Wedding Anniversary Parties

Celebrating an anniversary is fun and exciting! This day is a very special event, whether it is the first anniversary or the 75th anniversary. Start by selecting a theme. Then invitations, party supplies, decorations, food, and other details are much easier to plan.

Themes can be the number of years (for a 50th Anniversary the theme would be 50th with traditional gold colors) or the theme can be more specific like a Western theme, Fifties theme or something similar.

The theme can be focused on the special interests or hobbies of the guests of honor. If the couple got married in Las Vegas, you might have a Casino theme, or if the couple loves to spend vacations at the beach, have a Beach theme

Wedding Anniversary Party Invitations

Once you've decided a theme, you want to choose the invitations. See examples of Wedding Anniversary Party Invitations:

For the informal event, try a Timeless Invitation.

For a more formal look we suggest one of the following invitations:
Celestial Magic Star Invitation
Timeless Invitation

For handmade invitations - gather an old wedding picture of the guests of honor and scan the picture into your computer. Print off the invitations in black and white with the picture on the front. Lightly add some color to the photo with colored pencils. Print out the details of the party on the inside of the invitation.

Wedding Anniversary Party Decorating

To decorate for a wedding anniversary, choose a color scheme that works well for your setting. The list below shows the traditional anniversary gifts associated with each year of marriage. This can be a guide to help you choose your color scheme based on these gifts, but other combinations can work just as well.

Anniversary Gifts, Gift Ideas, and Specials!
First: Paper
Second: Cotton, Calico, Straw
Third: Leather
Fourth: Flowers, Silk, Linen
Fifth: Wood
Sixth: Sweets, Iron
Seventh: Wool, Copper, Bronze
Eighth: Bronze, Pottery
Ninth: Pottery, China, Crystal
Tenth: Tin, Aluminum
Eleventh: Steel
Twelfth: Silk, Nylon, Linen
Thirteenth: Lace
Fourteenth: Agate, Ivory
Fifteenth: Glass, Crystal
Twentieth: China
Twenty-Fifth: Silver
Thirtieth: Pearl, Personal Items
Thirty-Fifth: Coral, Jade
Fortieth: Ruby, Garnet
Forty-Fifth: Sapphire
Fiftieth: Gold
Fifty-Fifth: Turquoise, Emerald
Sixtieth: Diamond, Gold
Seventieth: Diamond, Gold

Once you have chosen a color scheme, use Gossamer to create a beautiful and intimate atmosphere even in a large reception hall.

Balloons can turn any area into a party space in minutes at a low cost. Balloons without helium can be hung from the ceiling, or twisted together to form colorful columns and arches, or swag them across the room like streamers. To create a balloon strand, inflate 2 balloons and tie them together. Take 2 more balloons and tie them together in the same fashion as the first two. Take a piece of string, ribbon or monofilament line cut to your desired length. Twist the two pairs of balloons together at the ties. A few twists and they should stay in place. Twist the balloon cluster of four around the string. Repeat the steps until the strand is complete.

Place a large sign on the door with a big number 50 (or whatever the year of celebration is). Try a Personalized Anniversary Banner!

Around the party site have mementos from the year they got married. Old bikes, toys, and clothing are just some ideas to get you started. If you can find a car manufactured that year, that is an excellent focal point either inside or parked outside the building.

Create a special walkway leading up to the door with Metallic Luminarias with glowing candles inside.

Twinkle lights look lovely when strands are placed down the center of a tabletop, or twined around centerpieces and glassware. Tape dangling light cords to the underside of the table or to the floor.

A simple centerpiece for any anniversary celebration consists of fresh or silk flowers surrounding large numbers representing the year the couple is celebrating. If the anniversary is the 50th, cut out large numbers on our Metallic Gold Corrugated Paper.

Fill crystal bowls or vases with brightly colored glass ornaments (silver for 25th, gold for 50th) and place them on the table in a bed of Metallic Shred.

Personalize your table decorations to your guests of honor. For example, one table could display the bride's cheerleading poms from when they met and another table could show the groom's baseball glove from his college years.

For the buffet table, nothing displays more elegance than an ice sculpture. Have a giant 25 carved out of ice if the couple is celebrating 25 years together. An ice sculpture in the shape of a vase can be beautiful when filled with flowers similar to the bride's bouquet from years ago.

Create fun and unusual placemats from old photos. Enlarge color photos or black and white photos and have them laminated. Place a different picture at each guest's place for a lifelong collage! Or use old love letters and newspaper articles and have them laminated. Whatever you use, these placemats will make a great conversation piece!

Scatter confetti down the center of the table to tie in the number of years, colors, or theme.

Create placecards for your tables. If the group is small and well connected, make copies of old photos of each guest with the honored guests. Adhere them to a heavy cardboard "tent". Let each guest find their seat by locating the old photo of themselves.

Car Decorations: The wedding day isn't the only time to decorate a car. Why not decorate the car of the Anniversary couple or individual. Paint on the car with car paint, " 12 years ago today Bill hit his first Homerun!" Add streamers and balloons to jazz it up

Special walkway: Create a special walkway leading up to the door with metallic luminaries with glowing candles inside. Match the year color theme with silver or gold, or use metallic black. The luminaries create a stunning entrance to a grand event.

Wedding Anniversary Party Table Ideas

Imprinted napkins: Add a personalized message and a giant 50th to beverage and luncheon napkins. Match the color of the napkins to your selected theme.

Centerpieces: Cut out large numbers or draw them on shiny gold paper. Surround the numbers with fresh flowers or silk flowers.

Placemats: Create fun placemats from old photos. Visit a local print shop that can enlarge color photos or black and white photos. Enlarge them on the copier and have them laminated. (Most small print shops have this capability) Place a different enlarged image at each guest's place. Or, clip articles, select old term papers, letters, ribbons, you name it, and have them laminated. The placemats will make a great conversation piece.

Confetti: Confetti is a great extra touch to any table. Scatter it down the center to tie in the number, colors or theme. If you plan ahead, insert a few pieces of confetti in the invitations, and then sprinkle the same confetti on the table to connect the two.

Placecards: If the group is small and well connected, make copies of old photos of each guest with the honored guest(s). Adhere them to a heavy cardboard V form or simple "tent". Let each guest find their seat by locating the old photo of themselves.

Table Ensemble: If your event isn't too formal, use paper or plastic plates etc. This will make clean up a snap. Plus, the color of the tableware can work with your theme. Metallic silver and gold plates are wonderful for 50th and 25th Anniversaries.

Wedding Anniversary Party Activities

Start (or continue) a tradition of retelling the wedding story. Have the guests of honor include as many details as possible. Story telling is a traditional way to pass on information from one to another and it keeps the memory alive. If there are several generations, have each tell the story from their own viewpoint. What important details and funny things did Grandpa see at the wedding? Ask the same questions to the siblings of the bride and groom because each personal will have a different, yet colorful perspective.

Here are some other activities for the celebration:

Guess the price game: Have guests work as individuals or teams to guess the prices of key products dating back to the date of the event. What did people pay for a gallon of milk 50 years ago? What was the price of a new Ford truck? The team or individual with the closest guesses wins; however, everyone will have fun reliving the past.

Name that year: Visit the library and get copies of newspapers (front pages) of the date of the event, 5 years later, 10 years later, you select the dates. Type of a list of events from the front page of each and have the guests determine what year it was. Select some newspapers with dates far apart and some close together to make it harder.

Dancing through the years: Not everyone likes to dance, but most like to laugh and remember. Select different types of music from different years. Have each couple pull a style of dance or music from a hat and have them perform the dance. The other couples have to determine which dance they are "attempting" If you have the time, prepare music for each possible selection.

Story Time: If the anniversary is a wedding or a first step, create a tradition of retelling the story. Include as many details as possible. Story telling is a traditional way to pass on information from one to another and it keeps the memory alive. If there are several generations, have each tell the story from their own viewpoint. What important details and funnies did Grandpa see at the wedding, what about the Bride and Groom, Sister, etc. Each will have a different, yet colorful perspective.

Create a video presentation that spans the life of the bride and groom. There are many services out there these days that can take all of your old photos and put them into video form with background music of your choice. Be sure to include holidays, vacations, births, and other special events for a complete tribute to their lives together.

Place disposable cameras on tables and encourage guests to use them. You'll have plenty of memories captured to pass along to your guests. Set up a photo backdrop area - either with Columns, a balloon arch or a metallic curtain - so that the couple can have their picture taken with either individuals or groupings of their choice.

Visit the library and get copies of newspapers (front pages) from the wedding day, 5 years later, 10 years later, etc. Type a list of events from the front page of each and have the guests determine what year it was. Select some newspapers with dates far apart and some close together to make it harder.

Create a Christmas Tree Keepsake. No matter what time of year you are celebrating an anniversary for a special couple, this keepsake can be presented at the party for a new seasonal tradition to begin. First, purchase an artificial Christmas tree of any size. Gather old and present photos of family members, special events, homes, etc. Create small ornaments by mounting these photos (or copies of photos) onto our Flat or Corrugated Paper cut into stars, ovals, or any other shapes. Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of each ornament and tie ribbon through it for hanging. Have special guests present the ornaments to the couple that night by hanging them on the tree and saying a brief word about the photos. Each Christmas season after that, the couple will be proud to display their meaningful tree in their home.

Wedding Anniversary Party Favors

Imprinted Glassware. Flutes, goblets, mugs, and snifters in a multitude of sizes, shapes, style and color options. Guests can drink water, soft drinks, etc. from a special glass, then take the glass home and fondly recall the party every time they see the glass.

Parfaits, dessert dishes, and candy dishes. All will add a lovely, elegant touch to your tables. Tie a small piece of satin ribbon, curling ribbon, gossamer streamer, or even a party horn to each stem (attached with metallic garland) for a festive look. The glassware can also hold a gathered cloth or paper napkin to create a tall dramatic look at each place setting, or on a buffet table. Glassware filled with candy, mints, or chocolate treats or with metallic shred to match your theme colors also creates a terrific table accent.

Give guests frames imprinted with special party details. They stock a huge variety of Imprinted Frames, in a wide array of sizes, colors and styles.

Imprinted Acrylic Frames. When the party is over, the frame can be filled with a photograph. Either use a Polaroid™ camera to send a picture home with each of your guests, or mail souvenir photos at a later date with thank you notes for gifts. Make sure that you have plenty of film on hand, so that you can take lots of pictures of the couple with each family/couple/ or individual in attendance.

Let each guest feel the same warm feeling they experienced as a child looking with wonder at a newly shaken snow dome. They can be imprinted with a special message in a color to match your chosen color theme, and can hold a 2" X 3" souvenir photo of your guest. Using the same concept as outlined in the frame section above, the Snowdomes make wonderful placecards or an ideal holder for a special poem or drawing.

Personalized Bubbles. The label on the bubbles can be imprinted with your theme or special design graphic, in your color of choice. The bubbles look great on tables as a stand-alone favor, or you can tie a piece of curling ribbon in an accent color to the neck of the bubbles. For more formal occasions, the bubbles are just as much fun and a great table accent when wrapped elegantly! Cut circles out of Gossamer, netting or tulle (9" in diameter). Place the bubbles in the center of the circle, wrap and tie with a 12" length of thin satin ribbon or curling ribbon.

Favor Boxes also provide an economical table accent. Boxes to complement different themes are scattered through our different stores, and they also offer boxes in the Wedding store. They can be filled with candy, mints, nuts or toy trinkets for each guest. If you are filling the boxes with candy, select candy in a color that complements the colors you will be using for your other decorations. To save money on the volume of "treats" you will need to fill each box, start by filling each box with some Metallic Shred or a little Gossamer "puddle" in a coordinating color.

Wedding Anniversary Party Food & Cake Ideas

Your food options for an anniversary party are limitless! You can have an extravagant, sit-down dinner, or simple appetizers and drinks. The choice is really up to you and your budget.

If you are going with a theme party, choose foods that fit that theme. For instance, if you are throwing a Western party, make ribs, burgers, beans, coleslaw, and other "cook-out" foods.

For dessert, you may want to consider replicating the couple's original wedding cake. Most brides keep their cake topper, so be sure to ask her for that as well!

Back To Special Occasions