For over seventeen years, I have answered
brides' questions on their weddings. Now these brides
are celebrating their anniversaries or hosting anniversary
parties for their loved ones. Below are some commonly
asked questions I have received over the years that may
be of assistance in helping you plan a successful and
memorable anniversary party.
Where can I find the ideal
anniversary location?
WeddingLocation.com is dedicated to
helping brides and grooms find the wedding and special
event location of their dreams. Their expertise goes far
beyond weddings to an elaborate array of romantic event
sites. On this website, you enter your criteria such as
budget and geographic location preference and almost instantly,
an array of locations matching your requests are placed
in front of you.
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Who hosts
the anniversary party?
Generally it is a family member, close
friend, or even the anniversary couple themselves. However,
one of the more formal anniversary celebrations such as
the 25th, 50th, or 75th, good taste and etiquette require
that the party be hosted by someone other than the anniversary
couple. In all cases the anniversary couple should be
an active part of helping to plan their party.
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How do I
word an anniversary invitation?
The invitation is one of the single
most important items for setting the tone for your event.
It is usually a good idea to mail out "save the date"
cards as soon as you book the party. Make sure the style
of the invitation is unique and that the theme of the
invitation is reflected throughout your actual event as
well. Because you are celebrating a period of time, it
is customary to mention the years of the anniversary.
For example:
1977-2002
The pleasure of your company is requested
at the Silver Wedding Anniversary Celebration
of
Robert and Betty Smythe
Saturday, August 24
At three o'clock
255 Mariposa Lane
Santa Barbara, California
Invitations should be mailed about
six weeks prior to the event and always include response
cards with preaddressed and prestamped envelopes with
formal invitations. Casual parties can simply have an
"RSVP" with phone number and a deadline date printed at
the bottom.
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Should
there be formal seating for the anniversary couple at
the reception?
It depends on how formal the reception
is. Even if it's a cocktail-only reception, it is always
a good idea to have a designated reserved seating area
for the guests of honor, especially if they are more mature.
For more formal receptions, the head table should seat
the guests of honor and their family. Some event planners
have even created what is traditionally called a "sweetheart
table" where the table just seats the anniversary couple
and is decorated to the nines.or even under an elaborate
gazebo. Do check with the couple, as some couples may
prefer a lower profile.
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What about
gifts?
Gifts should never, under any circumstances,
be requested from guests. On the opposite end, requesting
"no gifts," is also not in good taste. Most people love
to do something for the couple, so let them. Most will
voluntarily bring gifts, so make sure you have a gift
table that is clothed and available with tape nearby to
tape cards to gifts as they arrive. A family member may
also opt to coordinate the purchase of a large anniversary
gift to the couple. It is generally a good idea to have
someone man the gift table as people arrive to tape cards
to gifts and just keep an eye on things.
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Do you have
any ideas for anniversaries?
Yes. Because there are so many, we've
included just a few from world-renowned event planners
and specialists. See our section on Anniversary
Event Ideas for suggestions.
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