''re having a white chocolate and strawberry cake for dessert (see attached picture, but imagine a second, larger layer beneath).


in between the main course and dessert we''re having speeches and presenting the people who were our bridesmaids and groomsmen with gifts (which we never gave them 25 years ago), then we''re renewing our vows.


on the buffet table we''re placing framed copies of our vows, a photo of us from our wedding, and also a framed wedding photo of both sets of our parents.


and that''s about it. i wondered if anyone had any ideas as to how we could make this more special? it''s fine the way it is, but just perhaps a tad....unsurprising?


any ideas on how to make it more romantic or unusual would be very appreciated.

Did you make that cake? OMG it''s amazing. I''m addicted to the cake shows and just told my husband last night that when the kids are all in school, I''m going to learn how to do this

 

[gemgirl]

I''m a very religious person, and I know that''s not the case for many people so please take this suggestion with a grain of salt, but I wouldn''t be able to begin an important celebration like this without a prayer being said or a special blessing of some kind. If you can find the person who married you and Tim 25 years ago, it would be very nice if that person could say a few words. Even a poem. There''s a lot on the internet about marriage, about how it''s a journey of two people etc.

 

[whitby_2773]

some great ideas and thank you all for your kind wishes.

the problem with this party, and why i probably feel like it's a little 'underplanned', is because it IS! we only started thinking about the idea of seeing all our friends and family in one hit when everyone we wanted to see started saying that the best weekend for them was the weekend of the 8th/9th. so in the end, since some people were coming a considerable distance (inter/intra state), we decided to make it a party. then somehow a week ago it became an anniversary party, and our vow renewal idea only happened last saturday. so this is all VERY last minute. it's going to be laid back and small, so that's keeping it do-able. but it also means i dont have time to do a lot of things.

i have zero video footage of tim and i. none. i have some photos, tho (even this is difficult as a lot of our stuff is still in storage in australia), and loved your suggestions, deelight, catmom and nycbkgirl. what i think i'll do as a compromise is put together a photo album of tim and i at various stages of our lives, including photos of friends and family. great idea.

Lilac i'm prepared to throw all the time between now and when i leave (12 days) at it. a lot of ideas, however, involve ordering stuff, developing stuff, hiring people, and so on, so you're right, time is an issue.

ellen, it will be winter in australia, of course, so candles will be gorgeous, and there will be a wood burning fire as well. we're doing a few decorative things, like wrapping the poles of the deck in ivy and roses, but we could do candles outside as well, which would be lovely. australia is desperate for rain, but i have to be honest and say that i'm really hoping for clear blue skies that day.

atroop, you are NOT helping! lap dance indeed.....

and do NOT allow yourself to be led astray by *ellen* (for whom i suspect all of life's a lap dance, preferably done by somebody else! that wicked sense of humor is not lost on me, miss ellen!) believe me when i tell you - my lap dancing days are so long gone it's not even an issue.

thank you, however, for your touching if misplaced faith in my cake baking ability. i cook a great cake, but decorating? nope - never done it and the pictured cake would be well beyond me. we're buying that locally and it's being delivered on the day. ($100 for a cake delivery - can you believe it?!)

gemgirl, yes, when we renew our vows, a good friend of mine who is a pastor will be there to say a few words, lead us in reciting our vows, and then pray for us. the whole exchanging vows thing will be 10 minutes tops, but it will definitely have a spiritual aspect to it.

so thank you for the great ideas - all ambiance and added significance is helpful. i had always pictured doing a vow renewal and had imagined a pretty grand scenario. this is not it. but living away from most of our family and friends means we rarely get people in the one place at the one time when we fly in and out on brief visits, so we decided we really had to take the opportunity this time and do it. we're never going to be able to organize 'grand', so we're trying to go with 'intimate and warm'.

and i just remembered - this is where we'll be exchanging our remade rings, too, which are our original, broken wedding rings, melted down and into each other, and remade as new. i just LOVE that symbolism!

any other ideas would be more than welcome

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Any of the offpsring of your invited guests sing? They could do a version of your first dance song.

Enjoy your time away--sounds fabu!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Ellen]

Date: 7/22/2009 10:44:29 AM
Author: whitby_2773
some great ideas and thank you all for your kind wishes.

the problem with this party, and why i probably feel like it''s a little ''underplanned'', is because it IS! we only started thinking about the idea of seeing all our friends and family in one hit when everyone we wanted to see started saying that the best weekend for them was the weekend of the 8th/9th. so in the end, since some people were coming a considerable distance (inter/intra state), we decided to make it a party. then somehow a week ago it became an anniversary party, and our vow renewal idea only happened last saturday. so this is all VERY last minute. it''s going to be laid back and small, so that''s keeping it do-able. but it also means i dont have time to do a lot of things.

ellen, it will be winter in australia, of course, so candles will be gorgeous, and there will be a wood burning fire as well. we''re doing a few decorative things, like wrapping the poles of the deck in ivy and roses, but we could do candles outside as well, which would be lovely. australia is desperate for rain, but i have to be honest and say that i''m really hoping for clear blue skies that day.

You know what? I''ve found through my life, that the best times were often the unplanned/spur of the moment/not that fancy, with just your best friends/family. That''s really all you need to have a fabulous, very memorable time Whit.

I''m SO jealous, what a place to celebrate!! The deck all aglow will just be fabulous.

 

[Skippy123]

Sounds fabulous, MANY CONGRATS on 25 years, that is awesome!!!! You two are an amazing couple!!!!

 

[Deelight]

Whitby I think an album sounds wonderful

Just out of curiosity which part of Oz are you going to - the weather where I have been has been really lovely and clear cold though - this is from a QLD girl though who doesn''t tolerate the cold well at all.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I think a slide show of the past 25 years set to romantic songs would be lovely as would an album. For a more romantic feel I would incorporate as many flowers as possible and lots of candles. What about hanging paper lanterns in the trees?

 

[whitby_2773]

Date: 7/23/2009 9:20:43 AM
Author: Deelight
Whitby I think an album sounds wonderful


Just out of curiosity which part of Oz are you going to - the weather where I have been has been really lovely and clear cold though - this is from a QLD girl though who doesn't tolerate the cold well at all.

thanks dee

i'll be in the blue mountains for the whole time, tho i'll be popping in and out of sydney.

and i'm absolutely COUNTING on good weather!

 

[whitby_2773]

nice ideas, HH - and thank you.

i hadn''t thought of lanterns!

it''s a lunchtime party, but it will go on into the afternoon and possibly evening, so i''m planning on candles, definitely, as it''s winter there and will get dark early. i''ll make a point of picking up lanterns as well.

we''re planning on wrapping the poles of the verandah in ivy and roses and doing lots of flowers around and about. one of my first ports of call when i get off the plane is to go to the florist and place an order for ivy, orchids, roses and lilies.

thanks for the suggestions - i appreciate them!

 

[princessplease]

Sounds awesome, whitby!!!!!!! The cake is

Maybe you guys can do a slideshow of pictures of you and your DH throughout the past 25 years set to music to show to your guests.

 

[whitby_2773]

Date: 7/24/2009 1:12:48 PM
Author: princessplease
Sounds awesome, whitby!!!!!!! The cake is

Maybe you guys can do a slideshow of pictures of you and your DH throughout the past 25 years set to music to show to your guests.

i''m glad you like it -my reservations about it, never having tasted it, or anything else by this company, are endless.

i''m in the process of putting together a ''25 year stroll via photograph'' album together. i also have my wedding album in australia, so i had thought i''d put both of those out at the party for people to look at. i cant do slides - i just dont have time to organize this - so am doing albums and framed larger photos around the rooms. i hope it achieves a similar effect.

fingers crossed!

 

[loriken214]

Hi Kareyn!

I''m late to this thread, but that cake looks devine!

Best of luck with your planning of this wonderful celebration! I''m no help at the moment.....

Lori