On January 5th, my parents will have been married for SIXTY! FIVE! YEARS!
I can hardly believe it myself, and I've been with them for 51 of those years!
Clearly, the occasion calls for major celebration -- but I need help figuring out what to do. Here are the ideas I've had so far:
1. Most of our family lives far away, and would not be able to travel here... but I believe I can get a dozen people to come.
2. I need to rent a private dining room at a nice restaurant where we could have the party... and there's a restaurant where my mom and I are regulars that I think would give us a reasonable price.
3. I want to put together a Powerpoint slideshow of their marriage to show during the party. My brother could run it off his laptop, so all we'd have to rent would be the projector and screen.
4. I'll ask everyone who couldn't come to send cards, so I can display them on a nice easel board.
5. Music would be easy -- my brother is a working musician and has a fabulous rig, so he could play, and he has friends who could come, too. His rig would also provide a PA for toasts and so forth.
6. My brother and I would have to do a song for Mom and Papa -- and I know just the one: "Blue Skirt Waltz," one of the songs they used to sing together when they had their own radio show just after WWII. They'd love that!
6. I'd have to have a fabulous cake made... and a corsage for Mom and a boutonniere for Papa... and a Happy Anniversary banner.
7. And maybe I could arrange for them to renew their wedding vows! When they got married in 1943, it was by a Justice of the Peace at the post where Papa was taking helicopter training, and they had no family present... and afterward, they just walked down the street for ice cream. Maybe I could secretly bring along a wreath of flowers for my mom to wear in her hair, and a minister to remarry them!
8. Finally: a few years ago, my father had a bad injury to his left hand and the hospital had to cut off his wedding ring. Around the same time, my mom's engagement ring was damaged, and she was afraid to wear it until she had it fixed. Neither ring has been fixed yet, but if I could get hold of them and secretly have them repaired, so they could re-present them to each other during the renewing of their vows... wouldn't that be lovely?
Do you see any problems with what I'm thinking of doing? Do you have any other ideas or suggestions? It's just suddenly hit me that I only have about six weeks to get this done! AUGH! Any advice deeply appreciated!
Clearly, the occasion calls for major celebration -- but I need help figuring out what to do. Here are the ideas I've had so far:
1. Most of our family lives far away, and would not be able to travel here... but I believe I can get a dozen people to come.
2. I need to rent a private dining room at a nice restaurant where we could have the party... and there's a restaurant where my mom and I are regulars that I think would give us a reasonable price.
3. I want to put together a Powerpoint slideshow of their marriage to show during the party. My brother could run it off his laptop, so all we'd have to rent would be the projector and screen.
4. I'll ask everyone who couldn't come to send cards, so I can display them on a nice easel board.
5. Music would be easy -- my brother is a working musician and has a fabulous rig, so he could play, and he has friends who could come, too. His rig would also provide a PA for toasts and so forth.
6. My brother and I would have to do a song for Mom and Papa -- and I know just the one: "Blue Skirt Waltz," one of the songs they used to sing together when they had their own radio show just after WWII. They'd love that!
6. I'd have to have a fabulous cake made... and a corsage for Mom and a boutonniere for Papa... and a Happy Anniversary banner.
7. And maybe I could arrange for them to renew their wedding vows! When they got married in 1943, it was by a Justice of the Peace at the post where Papa was taking helicopter training, and they had no family present... and afterward, they just walked down the street for ice cream. Maybe I could secretly bring along a wreath of flowers for my mom to wear in her hair, and a minister to remarry them!
8. Finally: a few years ago, my father had a bad injury to his left hand and the hospital had to cut off his wedding ring. Around the same time, my mom's engagement ring was damaged, and she was afraid to wear it until she had it fixed. Neither ring has been fixed yet, but if I could get hold of them and secretly have them repaired, so they could re-present them to each other during the renewing of their vows... wouldn't that be lovely?
Do you see any problems with what I'm thinking of doing? Do you have any other ideas or suggestions? It's just suddenly hit me that I only have about six weeks to get this done! AUGH! Any advice deeply appreciated!