Milestone Anniversary parties

[Rachel]

Is this a thing in your area? If so at what milestone?

 

My grandparents had simple receptions at 50 and 60 years. Basically it was an excuse to get all the kids and grandkids in one place at the same time. Two sets of grandparents, married the same year, anniversaries are different months but somehow they managed to have both parties the same weekend.

 

My husband's grandparents haven't done anything and they have been married over 60 years. My inlaws just celebrated 40 years and we called them. My husband and I celebrated 15 years this summer, we went out of town together for a long weekend. My aunt and uncle took a cruise at 25 years and went to Paris at 30 years. My dad and stepmom are coming up on 30 years. Sister wants a reception, we are going along with it but I can't think of anyone else who has done something similar at 30 years.

 

What's common in your area?

[regentrude]

My parents are not in our area, but they will be celebrating their 50th, and we will be flying overseas to celebrate with them. That's as big as it gets.

The other common one is silver, at 25 years. Already thinking about mine ;)

[kewb]

I think it is an individual thing versus an area of the country.

I know people who make a big deal out of 25 and beyond and others who do what they normally do.

[FaithManor]

50th is pretty common here. However, due to my grandparents ill health, when they hit their 40th, the family chose to throw a big party for them. That was a good choice since grandpa didn't make it to their 50th.

 

We did the same for my folks due to heart condition. He lived to make it to their 50th, but was not in particularly good shape for a big wing ding. So we sent them on a little mini-trip.

 

We do not want parties for ours. We are travelers, addicted to seeing new places. So for our 30th we will be heading to Scotland and Ireland. Hoping to make it to New Zealand on our 40th, but if everything goes according to plan - ha ha - that will be just after we've begun spending half our time in Egypt so with the cost of travel home to spend the other half with our kids and grandkids, we might simply book tickets with a couple of days layover in Rome or something and not make a larger trip.

 

I think the big party thing is slowly dying out here though. So many adult kids have moved away due to lack of employment options that couples no longer have their adult children around to plan such things. It doesn't seem to be all that widespread for the couple to plan and host it for themselves either.

 

 

[Seasider]

Every year should be a milestone. Marriage is a real commitment.

 

As for celebrating the "big ones," I see shindigs mostly for 50 years. And it's often a big catered event.

[Loowit]

My parents don't want to do anything special for their 50th in a few years.  I have no idea about my ILs.  Neither did anything big for their 25th anniversaries either, but both hit right about the time their kids were getting married, so a lot was going on.

 

Both sets of my grandparents had big parties for their 50th anniversaries.  Neither couples had had a big wedding when they got married.  My dad's parents was a "shot gun wedding" that was small and quick, and my mom's parents got married with just a couple witnesses because they couldn't afford a wedding.  DH's grandparent's 50th was a few weeks before we got married.  They had a renewal of vows ceremony and an big party.  It was a lot of fun.  DH's grandmother had a dress made with material that DH's grandfather had bought for her overseas for their original wedding during WWII.  The material didn't arrive in time for their wedding, so she kept it all those years.

 

Around here it seems to really vary based on what the couple wants to do.  DH and I prefer to do something smaller, just us.  For our 10th we went out of town for two nights, the first time since we had kids.  For our 20th, not necessarily seen as a milestone, we went on a cruise.  No idea what we will do for our 25th, maybe another trip just the two of us.

[Rachel]

Every year should be a milestone. Marriage is a real commitment.

 

As for celebrating the "big ones," I see shindigs mostly for 50 years. And it's often a big catered event.

Very true!

[Kassia]

We've never done anything special for our anniversary because of obligations with the kids.  Next year is our 30th and I'm hoping we can take a big family trip.  I'd love to get away with just DH, but I don't think it's going to happen until my youngest is older.  My SIL threw a small party for my in-laws' 50th anniversary.  

[FaithManor]

You know. I guess I can't say we've never had or never will have a big shindig. LOL, we renewed our vows at Western Michigan University on the lawn of the Alumni building on Oct. 8th in order to help them beat the world record for simultaneous vow renewals on homecoming weekend. There were 1200+ couples and spectators, media, and faculty/staff. They had wedding cake afterward.

 

So I guess we had a REALLY big party this year LOL.

 

 

[Rachel]

You know. I guess I can't say we've never had or never will have a big shindig. LOL, we renewed our vows at Western Michigan University on the lawn of the Alumni building on Oct. 8th in order to help them beat the world record for simultaneous vow renewals on homecoming weekend. There were 1200+ couples and spectators, media, and faculty/staff. They had wedding cake afterward.

 

So I guess we had a REALLY big party this year LOL.

That sounds fun!

[FaithManor]

That sounds fun!

It was a hoot. Our middle boy who is at WMU majoring in freshwater science came along with us. We of course bribed him with off campus food, and goodies for his room, LOL. He is the LEAST sentimental or romantic of our entire crew, so I can only imagine his internal angst standing with us waiting for it to be over with....good times. I consider it a parental virtue to occasionally torture one's children!  :D

 

To atone for our parental sins, we then took him out for fudge before depositing him back at the dorms.

[Guest]

We did shindigs for my parents' 25th and 50th.  The 50th was more elaborate, and rightly so.  :0)

 

I'm kind of getting in favor of people doing 40ths as well, because there is a lot of loss in those 10 years, especially with so many second marriages, the increase in average age at marriage, and so on.

 

 I went to my 40th high school reunion last summer specifically because in looking at class lists of previous classes, I realized how many more people were on the "Deceased List" at the 50th than at the 40th.  Same holds for marriages.  

 

My widowed grandmother married a second time when she was in her 40s.  You can bet we had a big shindig for the 40th.  And then for the 50th.  And then for the 60th.  LOL.  All of them were good, but the earlier ones were more fun for my grandparents.  

[KatieJ]

50th is the most common I have seen.

 

I have a friend who demanded a 35th this past September. She had had a big 25th....

Her reason? We did one for my In laws on their 35th.

 

It was ,well, boring. Arrived, ate a BBQ, said congratulations and we left.

They only have one daughter and she lives out of state. She's didn't come.

Wierd. Just Wierd.

 

We celebrated our 40th our way. On a trip . It's what we always do on our anniversaries.

No,pressure for our kids.

Edited November 19, 2016 by KatieinMich

[FaithManor]

We did shindigs for my parents' 25th and 50th.  The 50th was more elaborate, and rightly so.  :0)

 

I'm kind of getting in favor of people doing 40ths as well, because there is a lot of loss in those 10 years, especially with so many second marriages, the increase in average age at marriage, and so on.

 

 I went to my 40th high school reunion last summer specifically because in looking at class lists of previous classes, I realized how many more people were on the "Deceased List" at the 50th than at the 40th.  Same holds for marriages.  

 

My widowed grandmother married a second time when she was in her 40s.  You can bet we had a big shindig for the 40th.  And then for the 50th.  And then for the 60th.  LOL.  All of them were good, but the earlier ones were more fun for my grandparents.  

Absolutely agreed. My nephew didn't marry until 33, given his family medical history, a 50th anniversary is a wild shot.

 

Though we married young, longevity in males on dh's side of the family is not common so a 50th is a very long shot for us too. It is another reason that I treasure traveling with him. I am not the type to enjoy a big party over time alone walking the beach or watching the sun set over the Nile. It just isn't how I am wired.

 

Dh's mom got really miffed when she and his dad reached their 40th the year he was diagnosed with Stage III cancer because there was no party thrown. We didn't know what to do. We lived 2800 miles away, and dh had no time off coming from work because we'd had a baby that year and he used his vacation to be with youngest and me post partem His sister lived only 100 miles away from his folks, and his brother about 300 miles away so he told them if they wanted to plan it, we would contribute to the cost financially but would not be able to attend. They didn't want to do anything due to the fact that the early years of the marriage had been REALLY BAD, and as the eldest kids - many years older than DH - had endured a good bit because of it. They weren't inclined to feel celebratory about their parents' marriage. So no party. She STILL some 16 years later is upset about not being given a party for the milestone. I guess that was a very big deal on her side of the family. Her sister's 50th is this year and their children are hosting a lovely shebang. This of course brought up the wound again. There isn't anything we can do about it as his dad passed away only two years after diagnosis so it isn't like he is around and we could have a 55th party or a 60th in the future.

 

Yikes.

 

Okay, so maybe you all ought to figure this out before your parents reach these big ones so that the family is all on the same page! Save yourself some hurt feelings.

[Momto6inIN]

My parents had a big reception for their 40th because my dad had had several stents put in at that point and they figured they'd better celebrate while they could because you never know, you know?

 

Now they're coming up on their 50th and they're both still in good health and my mom got it in her head that they're taking both their kids/spouses and all the grandkids to Alaska for 2 weeks and blowing our inheritance to do some bucket list stuff with them lol

 

I mean, who am I to stand in the way of that? 😉

 

I do feel kinda bad that over half the traveling party is me and my offspring lol! But it was her idea and she was very insistent, soooo Alaska here we come!

[FaithManor]

My parents had a big reception for their 40th because my dad had had several stents put in at that point and they figured they'd better celebrate while they could because you never know, you know?

 

Now they're coming up on their 50th and they're both still in good health and my mom got it in her head that they're taking both their kids/spouses and all the grandkids to Alaska for 2 weeks and blowing our inheritance to do some bucket list stuff with them lol

 

I mean, who am I to stand in the way of that? 😉

 

I do feel kinda bad that over half the traveling party is me and my offspring lol! But it was her idea and she was very insistent, soooo Alaska here we come!

I think it is a great idea! I know that maybe some of the adult kids would prefer cash when they pass, but I think this is awesome because it is a chance to have a big family memory seeing a new place together. The photos and memories of that experience will hopefully be priceless. I say hopefully because obviously some people have family for whom traveling together would be the equivalent of dental work without anesthetic!

[Momto6inIN]

I think it is a great idea! I know that maybe some of the adult kids would prefer cash when they pass, but I think this is awesome because it is a chance to have a big family memory seeing a new place together. The photos and memories of that experience will hopefully be priceless. I say hopefully because obviously some people have family for whom traveling together would be the equivalent of dental work without anesthetic!

Yes, I am very thankful for the chance!

[Zinnia]

My mom and stepdad celebrate their 20th next year, at a time when many of her friends that are still in their first marriages are celebrating 45th anniversaries.  I think she would like a big celebration of some sort.  My brother is not the most....um....cooperative kind of guy, and getting him on board has been like pulling teeth.  

Which leaves me.  We don't really have enough money to throw a big catered shindig.  And we are about an hour and a half away, an awkward distance to host anything.  But that uncooperative brother is not excited about hosting at his house, and when I brought up the idea of a couple of nights in the mountains, he acted like that was going to be torture.  So I'm not sure what we'll do.  

I hate that.  I have one way that I want things to be in my head, but then, of course, real life isn't like that.  I have a hard time shifting to the best plan B I can muster.

[TechWife]

We had a family dinner party at a nice restaurant for my parents 50th anniversary. Small dinner at home for their 60th. My husband gave me an anniversary ring for our tenth, we've never had a party. We may take a trip for our 25th in a couple of years.

[Ellesmere]

I don't know what the norm is (as my story will show) but I've been invited to 25th, 35th, 40th, and 50th for friends and family. I haven't heard of anything under 25th except for a vow renewal party for friends that had gotten married privately and then 10 or 15 years later did a renewal with a casual but festive reception.

We threw a 40th for my parents. It was a surprise for them and it was small, no gifts, casual. Just good food, good wine, and their closest friends/family. We had the party because we thought 40 years was worth celebrating. Also, one of them had been seriously ill for over a decade and while I am hopeful we'll be planning a 50th for them, I just didn't know. It was also an excuse to get a long distance family member to travel out here and surprise my parents.

I didn't realize it just wasn't done until one of the guests came up to me in the middle of the party and asked why I had given them a party. Well, for their 40th. Yes, but why for their 40th? She seemed offended by the idea. I have no idea why she came if she was so bothered that I didn't wait til their 50th, and I never said anything to my mom (it was her friend) because I just wanted here to enjoy the memory of the party. 

For ourselves, I hope we can travel.  We didn't have much of a honeymoon. Our longest trip from home was for medical reasons, so I don't count that four day trip as much of a holiday, lol.  Also, we aren't much for parties although we are happy to help anyone celebrate whatever # of years they feel like partying for. I don't think waiting until 50 is necessary.

 

[happypamama]

My grandparents had a big party for their 40th. I remember attending but was only 11, so I don't remember it much. When they celebrated their 50th, they took their grown kids and grandkids to Williamsburg for a week. It was the last event with just the core group, just a few weeks before the first grandchild (me) wedding, and we all had a good time together. I don't think they were able to travel for their 60th, but I organized my cousins and siblings so that we surprised them with flowers on behalf of all the grandkids, spouses, and great-grandchildren. I'm glad we did that because my grandmother passed away unexpectedly (really, NO warning at all) when they'd married 65 years.

 

Not sure what my ILs did for their 40th. My parents aren't really big party people so they celebrated their 40th quietly on their own last year.

 

We took the kids (I was six months pregnant with #3) and went on a small vacation road trip for our tenth. I was massively pregnant with #5 for our fifteenth (he was born 17 days later), so we didn't go away, just out to dinner with the kids. #6 will be almost two by our twentieth, so I'd feel comfortable leaving him/her overnight, I think, and my parents are happy to keep the crew, so hopefully we will get to get away for a little while, just the two of us. (We have yet to be away overnight just the two of us since before our oldest was born, although we do get out on solo dinner dates some now.)

 

50 is very likely. But I don't know that I see us as party people at any stage. Maybe a big family trip, though.

[Guest]

I should add that the parties we threw were mostly NOT family-only but friends-and-family, and my parents had (still have among the living) long-lasting and hearty friendships with two separate crowds of people.  So while we (my sister and I) "threw" the parties, they were largely attended by my parents' friends...and lasted a couple of hours/an evening.  Not the same thing as travelling and so on.

 

My dh and his siblings planned a family reunion for the 5 kids and their spouses and kids.  The family was spread from Maine to Colorado to Washington state. We ended up in Washington, so *I* planned it, found the B&B, hired an RV for the young people as there wasn't enough room in the B&B; hired the catering, hired the Celtic Band, made the room assignments...   The amount of energy and spreading-oil-on-troubled-waters that went into deciding where to HAVE the reunion was enormous.  And this is in a pretty agreeable family, no "I hate my parent/sibling" stuff going on here.  Everything from:

--Let's go on an Alaskan cruise!

--Let's go to Hawaii!

--Let's go to the mountains in Colorado!

--Let's go to the Canadian homestead!

--Let's go to an island retreat!

 

Which resulted in:

--I can't take that much time from work/home

--My kids can't take that much time/find the money to do this

--I can't afford that

--I hate the mountains/boats/sand/tourist sites

 

from all corners.  I was the wet blanket for most of it, trying to get something for everyone.  Eventually we did come to agreement, and frankly, we had a great time!  Which is a miracle, given that...

 

--One of the spouses passed away suddenly and unexpectedly a month before the reunion

--I had endless trips to the airport, and 17 people IN BEDS in my house for 2 days as we gathered

--Upon arrival at the site, there was eruption about room assignments as *everyone* had in mind a romantic getaway with their spouse, but there wasn't room for super privacy at the B&B we rented

--On the day of the reunion's beginning, my grandfather died (he lived 2 miles from where we were holding the reunion) and I had to switch gears into funeral planning mode, as now MY parents and all my Dad's family would be coming to the island as well.  And I loved my grandpa...so I was sad...

--One hour after I got that news, my sister called telling me her dh of 15 years had asked for a divorce...so I invited her to come on over to the reunion (she was more than welcome by the in-laws) so she could have time away and also be part of the funeral going on 2 miles away...

--The first day at the actual reunion was my son's 5th birthday, so I arranged THAT party...

--At the big anniversary Party, complete with Celtic Band, I fell apart and had to go to bed and cry about my grandpa...and my sister...

--Meanwhile, at the big Anniversary Party, my FIL (Mr. Anniversary) fell while learning to play frisbee...in the dark...at age 75...and broke his hip and spent the rest of the time in the hospital, and then a month with us at home before they could return to the East Coast...

--All the others took off immediately after the reunion so they could add some "real vacation" to their travels...which left my dh and me to do all the medical care of his bewildered mom and hospitalized dad...which was not that big a deal, had we not had a funeral and MY family to attend to, as well.

--We2 got stuck with more than $5K of bills (beyond our own share) that people couldn't afford to chip in on after all.  No harm done as we could absorb it, but still...

 

My own parents' 50th, to be held in a town 1000 miles away from me, was much simpler to plan and execute.  

 

I called their church and reserved the room, and got the cooperation of the Church Hostess, who was a real help.  I called my mom's favorite restaurant and arranged the catering, making sure there would be a mountain of shrimp (this is my mother's love language). I called a baker and ordered a cake.  I called a florist and arranged for table flowers and corsages.  I bought white tablecloths for the church tables, as it was actually cheaper than RENTING them, and the church can use them again and again.  The church hostess arranged for three high school kids to come ahead of time to receive flowers and set up the catering table and and serve so we would not have to worry about these things.   She arranged for all the leftovers (molehills of shrimp and the rest) to go to the homeless shelter afterward.

 

My sister got the invitations out via church bulletin, cards, and phone calls and emails, and handled the RSVPs.  She arranged a short "program" which was hilarious and sweet.  It took about 10 hours of my time,and 10 hours of my sister's, total, to plan this, and people talked for many years about how beautiful it was, how much fun they had.  I still get comments on it to this day, when I visit my hometown.  Not including travel, I think we were out a total of $3,000.  (The big expenses:  the aforementioned shrimp and the flowers.  I didn't want carnations, but roses for the tables, and many people commented on how lovely that was...so it was worth the extra expense to me.)  

 

I *vastly* prefer the way my parents had their celebration.  It was appropriate for them as they have not much family but a ton of friends.  My in-laws are exactly the opposite in that regard, so their reunion-event was perfect.  It was the last time they were *all* together...all the grandchildren included.  Now we have lost my FIL and a BIL to death, one spouse to divorce, and the grandchildren are old enough to have their own families to manage and are not as footloose.

 

My thought is that the shindig should reflect the reality of the couple being honored and not have anything layered over it, AND it should reflect the ability of the family to handle their wishes.  It would have been nice for my in-laws to have an Alaskan Cruise Reunion (which is what they wanted) but it was not at all realistic for this to happen, between cost and logistics.  So we narrowed it down to what was most important to them--seeing Alaska or their family--and worked with that, because their wishes count, but so does the ability of others to meet them.  

 

What a couple of years that was!  My in-laws made it to anniversary 58 and my parents to 62.  By these times, though, a shindig would have been a chore and not a celebration.  Too much decline in one way or another.  I'm glad we did the 50th's.  

 

[Rachel]

My parents had a big reception for their 40th because my dad had had several stents put in at that point and they figured they'd better celebrate while they could because you never know, you know?

 

Now they're coming up on their 50th and they're both still in good health and my mom got it in her head that they're taking both their kids/spouses and all the grandkids to Alaska for 2 weeks and blowing our inheritance to do some bucket list stuff with them lol

 

I mean, who am I to stand in the way of that? 😉

 

I do feel kinda bad that over half the traveling party is me and my offspring lol! But it was her idea and she was very insistent, soooo Alaska here we come!

That sounds like a blast!

[Farrar]

I've never heard of one except for a 50th.

[Happy]

We helped my parents put on a shindig for their 25th...glad we did since my dad did not live to see their 27th.

 

My sis-in-laws and I threw our much loved in laws a surprise anniversary party on their 38th. It was a blast!

 

My husband and I have celebrated in all sorts of ways--some years we didn't have two nickels to rub together. Twice we celebrated in Paris. On our 25th we had a BBQ at our house. Loads of fun. Next year is our 40th--I've had health issues, so I think we will do something special. We already try to do a family trip/gathering with our kids each year. Maybe we will do a cruise.....or Disney! Wouldn't that be fun!

 

I love finding reasons to celebrate!

 

 

[G5052]

Yes, it's pretty uneven.

 

Where I grew up and lived in early adulthood, there was a lady at church that organized them for 50 years. She'd plan a menu, assign dishes to people, and collect contributions for invitations, cake, and paper products. I even flew back there for several of them after I moved away. They were wonderful events.

 

Where I live now, they sometimes do a cake at church during the coffee hour, but that's it. Local friends have talked of organizing 50th parties for their parents where family flew in, but I've never been to one locally.

 

DH and I are planning our trip for our 25th, but it's on hold because of his health problems.

[Scarlett]

My parents just had their 15th......5 days after our 6th. We spent the weekend at their house to celebrate. We bought gifts and two families my parents and I and Dh are close to as well as my SIL, her husband and my niece came over for a big dinner.

 

The party/dinner was for my parents but Dh and I got gifts too since ours was just a drew days prior.

[AHASRADA]

I threw a surprise party for my parents' 25th. We reserved a room in a local restaurant, which catered it, and had a DJ. I invited everyone I knew from their address book, so people we hadn't seen in a while, etc. I also blew up photos and made collages from over the years, so one of all the houses we'd lived all, all their cars, pets and of course wedding photos. I purposely held it about 6 weeks before their anniversary, so they were appropriately surprised.

 

I am their only child and had just graduated from college 4 months before and was about to start my first job, so dh and I had no extra money. Everyone pitched in a bit, I think my grandparents ended up paying the DJ. I don't know how I got the idea I was supposed to do that, I just thought that's what you do for 25th and 50th.

 

DH and I had our 25th last year, but certainly didn't expect our kids to do anything (still in school, no jobs at the time, etc.) They wouldn't have had a clue where to start in planning such a thing anyway, the only relatives who could have helped them are my parents, who live in a different country. Personally, I had always imagined DH and I going on some kind of wonderful trip for our 25th, but that was before the great recession and a stagnated standard of living that we expected to have been higher by this stage in our lives. Still counting our blessings. The fact that our family is intact is the greatest reward. Maybe for our 30th in 2021.

 

This reminds me that I do have to think about planning something for my parents' 50th in 2020. Considering both of their health issues, it will definitely be something to celebrate if that milestone comes to pass.

 

To answer your question, yes, I expect most people do some sort of celebration for at least the 25th and 50th. That could be a special trip planned by the couple themselves, but if not, I would think it customary for their family to plan a gathering appropriate to the couple's interests and preferences. It is less typical to have a celebration for the intervening years, but really any round number between 25 and 50 (30, 35, 40, 45) seems appropriate, especially if nothing was done for the 25th, for whatever reason, or if health issues etc. make it wise to celebrate earlier. I find it a great excuse to get people together who rarely see each other, for a happy occasion. Basically, the same people would probably attend a milestone anniversary party as would attend a funeral. Much prefer the guests of honor get to see and enjoy their family and friends while they're still here.

 

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[Lizzie in Ma]

25th and 50th are milestones around here and are generally cause for a celebration of some type.

I'm not huge on anniversaries myself, more of an every day with him is a gift kind of gal but we did go to one of our favorite restaurants on our 25th with oldest and her husband and my bil.  Nobody else was available and it was a last minute thing anyway.

We had a large family shindig for my parent's 50th, I made a 3 tier photo cake, sisters went all out with food and flowers.  It was really nice.

In other news, I forgot to wish my outlaws a happy anniversary yesterday.

[Word Nerd]

We had a cake and punch reception for my parents’ 50th. DH’s parents didn’t want a party or even to go out to dinner with kids and grandkids, so we wished them happy anniversary like usual.

[Rosika]

At church, we see "marriage blessings" for every standard milestone from 10 years on. Mass ends with a blessing for the couple, and many times there is a punch and cake reception following (open to the parish). Some families go bigger and cater a more substantial party - the Knights of Columbus group man a pancake/waffle breakfast upon request as their fundraiser, and it's a popular option for blessing receptions. 

 

In my social circle, we've been invited to 25th and 50th celebrations. And also one 65th, which was very special. 

 

Within my family, we celebrate 10 because it seems those first ten years are the biggest adjustment. We're always glad when a couple makes it to ten. It's not easy marrying into our family, so this is a worthy event to celebrate!! We then hold big parties for any couple that wants to celebrate. One aunt and uncle had made it through a very rough patch (they lost a child) so the fact that they made it to 43 years was an accomplishment. We celebrated that one, and again two years later on their 45th. One aunt was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, so we celebrated a 28th anniversary. She lived long enough to celebrate her 40th anniversary, too, by the grace of God. Basically we just like to celebrate, so any excuse to break bread and open a bottle of wine ... we're game for it. Half of the time we don't even know what we're celebrating, we just know so-and-so is hosting a cook out for something-or-another celebration. LOL We roast pig, goat, lamb; play loud music, drink, and enjoy family and friends. 

[EmilyGF]

We're giving my parents one for their 40th this coming year.

 

Who knows if they will still live in their current town when they get to 50th. Their friends are moving away from their town quickly in order to cash out on their homes' values. So if we wait until their 50th, there won't be a party. :-(

 

Emily

[JustEm]

I think my parents' 50th is coming up in a year or 2. Is it bad that I don't know? I know for a fact my father would hate to have a big party.  But we will likely celebrate it at their house with all the local family members.  I do recall doing something like that for their 30th.

[regentrude]

Since the beginning of the thread, my parents had their 50th. They had a lovely luncheon with close family (11 people) in a nice restaurant close to the church in which they had been married. After lunch, we walked up to the historic church which is located in a vineyard, and the organist who had played at their wedding was playing an organ service for them and said a few words. Afterwards, a few old friends of my parents joined us for coffee in the restaurant garden.

It was a beautiful, festive day.

Edited October 9, 2017 by regentrude

[JennyD]

That sounds lovely, regentrude.  That's amazing about the organist!

 

My parents will have their 50th in a few years and I would like to throw them a party.  They eloped so did not have any sort of celebration the first time around, and I think they would really enjoy some sort of festivities.  

[madteaparty]

I don't know, because we've been married 15 years and have friends *just now* getting married.

I was joking with DH that we should have a brand new wedding. *surprise everyone, we forgot to do this first 'round" 😂

[Rachel]

Since the beginning of the thread, my parents had their 50th. They had a lovely luncheon with close family (11 people) in a nice restaurant close to the church in which they had been married. After lunch, we walked up to the historic church which is located in a vineyard, and the organist who had played at their wedding was playing an organ service for them and said a few words. Afterwards, a few old friends of my parents joined us for coffee in the restaurant garden.

It was a beautiful, festive day.

That's pretty neat!

[J-rap]

Here, parties seem to be more of a thing for older generations.  I mean, other people celebrate their anniversaries of course, but mostly just as a couple -- going out for dinner or a weekend away maybe, but no party.

 

My parents had a party for their 50th, for their 60th, and now one for their 65th -- in fact, this coming weekend!  That seems to be more common for their generation.  (The parties are never very big or over-the-top -- mostly just immediate family and close friends.)

[Elizabeth86]

:lol: We are terrible kids. We did nothing for my parents 50th. They babysat my two boys while I was giving birth to dd on their 51st. My parents are about as un-romantic as me and my dh are, so they didnt care.

[Rachel]

Update: we did gather to celebrate my parent's (dad and stepmom) 30th anniversary. Instead of the party with 150 invited guests as my sister suggested and the rest of us were reluctantly going along with, we rented a small hunting lodge for an evening where we grilled, had a root beer keg (family tradition), and cupcakes. It was the first time we 6 kids and our parents had all been together in 5 years.

 

We spent the rest of the week camping, hiking, and canoeing at the state park we camped at several times each summer growing up. The 14 grandkids who live in 5 different states really bonded during that time. It turned out to be a lovely time that fit our parents and our families.

 

I'm glad we didn't do a traditional reception, but I am very happy we celebrated 30 years as a family.

[KungFuPanda]

My parents are not in our area, but they will be celebrating their 50th, and we will be flying overseas to celebrate with them. That's as big as it gets.

The other common one is silver, at 25 years. Already thinking about mine ;)

OMG. Silver Anniversary sounds so OLD. Mine is next year:-/

 

My kids would HAVE to throw a party if we had one. DH would never be interested in sharing the date with other people and I love him too much to force him to socialize that day. We'd be gracious and appreciative if the kids planned something though. I went to my cousin's 50th (a surprise from their kids) and it was great. They're BOTH very social so it was really perfect for them. DH and I would choose a trip every time :-)