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Posted by Donna Scheible on September 12, 2003 at 09:23:41:

In Reply to: HELP ME!!!!! it's my parent's 25th anniversary surprise party!!! posted by please help!!! on September 05, 2003 at 10:01:47:

I came across your posting accidentally. Reason being, my parents 50th party is this weekend and not being good with words, I was looking for an way out for words to use during the toast, somehow, I came to you.

Anyway, I was so touched by you and your sister, at your ages, to plan a party for your parents, I almost bawled :-) When my parents celebrated their 25th, I was already 24 years old and had been in the working field for a few years, so I had some money.

Not knowing how much money you have, and figuring it's limited, here's my suggestions:

- Get cold cuts and do a platter yourself. It's cheaper than the already made-up ones. Find 2-3 people who will donate a side dish ... don't be afraid to ask for their help. Believe me, people like to help and if it's for your parents, they'll be glad to do it.

- Silver helium balloons, with long, curly ribbons "floating" up on your ceiling (where everyone will gather), looks cool. If your ceiling is too low, tie a few together and place them somewhere. They take up "space" and create an ambvience (sp?).

- To get your parents out of the house, you better enlist a trusted friend of theirs. It's very hard to do surprise parties. My sister once took me to a home-a-rama to get me out of the house for my surprise birthday party. It worked. Your gonna need an adult's help in this one, for sure. Call someone you can trust and depend on.

- I ordered the coolest favors for my parents 50th. They are magnets with their wedding picture on them. I got them from the Favor Lady (online) favorlady. They were $1.15/each for "Large" size), the smaller ones were only 85 cents each. Her minimum order is 30 but I'd betcha that she'd place an order for your 20 or so. She's a really nice lady. You'd have to scan your parents wedding picture - do you have access to a scanner? Or, there's anniversary ones without using their photo. If you want, you can wrap the magnets in cellophone with some candy and tie with a ribbon. With the magnets, everyone will have a "permanent" rememberance.

- Im clueless on entertaining. For the most part, adults don't do games usually. Tho they do tend to get the party going. Piconary is fun. One suggestion that's cool (and it might be considered "craft") is to ask each guest (or couple) to bring a written page of a funny story about your parents or a nice memory. Buy an inexpensive photo album and make a book with these memory pages. Your parents will love it.

- You'll definitely need an anniversary cake for dessert. Here again, if you want to cut costs you can order a photo flat sheet cake from the supermarket and put their wedding picture on it. With only 20 guests, you can get away with a sheet cake. It should cost about $15.00 If you want a round one, see if you can buy an already-made up one from the supermarket. (FYI - a 2-tier wedding cake from a bakery would be way too much, they serve 65 people and are $65) Cake tops (the bride & groom that sits on top of wedding cakes) are also expensive. They make them for anniversaries too. They start at $20 and can go up to $50. I think their wedding picture and if you want a plastic "25" pic (sold at some arts & crafts stores, as I just got one for 50th) could be stuck in the cake.

- For music, you can do a search on 80's music, or if you know what they like, and download a CD. Some dancing music gets people in the mood.

- For invitation, again, I'd just the wedding photo thing. Scan a photo, steal some wording from online: partyinvitations.cceasy

They have informal wording, and becuse your party is informal, that would work. I stole words for my parents 50th.

Run the invitations on some decent paper, buy a box of envelopes and there ya go. You won't be able to RSVP with your home phone number. Maybe you can use someone else's.

SORRY I'M BABBLING SO MUCH. It's just that with all the planning for my own parents 50th this weekned, I'm really into it. It seems like only yesterday we did their 25th and it'll go that fast for you too.

REMEMBER THIS ... You can do this. It doesn't have to cost a bundle of money and at your ages, no matter what you do, your parents are going to be thrilled!! No matter how it turns out, or what you have, there's no way you can "screw it up" because the mere fact that you are even doing this, showing this love, at your ages, is really the "gift" itself. When you have kids yourself someday, you'll understand. You and your sister sound like great kids.

P.S. - If your parents have a video of their wedding, it would be cool to pop it in and let everyone have a good laugh :-)

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