Your Anniversary Party Stories

It takes a lot to plan a successful party especially as these are once-in-a-lifetime affairs. So if you've done this for your mom and dad or friends, please share your anniversary party story and help out others with celebration ideas.

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  • Don and Kathy (40th Anniversary)
  • For my parents' 40th wedding anniversary, we had a vow renewal ceremony for them. Their first wedding was not really a happy occasion, and my mom never even got to wear a wedding dress. So through all the years, she had always talked about renewing their vows and having the wedding she never had. On their special day, she was in a wedding dress, my dad, a tux, and my two boys age 3 and 5 walked both of them down the aisle (their only grandchildren). My brother and I stood up for them as attendants.
  • Since it was a symbolic ceremony, my husband and sister-in-law officiated. There were about 100 people there, who were very happy for them. Afterwards, we sent them on a 10-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean, complete with a suite aboard ship, private balcony, jacuzzi hot tub, the works. After 40 years of marriage, raising 2 children, and always sacrificing for the family, these two really deserved it.
  • Ben and Carmen (25th Anniversary)
  • Told my parents that we had a private evening plannned for just the 2 of them. Instead, we invited all the relatives and friends for a grand celebration at home. First led them out to a local hotel for pretend dinner. Meanwhile caterer set up for 100 guests of relatives and friends. My sister coordinated the schedule and program. Setup a video of their life together for the past 25 years. It was a smashing success. The theme was retro to the 1960s.
  • Norbert and Beverly (50th Anniversary)
  • This past year I helped throw my grandparents a 50th wedding anniversary party. We started off in tradtion with attending a special church service where they were blessed. Then we were off to the reception hall. Us grandchildren had come in before church and decorated it just like their wedding. Believe it or not, my grandparents entire wedding party, except for 2 people were able to be there. There was music, drinks, and delicious food. And then the gifts came. Their children, 6 of them, and grandchildren, 12 of them, gave them a trip overseas to Europe. We wrapped up six smaller gifts to give them clues and then the seventh gift had the actual gift certificate. You should have seen their eyes. This was truly a wedding anniversary to remember.

Romantic Gift Ideas




  • Parents (30th Anniversary)
  • My parents got married on April Fool's Day. Strange day, but my Mom always said, this would be the only day my Dad - a jokester - would remember! Well, for their 30th wedding anniversary, my sister and I decided to throw them a celebration - of course, it being April Fool's Day, the joke was on them . . . little did they know that my sister was FINALLY pregnant with her first and we were ready to make the annoucement! So, instead of gifts they could use, everyone who was invited bought baby shower gifts. We escorted my parents to the restaurant in a limo and took them first to a private deck at the restaurant where they shared a glass of champagne and strawberries...with a few April Fool's jokes along the way (first, we took them to a Taco Bell! and then, we took them to a burned down site we knew on the way saying, "Oh, no! The place burned down!").
  • Once we brought them downstairs, I had my sister go inside and I would escort my parents into the dining room. Instead of pictures of them on the big screen, we had a picture of my sister's sonogram and the place was not decked out in anniversary decorations but baby decorations! They walked in and, at first, they were puzzled. Then, they saw my sister smiling and my Mom started screaming! My Dad's eyes welled up and he turned to me to say, "This BETTER NOT be an April Fool's Joke!"
  • Judson and Brooke (5th Anniversary)
  • Judson is a very close friend of mine, and when the time neared for his fifth anniversary with his wife, Brooke, I knew that a special party needed to be in order. The wedding itself was not so special due to complications at the time, and it was important that this was romantic and memorable. My family estate back in southern Mississippi seemed a perfect occasion for such an event.
  • Upon visiting the estate with the couple, Judson and I decided that the tennis court on my estate would be the perfect occasion. In two months time, we had the court and surrounding landscaping prepared with white strings of Christmas lights, fountains of pure chocolate and punch, and a band that could only be surpassed by Eric Clapton himself. The most memorable experience of the night was sitting and watching Brooke and Judson dance alone together without a care in the world of past events. Sitting there smoking a cigar alone afterwards, I was reminded that there isn't much more important in this world than love and helping others. The night was a total success, as is their marriage.
  • Austin and May (60th Anniversary)
  • Their three sons flew back from overseas to be with them at their party for more than 300 local people. At the family dinner beforehand, loving statements were read out on behalf of all each grandchild who was unable to attend.
  • Ken and Carol (25th Anniversary)
  • My sister (Jackie) and I threw my parents a 25th anniversary party. We decided to surprise them that we were getting them to renew their vows once again. They were extremely surprised and they really enjoyed the celebration. When they had first got married my father wore a lime green tuxedo and that night the picture of them standing together came back and bit them in the bum 3 times that night. We had gotten a cake with that icing that can be a picture. They got a memory book with the same picture on the front and I also made them a plaque with that picture on it too. From Nicole.
  • Names Not Submitted (50th Anniversary Party)
  • Last year I organized a 50th anniversary party for my parents. The biggest challenge was coming up with a plan that would please both my parents and my numerous siblings. We had very little time because I guess with such a large family everyone assumed that "someone else" would do the planning. My sister agreed to host the party at her home, but we decided that we should hire a caterer and rent dinnerware.
  • We met with a caterer and posted our proposed menu which took into consideration the various dietary restrictions of family members. Most people were very appreciative of the planning and agreed to everything and quickly sent in their checks. In the end, the event was EXACTLY what our parents wanted and we came in well under budget.
  • Dave and Vida (40th Anniversary)
  • For my parents 40th anniversary, my siblings and I rented the ballroom at a hotel, invited 100 family and friends and surprised my parents with a a wedding. Originally, my parents were married in my mothers house with only her parents and sister in attendance; therefore, she never had a "real" wedding. We were determined that this was going to be a day to remember for both parents. We had our mother dress in a veil and modest wedding gown. My dad was put into a 3 piece suit. We all chipped in and bought new wedding rings for each as well. After the wedding we all enjoyed an old fashion reception. It was a day to remember for sure.
  • Ron and Pam (25th Anniversary)
  • I threw this 25th wedding anniversary party for my mom and dad. I re-created their wedding reception with all of the original colors, bridesmaids and groomsmen having them wear the original dresses (if they still had them etc.) Had the same music they had, even held it in the same hall they were married in. We also held a mock wedding which was extremely funny with the flower girl (who was my uncle dressed like a little girl) passing out condoms instead of flower petals. The cake was duplicated like the one they had as well.
  • John and Marthine (50th Anniversary)
  • My parents, John and Marthine, celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary at an elegant restaurant which was the successor to the one where they went for their Prom Date 54 years ago. The big suprise was my gift to them: all their family slides (more than 750 from over the years) digitized into a slide show on a DVD!

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